Kitty Chiller bans Australian athletes from Copacabana and Ipanema beaches after dark

AUSTRALIAN Olympic athletes have been banned from tourist hotspots Copacabana and Ipanema beach after dark as reports emerge US swimmer Ryan Lochte was robbed at gunpoint.

A view of Rio’s Copacabana beach and the Olympic beach volleyball stadium at dusk. Australian athletes have been banned from going on the sand at Copacabana and Ipanema after 6pm.

AUSTRALIAN Olympic athletes have been banned from tourist hotspots Copacabana and Ipanema beach after dark and urged to avoid the nightclubs in those areas asreports emerge US swimmer Ryan Lochte was robbed at gunpoint during an after-party.

With several sports now completed their competitions, Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said on Sunday the AOC had increased their security protocols to ensure the safety of all athletes for the remainder of the Games.

Lochte was robbed at gunpoint during a party on Saturday night and while the story was initially denied by the IOC and US Olympic Committee, they’ve since confirmed the report by Fox Sports News was correct.

Chiller said she was not aware of any Australian athletes being at the same party but added the AOC had increased their own protocols in response to increased criminal activity including never wearing team uniform when they’re on “recreation” leave.

“Obviously safety and security has always been the primary concern for all our athletes and all our team members,” Chiller said.

“We’ve introduced some further security and safety protocols for those people travelling especially to Copa and Ipanema area to ensure above all else we retain all our team members safely and securely.

A view of Rio’s Copacabana beach and the Olympic beach volleyball stadium at dusk. Australian athletes have been banned from going on the sand at Copacabana and Ipanema after 6pm.

“We are reiterating our initial protocols which is always travel in groups of three, but we’ve put now the Copa and Ipanema beaches - the sand - off limits. There has been a lot of increased petty criminal activity on the actual beaches.

“If they’re travelling at night, after dark between 6pm and 6am, then it’s only by vehicle and not by foot. Even if they’re only going 400-500 metres.

“Those people going out on leave recreation not to wear team uniform and we’re also highly encouraging our athletes that we found a couple of areas in Barra to go to rather than travel into town because the Copa and Ipanema downtown area seems to be where most of the unsavoury activity is happening so we can keep people away from there.”

Olympic silver medallist swimmer Mitch Larkin said it was disappointing athletes couldn’t freely experience all that Rio has to offer, but understood the reasoning behind the decision.

“I think it’s a little bit disappointing but health and safety is the number one thing you’ve got in life,” he said.

“Kitty and the team and Wayne Lomas our head leader have set thee guidelines which is fantastic.

“There are certainly other areas we can see. I know we’ve planned a tour to the Christ Redeemer later this week, Sugarloaf mountain just to name a few.

People pose for photographs near to a large Olympic ring display on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

“We will still see parts of Rio. Unfortunately it probably won’t be the famous Copacabana but we can go past it. We’re used to it as swimmers, we see the airport, drive to the pool and see the accommodation and then usually head home and it’s not until later in life we get to go back and experience the full touristy atmosphere.”

Lochte’s mother Ileana told Fox Sports news the incident was “terrifying”, and that she’d left her hotel to meet her son.

It was also reported Lochte had been invited by Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira and that he was robbed of his wallet in the incident.

USA Today reported that Lochte’s mother told the paper Lochte was robbed but unharmed.

“I think they’re all shaken up. There were a few of them,” Ileana Lochte told USA Today. “No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it.”

Originally published as Kitty Chiller bans Australian athletes from Copacabana and Ipanema beaches after dark