Naked Olympic chief nicked; swimmers’ story doesn’t hold water

By MiNDFOOD

He's a player - European Olympic Committee president Patrick Hickey (left) with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. Photo Reuters
He's a player - European Olympic Committee president Patrick Hickey (left) with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. Photo Reuters
Olympics Day 12: IOC chief arrested over ticket sales; police want a word with Lochte and his mate; the sad North Korean and the cheeky twins

 

What did the police say to the naked Olympic official? “You’re nicked.”

On a day when Rio’s constabulary seemed more athletic than the Games competitors, Patrick Hickey of Ireland, 71, a senior member of the International Olympic Committee, was arrested over allegations of illegal ticket sales and two US swim superstars were sought when the story of their gunpoint robbery wasn’t watertight.

Brazilian police went to Hickey’s hotel room in the morning. His wife was there with his Olympic credentials and said her husband had left for Ireland at the weekend.

“We noticed that there was another room in the hotel under his son’s name, so we went to that room and we found Hickey by himself,” Detective Ronaldo Oliveira said. “There wasn’t much in that room, not even any of his clothes.”

Video showed Hickey answering the door naked – he was in the bath when police knocked. He put on a bathrobe and was taken to hospital after requesting medical attention.

So for the moment at least, he’s not in the nick.

Police claim Hickey was involved in a scheme to resell Olympic tickets at higher than their face value. They said the scheme could have had raked in millions.

The former judoka has been a member of the 15-strong executive board of the International Olympic Committee since 2012, and chairs its European board, making him a prime mover in the world of international sports.

Police went to the Olympic Village to seize the passports of US swimmers Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen to keep them in Brazil for questioning about an alleged robbery.

A judge gave authorities the go-ahead after doubts began to grow over the pair’s claims when a surveillance video showed the group laughing and smiling as they returned to the Olympic Village.

Records retrieved by investigators from the X-ray machine through which the athletes passed into the village also showed the men were carrying all the belongings which they had claimed – in sworn statements – had been stolen.

Lochte, 32, had already flown home. Feigen, 26, was in Rio yesterday but it is unclear if he took a flight home before the judge’s order.

Why the sad face?

A North Korean gymnast has picked up a gold medal and another title – the saddest medal winner at the Games.

Ri Se-Gwang was surrounded by smiling faces as he stood on the podium after taking gold in the vault. He appeared to be fighting back tears.

Predictably, some viewers claimed on social media he appeared so sad because he faces returning to Pyongyang and the control of leader Kim Jong-un.

But the athlete insisted: “I was filled with joy because I thought I was able to bring a sense of victory to our leader.”

Officials from North Korea have accompanied the athletes to Brazil, with strict orders from the government. Team members were not allowed to pick up the free Samsung phone given to all competitors and banned from visiting tourist attractions or mixing with other athletes.

Sibling lack of rivalry

German twins crossed the marathon finish line smiling and holding hands – but their nation isn’t sure whether to smile or frown.

Anna and Lisa Hahner came 81st and 82nd. However, they were more than 21 minutes behind the winner and 15 minutes short of their personal bests.

In an email to the New York Times, Anna insisted that they crossed the line together by chance, calling it a “magical moment”. But the twins would be the first to admit they are big on PR – they have their own YouTube channel.

They were accused of trivialising the Games by a senior German athletics official who said, “It’s not a local fun run.”

It was, however, a family affair. Apart from the Hahners, North Korean twins Kim Hye-song and Kim Hye-gyong finished 10th and 11th. And Estonia’s Luik triplets did not finish together – two were behind the Hahners and one failed to reach the line.

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