Brazil Olympics 2016
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Queues, security scares mark shambolic start to Rio Games
RIO DE JANEIRO | By Karolos Grohmann and Brad Brooks
The Rio Olympic Games got off to a shambolic and nervous start on Saturday, with organizers apologizing to angry fans kept waiting for hours at security checkpoints to enter venues while, outside, shootings and bomb scares kept visitors on edge.
Athletes competed in front of empty stands early on the first day of full competition as spectators complained of missing their events while queueing for security clearance.
The morning after a dazzling opening ceremony, organizers admitted to dropping the ball, with only a few hundred spectators making their way into venues such as the gymnastics arena and the beach volleyball on iconic Copacabana beach.
Outside, lines stretched for several blocks as fans stood in full sun and security staff struggled. Organizers blamed a lack of coordination between security personnel, including the police, Games staff and private security firms.
Gymnasts performed in front of swathes of empty seats in an arena that can seat 13,500 people. The boxing venue also had many empty seats as the first professionals in Olympics history entered the ring.
"I don't believe it. It's absurd, ridiculous," said Rio resident Natalia Carvalho, 28, who missed seeing Brazilian gymnast and medal hopeful Arthur Zanetti compete on the rings as she waited with thousands of others to enter the Olympic park.
"It's a lack of respect for the fan that bought tickets. It's a shame," she said.
What should have been a celebration of the start of South America's first Olympics turned into a damage-control operation, with Games spokesman Mario Andrada vowing an immediate improvement.
"We apologize for everybody standing in line outside the venues," he told reporters. "Within the next hours we will be in much better shape."
At the tennis center, where former world number one Ana Ivanovic played in front of virtually empty stands in the first round, fans had to wait more than 20 minutes to buy water.
Spectators encountered similar situations at the rowing and the rugby venues as temperatures hit 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).
SECURITY JITTERS
Security has emerged as a top concern after a string of killings, kidnappings and robberies in recent days.
Spectators leaving the Olympics opening ceremony at the famed Maracana stadium on Friday night were confronted by the body of a 22-year-old man shot dead by police in the street.
Police said the man had robbed several people in the area, but did not give further details.
A 51-year-old Brazilian woman was also shot dead during a robbery on Friday in the renovated "Marvelous Port" area meant to be a main attraction for Olympic tourists.
That came a day after police confirmed that a man sitting in a car had killed a suspect who tried to carjack his luxury automobile in the main Olympic area of Barra. The Russian consul denied media reports that the man was a consulate employee.
On Saturday, a bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion of an unattended bag, believed to belong to a homeless man, near the finish line of the men's cycling road race on Copacabana's sweeping boulevard.
There have been several controlled blasts in recent days as organizers have tightened security around venues, amid concerns the Games could be a target for militants.
Brazil detained 12 people for suspected links to Islamic State last month. It says the risk of an attack is minimal, with authorities having deployed 85,000 police and military to guard the Games, roughly twice the number at the 2012 London Olympics.
Lorie Schmetterling, who traveled from Moorestown, New Jersey with her husband Eric to cheer on their daughter Laura, a U.S. rower, was disturbed to learn about the bomb scare a few hundred meters from where she was staying.
"You hear all these terrible things about how it is going to be and then you get here and it seems fine," she said. "Then this happens and you feel it, you go on high alert again."
Journalists covering equestrian events in the Deodoro Olympic zone got a fright on Saturday when a stray bullet cut through the plastic roof of the equestrian media center. The bullet flew above the head of the New Zealand team's media attache, according to the team's chef de mission, Rob Waddell.
No one was injured in the incident. The equestrian venue is sited next to a military complex, though police are still trying to discover who fired the bullet and from where, a spokesman for the Rio 2016 organizing committee said.
Other robberies and thefts have targeted tourists and media in Rio. Some 500,000 foreigners are expected to pass through the city during the Games that run until Aug. 21.
Three Swedish tourists were briefly kidnapped on Wednesday by an armed man as they pulled off on a highway near a slum to take photos. They were quickly released unharmed after the gunman checked the photos they took.
Drug gangs in Rio do not allow anyone to take photos or video of the areas where they operate, for fear of having their faces seen by police.
(Reporting by Scott Malone, Caroline Stauffer, Brad Brooks, Alexandra Ulmer, Stephen Eisenhammer and Rodrigo Viga; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Bill Rigby)
Queues, security scares mark shambolic start to Rio Games | Reuters
Saturday, August 06, 2016 An agent of the bomb squad in protective clothing stands in the area near the finishing line of the men's cycling road race at the 2016 Rio Olympics after they made a controlled explosion, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 6, 2016. REUTERS/Paul Hanna
Photographer PAUL HANNA
RIO DE JANEIRO | By Karolos Grohmann and Brad Brooks
The Rio Olympic Games got off to a shambolic and nervous start on Saturday, with organizers apologizing to angry fans kept waiting for hours at security checkpoints to enter venues while, outside, shootings and bomb scares kept visitors on edge.
