Rio sorry as village suffers new theft

SECURITY at the Games Village was handed a further blow when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime.

Denmark’s chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing.

“In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts,” he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen.

“It’s everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets.”

Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Games Village.

“The buildings are simply not in order,” Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2.

The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation last Friday.

Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts.

“When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals – I don’t know who they were – walking out with team shirts,” she said.

“I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we’ve given them a shirt. It doesn’t seem to be what happened. We don’t know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that’s concerning.”

After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organisers had increased security throughout the Games Village.

Rio’s crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics.