The Rio Farce, End of Day 12: International Incident Brewing

• The shit has hit the fan on the Ryan Lochte robbery situation.

We just don't know what shit has hit what fan...

Today, a Brazilian judge ordered taken the passports of the four American swimmers, including Ryan Lochte, who claimed being robbed in a cab in Rio by four armed men posing as police officers.

Lochte got out of the country before this happened.  Two of his countrymen have been materially arrested for questioning in the matter, as Rio officials do not believe Lochte's story, or that of the other swimmers.

Jack Conger and Gunnar Bertz have been ordered to remain in Brazil.  According to reports, they were questioned stiffly by local police for 2-3 hours.

I'm of two radically different minds on this subject.  I had discussions with other readers of the blog on this subject, and they are correct as to the corrupt nature of Brazilian law enforcement.

But there's something a little wrong here.  This isn't an insubstantial "Lesser" being told his or her "Place" in such an endeavor.  These are two of the vaunted swimming team which dominated the pool -- though neither appeared to medal, unless they appeared in a relay, Lochte, of course, won a gold medal in these Games.

I'm still, as of writing, about 80-20 of this being corrupt Brazilian politics.  That said, this is an awfully risky situation which probably is going to erupt into a full-on international incident in the last four days of these Games unless the Brazilian authorities are right.  If they're right, then there could be a very large-scale problem here for the Americans.

Unless they feel they can prove the Americans did something, why do you risk a full-out international incident in the last 96 hours of your Olympics?

Stay tuned, this ride just got bumpy.

• Another robbery, this one of a British team member, has motivated the Great Britain team to tell the athletes they can no longer leave the Village, and, if they do so, they are at their own risk.  They are also not to identify as athletes.  (Deadspin)
• Disturbing report in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday:  They have an Indiana University study group which not only says the 2013 World Championships of swimming were held in a pool with an advantageous current in it, so were the Rio Games as well!  Basically, the closer you got to Lane 8, the faster the current.  (Deadspin)
• The Paralympics may well have to be cancelled.  After announcing ticket sales as high as a third of the tickets open for purchase to the September games for the handi-capable, Rio 2016 has had to admit the correct number is only 12%.  (Inside the Games)
• The sole member of the 2016 Rio Olympic track team from Russia, Darya Klishina, finished ninth in the women's long jump, failing to advance to the eight-woman final phase.
• Caster Semenya, who's the brunt of many corporate trans-phobic bullshits spewing about "fairness" of an intersexed athlete facing women (yeah, from the same companies who laud our American athletes as drug-free...  I'll wait...), finished sixth in the heats, winning the second heat of the 800m first round on Wednesday.  Semifinals Thursday, Final is Saturday.
• National Dick-Measurement Contest:  USA is romping away with the total medals, and did pick up it's first gold medal on the track itself when three Americans swept the sprint hurdles event.  That and a gold in the women's long jump give them 30 and 93 total.  China, with it's third consecutive sweep of all table-tennis gold medals, has pulled even with Great Britain with 19 each.  Russia and Germany are tied for fourth with 12 each.  China is second in total with 54, Great Britain has 50 (didn't they have 51 at one point?).  Russia is 4th with 41, Japan 5th with 33.