A British athlete was allegedly held at gunpoint after a night out in Rio on Wednesday, prompting Great Britain to issue an unprecedented security warning to its athletes.
Few details have been released about the exact incident, however The Guardian reports that the victim is shaken up but unharmed.
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Tensions have risen since Brazilian officials have questioned the verity of the story four U.S. swimmers reported after allegedly being robbed. Three of the athletes have been asked to remain in Rio, with Ryan Lochte cooperating from the U.S.
In response to the latest crime, Olympic officials with Team Great Britain have requested athletes remain in the Olympic Village, since it is “not worth the risk” to leave.
They sent an email to competitors explaining that “following a significant security incident overnight,” the team was implementing new security protocols.
The email cautioned people to “avoid leaving the village after dark in anything other than British Olympic Association/Local Organising Committee/UK Athletics 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.”
They also expressed fears that crimes may not be random and their athletes could be considered targets.
“Do not go out of the village wearing TeamGB kit or carry anything of value unless absolutely unavoidable – this makes you too big a target for theft/crime,” it added. “You MUST inform a member of team management if you are leaving the village and planning on staying out overnight – please do this BEFORE you leave.”
Other teams have reportedly already insisted on a curfew for their athletes.
“Rio is NOT a safe environment, and the level of crime has spiked in the last few days,” the email read. “Think very carefully about whether it is worth the risk of leaving the village to celebrate after you have finished competing – BOA/UKA staff cannot guarantee your safety when away from the village/British School/British House. Our strong advice is that it is simply not worth the risk given the current climate in Rio.”
This story first appeared at Womanista.
