Sonny Bill Williams’ ambulance got lost on streets of Rio and made him wait for half an hour

KIWI superstar Sonny Bill Williams was forced to wait an hour and-a-half for an ambulance after being injured because the driver was lost.

Sonny Bill Williams was injured in the 2nd half of New Zealand’s opening game against Japan.

KIWI superstar Sonny Bill Williams was forced to wait an hour and-a-half for an ambulance after being injured because the driver was lost.

In a major concern for Olympic team officials and all athletes, IOC vice-president John Coates has confirmed the shocking medical response time taken to assist Williams.

Coates conceded that while the list of daily-issues facing the games were in decline, transport and traffic continues to prove a major hurdle, using Williams’ injury as an example.

Williams’ Olympic dream was shattered on Tuesday when he suffered a ruptured Achilles’ tendon during the Rugby Sevens tournament at the games in Rio.

The injury could take the code-hopping star, who is worth over $1 million a year, up to nine months to recover from.

Such was the significant pain he felt from the injury, Williams needed to be taken from the field by a golf cart during the second-half of the Kiwis stunning 14-12 loss to Japan.

In discussing his early assessment of the games with News Corp, Coates said the botched-plan to transport Williams by ambulance from the Deodoro rugby stadium had been raised during a daily phone hook-up with the IOC vice-president’s in Rio on Wednesday morning.

“It’s still difficult,’’ Coates said when asked how he felt Rio 2016 were handling a myriad of issues.

SBW had to wait an hour and a half for an ambulance after leaving the field.

“Every morning we have a meeting with the IOC President and Vice President’s and each of the Federations and Olympic committees and we also meet with the organising committee and today was probably the best meeting.

“But transport, there’s still incidents.

“The Olympic lanes are working well for the athletes.

“But Sonny Bill with the Achilles (injury) yesterday, the ambulance didn’t know where to go and so it took an hour and a half.

“Luckily it was an Achillies and not concussion.’’

Or even worse.

The staggering response time and fact the ambulance team were unable to navigate their way to a major Olympic venue could’ve proven devastating had an athlete suffered a life-threatening injury or condition.

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The Williams issue wasn’t the only topic of discussion, according to Coates with security also a talking point after a bus used to transport media had been reportedly peppered with bullets in the Deodoro region.

Coates said in his belief, as also claimed by the IOC media department, it were rocks that shattered the bus windows.

“Of course it is (a concern),’’ Coates said.

“You want everyone to be secure and everyone that’s here to cover the games or play in the games, so I’m sorry to hear that.

“Signage is (also) still a big issue in places like Deodoro.

“A few days ago, hockey spectators were getting off a train and taking the wrong route (because of the lack of signs) and walking four kilometres and missing their game.’’

“But I’d have to say that the issues of a morning are much less now and we’re getting there.’’

Originally published as Sonny Bill Williams’ ambulance got lost on streets of Rio and made him wait for half an hour