Great Britain team member robbed in Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO — Concerns over the security of Olympic athletes in Rio surfaced again after it emerged that a member of the Great Britain team had been robbed earlier this week.
“We can confirm there has been an incident of theft involving a Team GB athlete returning to their accommodation,” Scott Field, Director of Communications for Team GB, told USA TODAY Sports.
The unnamed athlete was held up on the way back from a night out in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
As the controversy and confusion surrounding Ryan Lochte and three other American swimmers, who also said they were held up by robbers, continued to swirl, The Guardian reported that Britain’s competitors had been warned not to leave the Olympic Village.
Two U.S. swimmers who were with Ryan Lochte detained at Rio airport
The response, perhaps even more than the reported incident itself, offers proof that national team chiefs are worried about the safety of their parties, with Rio’s overstretched police force battling a long and ugly crime wave.
Officials from the Great Britain track and field team sent an email to athletes on Wednesday, The Guardian said, including a warning that travel by taxi after dark was not safe and should be avoided. The report added that the athlete in question was in “shock” but unhurt, and the British Olympic Committee would consider a total ban on athletes leaving the Village if any further incident should occur.
The email advised team members to “avoid leaving the village after dark in anything other than (official) transport. Taxis cannot be considered safe late at night. If you are planning on going out after dark and have no way of returning other than via taxi, do not go out.”
NBC: Ryan Lochte sticks to robbery story, tweaks details
Athletes were also told that wearing distinctive Team Great Britain clothing and carrying items of value “makes you too big a target for theft/crime.” Team management insisted it must be informed if athletes were planning to remain away from the Village overnight, and that a compulsory security briefing had been instigated for all athletes who had finished competing.
Rio’s crime issues came to the fore ahead of the Games and have magnified in recent days. British chiefs acted swiftly and left no doubt as to the level of their concern.
“Rio is NOT a safe environment,” the email continued, according to the report. “The level of crime has spiked in the last few days. Think very carefully about whether it is worth the risk of leaving the Village to celebrate after you have finished competing – (we) cannot guarantee your safety when away from (official or team areas). Our strong advice is that it is simply not worth the risk given the current climate in Rio.”