Featured image credit: PA
Before we could even get excited about the Games we were already flooded with bad news coming out of Rio and now the Games are up and running (lol) these don't seem to be slowing down at all; from horrific injuries to the water strangely turning green overnight (it's caused by algae apparently), it's been one thing after another.
All of this has led a few people, myself included, wondering if the Rio Olympics is in fact cursed. Now, I'm not usually one to believe all that stuff, but, please, hear me out.
Let's go back to before the Games even started. We had robberies, an unliveable Olympic Village, and then we had poor Shi Dongpeng, a 100-metre hurdles athlete from China, saying that he and his cameraman were robbed and puked on within hours of arriving in Rio.
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised his cameraman was robbed after this video of local thieves went viral. They do have robbery skills In Rio.
There was also one boxer arrested for rape and another for sexual assault in two unrelated incidents. The latest reports state that both are being held in Bangu Prison on the edge of Rio and it seems likely they will miss the Games.
We all saw Jason Lee, a New Zealand Jiu-Jitsu champion, deciding to leave Rio and head for Canada over fears for his safety. Jason claimed that he was bundled into a car by men, who he believed to be military police officers, before being driven around to ATMs to withdraw cash. Can't really blame the lad for wanting to leave.
OK, so with me so far? Lots of bad shit happened before the first firing pistol even went off. It'd be nice if once the Games started it all calmed the fuck down and we could just enjoy some world-class sport, but that has been far from what's happened.
Let's start with the injuries. Now, of course with any physical activity there's a chance of injury - that's just common sense. But this year's Olympics has seen some truly horrifying ones; I'm sure I don't need to remind you of Samir Ait Said's leg fracture, but you might have missed Ellie Downie, from Team GB, taking a tumble right on to her neck. Ellie is a bloody trooper though, because she got up and tried to finish the routine. Fair play.
Credit: Getty
And, then on Sunday, the rowing regatta was eventually called off, after the Serbian competitors boat capsized and rowers claimed that they'd faced the worst conditions they'd ever encountered, leading five-times gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave calling on FISA (the World Rowing Federation) to ensure everything possible is done to keep rowers safe. The rowing regatta has so far been postponed twice, and if conditions don't improve pretty sharpish then some events might not even be able to happen.
To be fair the shit conditions haven't dampened any spirits - these are 'officials', apparently. Credit: PA
Oh and I haven't even mentioned the cycling yet. The tracks the cyclists have been using have been called the 'most dangerous in recent history' and there have been several injuries to back that up. First up we've got the crash that happened on Saturday, which saw the favourite Vincenzo Nibali and Sergio Henao having a bit of a smash and Vincenzo ending up with a broken collarbone.
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This was followed by a second, nastier incident during the women's race on Sunday. Annemiek van Vleuten, a Dutch athlete, came off her bike during a sharp turn. She ended up lying motionless on the ground and at one point it looked like she was in real danger. Annemiek was rushed to hospital and, after spending time in intensive care, it was announced she had three small fractures. These incidents led to well known former British cyclist Chris Boardman blasting the route, saying it was extremely dangerous and he's not alone - there have been plenty of other experts airing their views on the stunning but dodgy routes, including former track cycling champion Victoria Pendleton, who called the circuit 'absolutely, incredibly dangerous'.
Credit: BBC
Add to this the fact the filthy water could almost certainly hospitalise any competitors who are out in it, including the already cursed rowers, sailors and open-water swimmers. A report in the Independent stated that athletes would only need to swallow as little as three teaspoons of water to be almost certain of picking up a virus. Fuck that.
So, what do you think? Cursed or nah? I'm still going with cursed, but either way, it does make me feel smug when I think about how well London handled the Games in 2012.
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Words Claire Reid
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