Australian captain tells parents not to go to Rio as dark cloud hangs over Olympic city
There is a dark cloud already hanging over Rio and the question is whether or not the city is safe enough or even ready to host the 2016 Summer Olympics Games.
Rio's political turmoil, a financial crisis, body parts being washed up on beaches, the Zika virus, delayed construction and a "super bacteria" found in the ocean are some issues haunting the event.
Australian champion cyclist, Anna Meares is wary of the dark cloud and told her parents not to go Rio de Janero and watch her carry the Australian flag because the country is too dangerous.
The two-time gold medalist said there is too much of security risk for visitors.
Just last month, Australian Paralympic Liesl Tesch and team official Sarah Ross were robbed at gunpoint on the streets of Rio before a race meet.
The Basketball player said she was threatened with a pistol and pushed to the ground before she and Sarah’s bikes were stolen.
"We are both shaken, but physically were both OK," she said.
There are about 500,000 tourists expected to arrive in Rio, a city renowned to be one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in the world.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has pressured Brazilian organisers to increase security measures in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic games due to the city's steadily rising local crime rate.
Mutilated bodies washed up on Rio beach
Every year, an estimated 40,000 Brazilians die from gun-related incidents. The number of murders in Rio is up 15.4 percent from last year.
Two Spanish sailors were robbed at gunpoint in Santa Teresa, a picturesque hillside area of Rio that attracts tourists but has some very dangerous spots.
On June 29 parts of a mutilated body were washed up on Copacabana beach, mere yards away from the 2016 Summer Olympics beach volleyball site.
The remains were initially found by a local street vendor. Police have not commented on the finding, nor have they provided further details.
Rio’s largest public hospital was also attacked recently by more than 20 armed gunmen, leaving one person dead and two injured.
The group wore masks and carried assault rifles, and was able to free a drug kingpin, according to local reports.
The hospital is one of five designated for the treatment of tourists during the games, and it is the closest hospital to the Maracana Stadium, where the Opening Ceremonies will be held.
A hospital visitor told CNN that she "heard a lot of gunshots".
"I heard a loud explosion and saw gangsters and police officers running through the hallways," she said.
Rio visitors greeted with 'Welcome to Hell' banner
Rio’s ability to handle crime and crisis is another question up for scrutiny after protesters were pictured holding up a "Welcome to Hell" outside the airport as tourists arrived.
“Police and firefighters don’t get paid, whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe,” the sign said.
The airport protest comes on the heels of a declaration last week by the state government of Rio that the area is in a “state of calamity” which could bring about a “total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management.”
“We have a desperate government and agencies,” one Brazil-based counterterrorism agent wrote in a message to Yahoo Sports. “The danger has never been so close.”
It is unlikely that many Olympians will venture into the crime-ridden areas during the Games, but the proximity of those pockets to the tourist sectors will be worrying due to the well-armed and aggressive criminal groups.
A security expert with the International Institute for Strategic Studies told Yahoo US that the main risk throughout the Olympics will be if a gunfight erupts.
"I don't think the groups will deliberately target public places; this risk I'm talking about is more taking the form of gunfights," Antonio Sampaio said.
"It's a hilly terrain and the slums are in hills. Sometimes you can actually see the gunfights. You can get an emerging battle in an urban city. If there is a gunfight during the Olympics, that is the most likely form of risk."
US to monitor Olympic team when they return home amid Zika concerns
The mosquito-bourne Zika virus is up there with some of the biggest concerns during the Rio Games.
So far 21 athletes, notably golf and NBA players, have cancelled participation in the Olympics for various reasons, the majority over Zika virus concerns.
Four tennis players, including Dominic Thlem and Bernard Tomic, have dropped out of the Games for various reasons.
Nine high-ranking NBA players, including Blake Griffin, Lebron James and Stephen Curry, have dropped out.
Seven golfers, including world No. 1 Jason Day, won't be attending the Olympics.
US cyclist Tejay van Garderen has also dropped out due his wife being pregnant amid Zika fears.
The US National Institutes of Health will be funding the testing US athletes, coaches and members of the Olympic Committee staff for exposure to Zika virus while in Brazil.
Health officials will investigate the incidence of Zika virus infection, identify potential risk factors for infection, evaluate how long the virus remains in bodily fluids, and study the reproductive outcomes of Zika-infected participants for up to one year.
They are hoping gain better understanding of how it persists in the body and the potential risks it poses.
Rio governor declares 'public calamity' over collapsing economy
Brazil is facing dire threats from a collapsing economy, and the city of Rio has seen an uptick in urban violence since the World Cup was held in 2014.
Rio's acting governor, Francisco Dornelles, has declared a state of “public calamity” because of its financial crisis.
Dornelles said in his decree, published in the state’s official gazette, that Rio’s financial problems have arisen in large part because of falling oil prices and pension costs.
He said in a translated statement that he hopes the decree will “draw the attention of every citizen to the financial difficulties experienced by the state.”
Infrastructure expenses related to the games are shared between local, state and federal budgets, but the state is in charge of day-to-day security and health costs.
Rio’s debt nearly doubled its revenue in 2015. This year, officials project a 2016 debt of 20 billion reais ($5.85 billion) and the state has been delaying payments to public servants, Bloomberg reports.
Still, Rio officials are adamant that the Olympics will run smoothly.
