A British athlete has been held up at gunpoint at the Rio Olympics during a night out on the town, according to The Guardian. The news comes just a few days after Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers claimed they were robbed at gunpoint, with Rio police and others subsequently questioning the authenticity of their story.
While details about the latest incident are scarce, the unidentified victim was in shock, but not seriously harmed, The Guardian reports.
According to the British newspaper, the Great Britain track and field officials sent an email to athletes on Wednesday night warning them of the dangers outside the athletes village in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The letter allegedly said that, “following a significant security incident overnight,” they should avoid wearing their country’s gear outside of the village and never take taxis at night. “Taxis cannot be considered safe late at night,” it read. “If you are planning on going out after dark and have no way of returning other than via taxi, do not go out.”
It also stated that team members must inform officials before they go out on the town. “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,” the letter reportedly said.
“Rio is NOT a safe environment, and the level of crime has spiked in the last few days,” the letter added. “Think very carefully about whether it is worth the risk of leaving the village to celebrate after you have finished competing.”
As previously reported, Lochte, Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen said they left a party in the early hours of Sunday, August 14, when they stopped at a gas station and were confronted by men who claimed to be police officers. One of them allegedly pointed a gun at Lochte and stole the swimmers’ money and wallets, but left their cell phones and credentials.
NBC News reports that there were inconsistencies with their stories, and video of the athletes returning to the village shows them joking and in good spirits. Rio police said they could not find any evidence that the incident occurred.
Conger and Bentz were detained at the Rio airport as they attempted to return home, and their passports were seized. They have since been released. A judge issued an order to prevent Feigen and Lochte from leaving the country. Lochte had already made it back home, but both swimmers are cooperating with the investigation.
