Security in Rio Questioned After Olympian Mugged

Security in Rio Questioned After Olympian Mugged

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Jun 21, 2016

If it can be a problem, it is a problem for the Rio, the city that will host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Security professionals have doubted Rio’s ability to secure the event since the beginning and the discovery of Zika virus hasn’t helped the situation.

The most recent problem to hit the Rio Olympics is athlete safety. Australian Olympic authorities say they want greater security for athletes in Rio immediately, after a gold-medal winning paralympian was mugged in the city at gunpoint.

The six-time Australian Paralympics athlete Liesl Tesch had her bike stolen at a bus stop near her hotel on Sunday morning by two men, who threatened her and sailing team member Sarah Ross with a pistol.

In a statement made by Australian Olympic team Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller said the mugging was a “major concern” and called for extra police and security for the athletes.

"The Paralympic sailors were confronted by the men in broad daylight; it was 7:30 in the morning, and right near their accommodation. There were people around but no-one came to their assistance," Chiller said.

Rio Olympic officials have put together a 100,000 member security force due to start working by the opening ceremony on August 5, but Chiller says she had written Rio asking for the organizers to mobilize their security sooner.

"This is not an isolated incident, athletes have been mugged while training and competing in Rio test events and we want our athletes protected," Chiller said.

Neither women were harmed in the incident, but were shaken after the robbery, which was reported to the police.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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