Athletes competed in front of empty stands early on the first day of full competition as spectators complained of missing their events while queueing for security clearance.
The morning after a dazzling opening ceremony, organizers admitted to dropping the ball, with only a few hundred spectators making their way into venues such as the gymnastics arena and the beach volleyball on iconic Copacabana beach.
Outside, lines stretched for several blocks as fans stood in full sun and security staff struggled. Organizers blamed a lack of coordination between security personnel, including the police, Games staff and private security firms.
Gymnasts performed in front of swathes of empty seats in an arena that can seat 13,500 people. The boxing venue also had many empty seats as the first professionals in Olympics history entered the ring.
"I don't believe it. It's absurd, ridiculous," said Rio resident Natalia Carvalho, 28, who missed seeing Brazilian gymnast and medal hopeful Arthur Zanetti compete on the rings as she waited with thousands of others to enter the Olympic park.
"It's a lack of respect for the fan that bought tickets. It's a shame," she said.
What should have been a celebration of the start of South America's first Olympics turned into a damage-control operation, with Games spokesman Mario Andrada vowing an immediate improvement.
"We apologize for everybody standing in line outside the venues," he told reporters. "Within the next hours we will be in much better shape."
At the tennis center, where former world number one Ana Ivanovic played in front of virtually empty stands in the first round, fans had to wait more than 20 minutes to buy water.
Spectators encountered similar situations at the rowing and the rugby venues as temperatures hit 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).
SECURITY JITTERS
Security has emerged as a top concern after a string of killings, kidnappings and robberies in recent days.
Spectators leaving the Olympics opening ceremony at the famed Maracana stadium on Friday night were confronted by the body of a 22-year-old man shot dead by police in the street.
Police said the man had robbed several people in the area, but did not give further details.
A 51-year-old Brazilian woman was also shot dead during a robbery on Friday in the renovated "Marvelous Port" area meant to be a main attraction for Olympic tourists.
That came a day after police confirmed that a man sitting in a car had killed a suspect who tried to carjack his luxury automobile in the main Olympic area of Barra. The Russian consul denied media reports that the man was a consulate employee.
On Saturday, a bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion of an unattended bag, believed to belong to a homeless man, near the finish line of the men's cycling road race on Copacabana's sweeping boulevard.
There have been several controlled blasts in recent days as organizers have tightened security around venues, amid concerns the Games could be a target for militants.
Brazil detained 12 people for suspected links to Islamic State last month. It says the risk of an attack is minimal, with authorities having deployed 85,000 police and military to guard the Games, roughly twice the number at the 2012 London Olympics.
Lorie Schmetterling, who traveled from Moorestown, New Jersey with her husband Eric to cheer on their daughter Laura, a U.S. rower, was disturbed to learn about the bomb scare a few hundred meters from where she was staying.
"You hear all these terrible things about how it is going to be and then you get here and it seems fine," she said. "Then this happens and you feel it, you go on high alert again."
Journalists covering equestrian events in the Deodoro Olympic zone got a fright on Saturday when a stray bullet cut through the plastic roof of the equestrian media center. The bullet flew above the head of the New Zealand team's media attache, according to the team's chef de mission, Rob Waddell.
No one was injured in the incident. The equestrian venue is sited next to a military complex, though police are still trying to discover who fired the bullet and from where, a spokesman for the Rio 2016 organizing committee said.
Other robberies and thefts have targeted tourists and media in Rio. Some 500,000 foreigners are expected to pass through the city during the Games that run until Aug. 21.
Three Swedish tourists were briefly kidnapped on Wednesday by an armed man as they pulled off on a highway near a slum to take photos. They were quickly released unharmed after the gunman checked the photos they took.
Drug gangs in Rio do not allow anyone to take photos or video of the areas where they operate, for fear of having their faces seen by police.
(Reporting by Scott Malone, Caroline Stauffer, Brad Brooks, Alexandra Ulmer, Stephen Eisenhammer and Rodrigo Viga; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Bill Rigby)
Queues, security scares mark shambolic start to Rio Games | Reuters
Photographer PAUL HANNA
Large population. On a per capita basis, it won less medals than Britain and many other countries.
The only two hosts nations of a Summer Olympics to have never won a gold medal are Canada and Brazil - although there's still plenty of time for Brazil to win a gold yet. If Brazil win at least one gold in this Olympics, Canada would go back to being the only host nation never to have won a gold.
Great Britain, meanwhile, are targetting their largest medals haul ever at a foreign Olympics.
