Rio 2016 Olympic Update (Day 15)
The games are coming to an end and overall they have been a fairly good success for the country despite the talk surrounding them.
Most people have focused on the negative aspects of the games and there have been a few issues in terms of athlete safety and finances.
There is no doubt that these games have had their issues but the fact is that these games have not been as bad as many thought and that they aren’t as bad as many continue to say.
That is why the Brazilian authorities took recent allegations so seriously and why Ryan Lochte has become such a big deal in these Olympics.
Only a few days ago the American swimmer claimed that he had been held up at gunpoint and robbed along with a number of other swimmers.
Immediately the Brazilian authorities came out saying that there was little proof that Lochte’s story was true.
There were two sides as Lochte continued to claim that he had been robbed and the police continued to claim that there was no evidence.
For some, it was understandable that the Brazilians would lie as they have a reputation in the country of corruption and they certainly wouldn’t want a story like this getting out.
Thoughts seemed to be leaning that way as many thought the Brazilians were just trying to do damage control rather than trying to figure out who did this.
Then the stories got fuzzy as police claimed that after interviewing all of the swimmers there were inconsistencies in the stories from everyone.
They ordered the swimmers to stay in the country as they investigated further and decided if they were going to lay charges against the Americans.
Lochte was reportedly already back in the USA but the other swimmers stayed.
Then the video came out and the story of Lochte and his teammates fell apart as the video showed him and the other swimmers at a gas station with security guards holding them there.
The true story came out eventually though as the swimmers had gone to a gas station drunk and damaged the bathroom door while also urinating on the walls of the station.
All of them were drunk and when the owner asked them to pay for the damages they got into a cab to leave before the security guards stopped them.
The entire issue blew up as “The Ugly American” stereotype played out for everyone to see.
What was more interesting though was the determination of the Brazilian authorities to prove that this didn’t happen.
There is an entirely good reason for that as they were determined to show the world that Brazil was not what people were saying.
The corruption and the crime are not great in Brazil and it is a well-known fact but for those involved in the games were determined to make it safe for everyone at the games.
If they could accomplish that the games would be well on their way to being a success.
When the reports surfaced about a superstar from the USA being robbed it could have been the end to their ability to make people safe.
The reports would be about the fact that they couldn’t protect the athletes in their biggest stage.
Instead, they were determined to show the world that the games have been safe and that everyone’s biggest worry wasn’t going to come true.
It was important for Brazil and the organisers of the games to show that all of the talk before the games was for not and that they could do just a good a job as anyone else.
It is also important for future hosts as well with Brazil being the experiment for other nations that might not have the funds to match the games of a Beijing.
As the games come to a close the Rio games are still going to be remembered for the negative talk but thanks to their determination to keep people safe and clear their names the post-games talk may be about how they avoided all of the potential issues.
The Canadian Story:
Fighting Through
From the start of her race at the Olympics Catharine Pendrel looked like she was snake-bitten with a crash and a broken gear shift her race seemed like it wasn’t going to go well but she fought through to finish third for the bronze
Two Bad Rounds
Brooke Henderson came into the Olympics as the second-ranked golfer in the world and she was motivated to get a medal but after a bad first and third round she couldn’t catch up finishing seventh in the first women’s golf tournament in the Olympics
Best Ever
With a few really good days and plenty of surprise stars, Team Canada has put on the best performance at a non-boycotted games showing that the Canadians are not going anywhere as they continue to compete with the best
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Day 15 Medal Results: |
Day 16 Medal Events: |
| Athletics Men’s 1500m 1. Matthew Centrowitz Jr. (USA) 2. Taoufik Makhloufi (ALG) 3. Nick Willis (NZL) Men’s 5000m 1. Mo Farah (GBR) 2. Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo (USA) 3. Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) Men’s 4x400m Relay 1. USA 2. Jamaica 3. Bahamas Men’s Javelin Throw 1. Thomas Röhler (GER) 2. Julius Yego (KEN) 3. Keshorn Walcott (TNT) Women’s 800m 1. Caster Semenya (RSA) 2. Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) 3. Margaret Wambui (KEN) Women’s 4x400m Relay 1. USA 2. Jamaica 3. Great Britain Women’s High Jump 1. Ruth Beitia (ESP) 2. Mirela Demireva (BUL) 3. Bianka Vlašić (CRO) Women’s Triathlon 1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 2. Nicola Spirig (SUI) 3. Vicky Holland (GBR) Badminton Basketball Boxing Canoe/Kayak Sprint Cycling (Mountain) Diving Golf Handball Modern Pentathlon Rhythmic Gymnastics Soccer/Football Taekwondo Volleyball Water Polo Wrestling |
Athletics Men’s Marathon Basketball Boxing Cycling (Mountain) Handball Rhythmic Gymnastics Wrestling Volleyball |
The Sport Addiction 