NZ athlete flees Rio after multiple police run-ins
BartSimpson @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:23 am
http://www.newshub.co.nz/sport/nz-coupl ... z4ForN1D2V
$1:
A third run-in with Brazilian military police has prompted New Zealand jiu-jitsu champion Jason Lee to flee Rio de Janeiro for Canada.
The athlete and his journalist girlfriend, Laura McQuillan, have arrived in Toronto just days after Mr Lee was bundled into a car by men believed to be military police officers and forced to withdraw cash from two ATMs.
A day after that incident, military police showed up unexpectedly at the couple's Rio apartment, prompting them to call the civil police and seek assistance from the New Zealand Embassy.
That was followed up by another visit from the military police - this time at midnight - and the couple decided to pack up and leave.
Mr Lee and Ms McQuillan had been in Rio for a year, and say they are devastated to leave their home and friends, especially just weeks before the Olympics.
"We have left Brazil. Jason and I are really grateful for all your messages," Ms McQuillan said on social media.
"But it's worth the knowledge that we are safe. It's only the Olympics, there will be another one in four years."
Mr Lee said the actions of his abductors weren't representative of Brazil and he "really did love my time in that country".
The athlete and his journalist girlfriend, Laura McQuillan, have arrived in Toronto just days after Mr Lee was bundled into a car by men believed to be military police officers and forced to withdraw cash from two ATMs.
A day after that incident, military police showed up unexpectedly at the couple's Rio apartment, prompting them to call the civil police and seek assistance from the New Zealand Embassy.
That was followed up by another visit from the military police - this time at midnight - and the couple decided to pack up and leave.
Mr Lee and Ms McQuillan had been in Rio for a year, and say they are devastated to leave their home and friends, especially just weeks before the Olympics.
"We have left Brazil. Jason and I are really grateful for all your messages," Ms McQuillan said on social media.
"But it's worth the knowledge that we are safe. It's only the Olympics, there will be another one in four years."
Mr Lee said the actions of his abductors weren't representative of Brazil and he "really did love my time in that country".
BartSimpson @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:24 am
I was saying to Mrs. Bart just this morning that I was wondering how many Olympic athletes were going to be killed in Rio and not by the criminals but by the police.
DrCaleb @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:39 am
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
I was saying to Mrs. Bart just this morning that I was wondering how many Olympic athletes were going to be killed in Rio and not by the criminals but by the police.
And dissentry. And samonella. And Hepatitis. And Zika.
I hope for the best, but I think Rio will be the worst Olympics yet.
And don't even get me started on the IOC getting heavy handed on the Interwebz.
2Cdo @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:49 am
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
I was saying to Mrs. Bart just this morning that I was wondering how many Olympic athletes were going to be killed in Rio and not by the criminals but by the police.
And dissentry. And samonella. And Hepatitis. And Zika.
I hope for the best, but I think Rio will be the worst Olympics yet.
And don't even get me started on the IOC getting heavy handed on the Interwebz.
There's an Olympics in Rio?
![[titanic]](./images/smilies/tit.gif "titanic")
BartSimpson @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:53 am
Rio may well be the LAST Olympics.
BartSimpson @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:54 am
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
And don't even get me started on the IOC getting heavy handed on the Interwebz.
Oh????
DrCaleb @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:56 am
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
And don't even get me started on the IOC getting heavy handed on the Interwebz.
Oh????
Ok, you got me started.
Olympics Committee Says Non-Sponsors Are Banned From Tweeting About the Olympics
Edit: My bad: it was the US Olympic committee, not the IOC.
2Cdo @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:56 am
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Rio may well be the LAST Olympics.
I hope not, but the entire way it's done needs to be overhauled. Every member of the IOC should be jailed for the financial extortion they demand for themselves.
It used to be about athletes and sports and now it's all about money and politics.
stratos @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:59 am
4 years ago I was really stoked for the Rio games about a year ago I started looking into how construction was going. At that point my excitement started going down. 3 months ago I was very disappointed and now I'm so blah about the Olympics I'll probably not go out of my way to watch any of the events.
Athletes and visitors alike should worry about the police, the military, and roving gangs. Not to mention all the stuff Dr. Caleb mentioned and so much more.
Rio Olympics IMO will be ![[knight]](./images/smilies/kngt.gif "knight")
martin14 @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:02 am
I might tune in to see if the swimmers get docked extra points for running over the dead bodies in the harbour.
Thanos @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:04 am
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Rio may well be the LAST Olympics.
One can only hope. Every country that's participating in this mockery should be ashamed of themselves.
andyt @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:41 am
Thanos Thanos:
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Rio may well be the LAST Olympics.
One can only hope. Every country that's participating in this mockery should be ashamed of themselves.
Yep. Nationalist nonsense.
BartSimpson @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:47 am
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
And don't even get me started on the IOC getting heavy handed on the Interwebz.
Oh????
Ok, you got me started.
Olympics Committee Says Non-Sponsors Are Banned From Tweeting About the Olympics
Edit: My bad: it was the US Olympic committee, not the IOC.
Freedom of speech is a dying concept down here.
DrCaleb @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:51 am
All the "Freedom of Speech" you can afford, more like.
BartSimpson @ Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:52 am
andyt andyt:
Yep. (The Olympics are) Nationalist nonsense.
That wasn't the intention. It was supposed to foster connections between people and it still does. But for some countries (Russia, North Korea, etc.) it's just an opportunity for propaganda.
These days it's also a reason to justify billions in graft when Olympic facilities are built.
My own idea to resolve the issue is to permanently house the Summer/Winter Olympics in places appropriate to them and then the countries who attend will contribute for the upkeep of the facilities. It'll be a lot cheaper all the way around.
Or maybe it's just time to let them slip back into history.