And yesterday, the first day of the 2016 Rio Olympics, we've already broken a world record:
Rio Olympics 2016: Adam Peaty eases into 100m breaststroke final
BBC News
6 August 2016
Adam Peaty broke his own world record in Heat 6 of the men's 100m breaststroke, with Australian Packard finishing second and fellow Briton Ross Murdoch finishing third
Great Britain's Adam Peaty qualified easily for Sunday's 100m breaststroke final having earlier broken his own world record.
The 21-year-old qualified fastest in 57.62 seconds as he aims to become the first British male to win an individual Olympic swimming gold since 1988.
The City of Derby swimmer's 57.55 in the heats broke his record of 57.98.
Compatriot Ross Murdoch missed out on a place in the final, finishing sixth in his semi-final.
Inspired to try swimming?: Find out how to get into swimming with our special guide.
Peaty is seeking to emulate fellow Englishman Adrian Moorhouse, who who won breaststroke gold at Seoul in 1988.
"It didn't really feel like an Olympic semi-final," said Peaty. "I feel like there's more in the tank but I want to save myself for that and hopefully cash out tomorrow.
"It is great. It is tough Ross didn't make it through because it would have been great to have two GB boys through, but I will do my best and show what I am all about."
Watch video of Adam Peaty breaking his own world record:
Murdoch added: "It was pretty rough, that race. I'll need to go back and have a think what went wrong. You start slipping water and it costs you."
Britons miss out on medals
It was a disappointing day for the Britons in the evening's finals.
Both James Guy and Hannah Miley missed out on medals after valiant efforts in their respective races.
Guy led the 400m freestyle after the first 250 metres before he ran out of steam and finished sixth.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "It was trying to go out hard and see how I could go on. I feel like I am in a good place. It is what it is.
"I'll go back now and chill, watch the Inbetweeners and have some dinner and enjoy tomorrow. I am at the Games, I am 20 years old.
You move on."
In the women's 400m individual medley, Miley, who had competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, was in third place during the final freestyle leg but was touched out of bronze by Spain's Mireia Belmonte by 0.15 seconds.
Hungarian Katinka Hosszu set a new world record as she took gold.
"I had nothing left," said Miley. "It is such a mixture of emotions. I was so close to getting it. It is happy and disappointment all coming together."
Hosszu wins 400m IM gold with world record Max Litchfield, 21, was fourth in the men's event on his Games debut.
"I was still two seconds behind the guy who was third," he said. "It's not like it was a matter of hundredths of a second.
"It is a bit annoying. But to come fourth in my first Games and to have two personal bests in a day is not too bad."
Rio Olympics 2016: Adam Peaty eases into 100m breaststroke final - BBC Sport
Rugby sevens makes its debut at this year's Olympics, and the women's tournament is underway.
Rio Olympics 2016: GB rugby sevens women beat Brazil and Japan on the same day
6 August 2016
BBC News
Women's Rugby Sevens
Pool C
Great Britain 29-3 Brazil
Canada 45-0 Japan
Great Britain 40-0 Japan
Canada 38-0 Brazil
Pool A results
Fiji 12-7 USA
Australia 53-0 Colombia
Pool B results
France 24-7 Spain
New Zealand 52-0 Kenya
France 38-7 Kenya
New Zealand 31-5 Spain
Great Britain's Heather Fisher scored a thrilling try via a massive hand-off against Japan
Great Britain's women began the first Olympic rugby sevens competition with comfortable 29-3 and 40-0 victories over Brazil and Japan in Rio
Amy Wilson-Hardy scored twice in the first half against Japan, and Heather Fisher smashed through to round off the scoring, with three tries in between.
Jasmine Joyce scored twice in the win over the hosts earlier in the day.
Natasha Hunt scored twice for Great Britain in their 29-3 victory over hosts Brazil
Britain face third seeds Canada on Sunday. The winners should avoid favourites Australia in the next round.
Find out how to get into rugby union with our special guide.
France beat Spain 24-7 in the opening match of the tournament.
Results - Womens Rugby Sevens - Rugby Sevens - Rio 2016 - Olympics - BBC Sport
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Great Britain's Adam Peaty - the Usain Bolt over 100 metres in the pool - is the new Olympic champion in the men's 100 metre breaststroke.
The 21-year-old broke his own world record in Heat 6 of the competition on the first day of the Rio Olympics and then, last night, 24 hours later, broke THAT world record to claim Britain's first individual men's Olympic gold since Seoul 1988.
Minutes later, Great Britain's Jazz Carlin then claimed the silver medal in the women's 400 metre freestyle.
Rio Olympics 2016: Adam Peaty wins swimming gold, Jazz Carlin silver
BBC Sport
8 July 2016
Adam Peaty proudly shows off his gold for the men's 100m breaststroke, Britain's first medal of the Rio Olympics
Adam Peaty won gold and Jazz Carlin claimed a silver as Great Britain secured their first medals of the 2016 Olympics on day two in Rio.
