Athletes in Rio Olympics’ refugee team luckier than many

“I have two brothers, I don’t know what they will look like now”. “I want to send them hugs and kisses”.

The Australian Olympic Swimming Team is ready to make its way to Rio de Janeiro this weekend after having spent their staging camp days training at Auburn University in Alabama. “It is also a team bonding exercise”, said Gupta.

“We are fighting for all the refugees in the world”. Right now, the game is available in the United States and Canada, as well as Japan, Australia and most European countries.

After elevating their own team’s security, Australia-and indeed other teams participating-can only hope this is the extent of their poor fortunes this summer. But she’s in grief over losing her country.

There had been “numerous people” given approval to deactivate the alarms – now there would be just one, she said.

“It doesn’t scare me, but it’s a bit concerning”, Stevens said.

About 100 team members from Australia’s Olympic Village residence were evacuated after a small fire started in the basement. They’re not required to stay in the Olympic Village during their time in Rio, so some athletes may find outside accommodations for their stay. But that’s beside the point.

“Everything is on track”, Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman said.

The team of six men and four women includes five athletes from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Ethiopia.

Solo has been trying to avoid a trial on misdemeanor domestic violence charges after a 2014 incident at her sister’s home, when the goalkeeper was accused of being intoxicated and assaulting her sister and 17-year-old nephew.

She said she still dreams of representing Syria, but also recognizes a bigger mission of “representing the biggest flag – which is all countries”.

“The day my name came out as an Olympian, I was crying with joy, my head was spinning”, she said. I will never forget this moment.

However, despite the political crises in the country, public health advocates feel the Olympics have helped bring the issues of sanitation to the attention of the global community.

“Just when we thought the levels of police brutality could not get any more shocking, they do”, said Atila Roque, director at Amnesty International Brazil.