Brazil keeps coming up with surprises ahead of the Olympics

THE Olympic torch relay has been plagued by controversy all the way to Rio — but this was a new low.

Selfie time.

IN THE lead up to Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations every year — and no doubt New Year’s celebrations in major cities around the world — organisers tell the public “this year’s fireworks will be bigger and better than ever”.

Well, it’s a similar gist with the Rio Olympics, only we’re getting the idea drummed into us they risk being the worst Games ever.

There’s the ever-present threat of the Zika virus, worries about pollution and crime, political unrest and the “will they, won’t they compete” drama surrounding Russia following revelations of their widespread state-sponsored doping program.

And just for good measure, something else has gone wrong.

Every four years the lighting of the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony — the culmination of the torch relay — signals the opening of the Games. Well, maybe even the torch doesn’t want to go to Rio given how much trouble it’s faced along it’s journey so far.

At least the most recent setback was funny, but before we get to that, here’s a taste of what’s gone wrong on the torch’s road to Rio. There have been plenty of obstacles, but much like Donald Trump’s attempts to convince everyone he isn’t as crazy as they think, the Olympic torch hasn’t given up hope yet.

Let’s start with the wheelchair incident. A Brazilian wheelchair basketball player hit the asphalt at the end of his leg of the relay in May. Lying on the floor, he then passed the flame along before being helped back into his chair.

Then we have the sprinkler (no, not the dance move). In Maracaju in central Brazil, a man was reportedly arrested for throwing a bucket of water on the flame in a bid to extinguish it. But unlike the hopes of Russia’s track and field team, the flame wasn’t snuffed out.

Cue the more advanced version of the sprinkler — the fire extinguisher. In the city of Joinville, a man ran alongside the convoy and tried to douse the flame with a fire extinguisher. Fortunately, he failed.

And of course, the jaguar. Earlier this week the Olympics organisers apologised for using a jaguar in a ceremony as the torch made its way through the Amazon. The jaguar had to be shot when it escaped, with tranquilliser darts failing to do the trick.

But for all that, one man takes the cake in the most recent incident. A police motorcycle crashed into a member of the protection party, sending the man, the driver and the bike to the floor with a lack of grace no Olympic gymnast will want to repeat come competition time.

The relay was halted, and people rushed in to help. Well, most people did, at least.

One guy, rocking a lime green T-shirt, decided against checking on the wellbeing of those involved.

Instead, ever so casually, he strolled over, held his phone up and took a selfie. What a guy.

Rio, we can’t wait to see what you bring us next.