Peaty, 21, smashed his own world record to win the 100m breaststroke in 57.13 seconds and end GB's 28-year wait for a men's Olympic swimming title.
Minutes later, Carlin won silver in the women's 400m freestyle.
Minutes after record-breaker Peaty won his gold, Great Britain's Jazz Carlin won silver in the women's 400m freestyle
Swimming champion who was scared of water
Peaty had a fear of water as a young child but is the first British man to win Olympic swimming gold since Adrian Moorhouse in 1988.
"I did it for my country and that means so much for me," the City of Derby swimmer told BBC Sport after victory watched by parents Caroline and Mark.
The world, European and Commonwealth champion completed a full set of titles as he led from the start with a blistering performance that left him more than 1.5 seconds clear of the field.
Peaty's grandmother Mavis, the self-styled 'Olympic Nan' who has become a hit on social media, hailed the swimmer and his coach Mel Marshall
He began the Games as the world record holder with a time of 57.92 and has lowered it by 0.79, having also set a mark of 57.55 in his opening heat.
After earlier near-misses for fencer Richard Kruse and swimmer Hannah Miley, victory brought Britain's first medal of Rio 2016.
Within minutes, there was another medal on the board thanks to Carlin, who took silver as the USA's Katie Ledecky won in a world-record time.
The 25-year-old Welsh swimmer held off American Leah Smith in the final 50 metres to claim second.
"I can't believe it. I'm on the edge of tears," said Carlin, who missed out on selection for the London 2012 Games.
"I was in the pool room watching Adam and I had goosebumps on the block.
"To see your team-mate achieve a new world record and become Olympic champion right before you swim definitely got me pumped up."
Rio Olympics 2016: Adam Peaty wins swimming gold, Jazz Carlin silver & day two round-up - BBC Sport
I like the women's beach volleyball. At London the beach volleyball was held on Horse Guards' Parade. Here at Rio, it's held on Copacabana Beach.
The 21-year-old broke his own world record in Heat 6 of the competition on the first day of the Rio Olympics and then, last night, 24 hours later, broke THAT world record to claim Britain's first individual men's Olympic gold since Seoul 1988.
Minutes later, Great Britain's Jazz Carlin then claimed the silver medal in the women's 400 metre freestyle.
Rio Olympics 2016: Adam Peaty wins swimming gold, Jazz Carlin silver
BBC Sport
8 July 2016
Adam Peaty proudly shows off his gold for the men's 100m breaststroke, Britain's first medal of the Rio Olympics
Adam Peaty won gold and Jazz Carlin claimed a silver as Great Britain secured their first medals of the 2016 Olympics on day two in Rio.
Peaty, 21, smashed his own world record to win the 100m breaststroke in 57.13 seconds and end GB's 28-year wait for a men's Olympic swimming title.
Minutes later, Carlin won silver in the women's 400m freestyle.
Minutes after record-breaker Peaty won his gold, Great Britain's Jazz Carlin won silver in the women's 400m freestyle
Swimming champion who was scared of water
Peaty had a fear of water as a young child but is the first British man to win Olympic swimming gold since Adrian Moorhouse in 1988.
"I did it for my country and that means so much for me," the City of Derby swimmer told BBC Sport after victory watched by parents Caroline and Mark.
The world, European and Commonwealth champion completed a full set of titles as he led from the start with a blistering performance that left him more than 1.5 seconds clear of the field.
Peaty's grandmother Mavis, the self-styled 'Olympic Nan' who has become a hit on social media, hailed the swimmer and his coach Mel Marshall
He began the Games as the world record holder with a time of 57.92 and has lowered it by 0.79, having also set a mark of 57.55 in his opening heat.
After earlier near-misses for fencer Richard Kruse and swimmer Hannah Miley, victory brought Britain's first medal of Rio 2016.
Within minutes, there was another medal on the board thanks to Carlin, who took silver as the USA's Katie Ledecky won in a world-record time.
The 25-year-old Welsh swimmer held off American Leah Smith in the final 50 metres to claim second.
"I can't believe it. I'm on the edge of tears," said Carlin, who missed out on selection for the London 2012 Games.
"I was in the pool room watching Adam and I had goosebumps on the block.
"To see your team-mate achieve a new world record and become Olympic champion right before you swim definitely got me pumped up."
Rio Olympics 2016: Adam Peaty wins swimming gold, Jazz Carlin silver & day two round-up - BBC Sport
I like the women's beach volleyball. At London the beach volleyball was held on Horse Guards' Parade. Here at Rio, it's held on Copacabana Beach.
And there are lots of golds up for grabs for Britain today in sports in which we are traditionally very strong at, such as the rowing.