According to a report from The Guardian, a member of Britain’s Olympic team was robbed at gunpoint early Tuesday morning. The report doesn’t have many details from the incident, such as who it was or where the robbery took place, just that it happened while the victim was “enjoying a night on the town.” However, they do report that British Olympic authorities sent an email warning athletes to be cautious and not wear clothing marking them as athletes out in Rio:
On Wednesday night British track and field officials responded to the news by sending an email to athletes warning them that if they left the village they would do so at their own risk.
The letter told athletes that “following a significant security incident overnight,” they must follow a number of protocols, including not wearing Team GB kit out of the village and not taking taxis, for their own safety.
The letter strongly urged British athletes to chill in the Olympic village and not go out:
“Rio is NOT a safe environment, and the level of crime has spiked in the last few days,” it adds. “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 comes shortly after confusing assertions from Ryan Lochte that he was robbed at gunpoint over the weekend.
