If you thought the failure of the IOC to implement a blanket ban on Russian athletes, or the reportedly appalling conditions of the athletes’ village were bad news, spare a thought for Jason Lee.
The 27-year-old New Zealander and jiu-jitsu athlete was allegedly forced into a car by armed police and driven to an ATM before having to withdraw and hand over $800 this weekend.
Lee, who won’t be competing in the games because jiu-jitsu isn’t an Olympic event, has been living in Rio for ten months in order to train and compete full-time.
The safety of both athletes and visitors has been one of the most pressing concerns for event organisers given Rio’s already unfortunate reputation for crime.
This latest incident comes just one month after Australian paralympian, and London gold medalist, Liesl Tesch and team official Sarah Ross were robbed at gunpoint while bike riding.
Perhaps of most concern though is the role of police in the kidnapping and extortion of Lee.
The city’s police already made headlines last month after greeting arrivals at Rio de Janeiro’s Galeao International Airport with the banners: “Welcome to Hell”.
Protesting officers and firefighters cited a lack of equipment, unsatisfactory working conditions, and unpaid wages as detrimental to their ability to work.
They warned upcoming visitors to the city that they would not be safe, criticising the Brazilian government for prioritising the Olympics over safety and essential services.
So with 12 days still to go at the time of writing until the games actually begin, can the Rio Olympics already be considered the worst ever?
The shambolic organisation and concerning individual incidents that have plagued the build-up surely call into question the merits of Rio de Janeiro as hosts, especially given the understandable apathy of many citizens to the games.
At this stage it would take some exceptional performances by the athletes to make up for the lead-up, and while the events themselves couldn’t come soon enough, surely a thorough post-games dissection will be needed.
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