Racing to Rio: Body parts wash up near Olympic site, Jason Day withdraws but Aussie team grows

POLLUTION, Zika and shootings are hot topics ahead of the Games but there are now reports body parts have washed ashore near an Olympic site. Latest news in RACING TO RIO.

A police officer kneels over a body part, covered in a plastic bag, which was discovered on Copacabana Beach near the Olympic beach volleyball venue.

POLLUTION, Zika, shootings and robberies are hot topics ahead of the Rio Games but there are now reports body parts have washed ashore near the beach volleyball site.

Old faces and rookies will dive for Australia at the Olympic Games, the gold medal hopeful Kookaburras have been unveiled while two veterans and a host of rookies will join our Olympic and Paralympic equestrian teams in the latest round of team announcements.

Emma Booth, with her horse Zidane, is going to Rio.

But missing from Rio will be two sailors in the new skiff class to debut at the 2016 Games after an unsuccessful appeal of non-selection along with a host of male golfers.

In Canada the Steelers raced off with silver while in London our Hockeyroos just missed out on making the podium.

Here’s our wrap of Olympic news his week in RACING TO RIO.

BODY PARTS NEAR OLYMPIC VENUE

News this morning of parts of a mutilated body being washed up on Copacabana Beach just metres from where beach volleyball athletes will compete at the Olympics.

Reuters says a policeman on a security perimeter confirmed the mutilated body.

Young beachgoers walk near a body part, covered in a plastic bag, which was discovered on Copacabana Beach.

In recent months Australian athletes have witnessed shootings in Rio and in the case of Paralympic sailor Liesel Tesch been held up at gunpoint.

There also remains serious concerns about the quality of water at the Olympic sailing site, zika, the economic climate in the city and a recent battle with a drug lord.

OLYMPICS OFF THE CARDS FOR JASON DAY

World No 1 Jason Day this week joined the long list of male golfers withdrawing from the Olympics. To date none of their female counterparts have said they will not play in Rio.

Many have cited the Zika virus and its effects on women’s fertility as a reason for their withdrawal.

Jason Day has pulled out of the Rio Olympics.

Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Graeme MacDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Tim Wilkinson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els have all pulled out for various reasons.

STEELING FOR GLORY

The Aussie Steelers have moved up the international rankings ahead of the Paralympics with a great performance in Canada.

The Steelers have vaulted from fourth to second on the world rankings courtesy of their silver medal at the Canada Cup, their final international tournament outing before Rio.

SAILORS BID FOR RIO SUNK

Missing from Rio will be young Australian sailors Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks who this week lost an appeal over their non selection for the Rio Olympic Games.

The 49erFX sailing pair appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport so they could compete when the new women’s class debuted at the Games after qualifying Australia a spot.

Caitlin Elks and Tess Lloyd will not be racing in Rio.

MIX OF YOUTH, EXPERIENCE IN KOOKABURRAS

The same week the Hockeyroos just missed a medal at the Champions Trophy, the AOC announced the Kookaburras team to competed in Rio.

The 16 players named as chasing gold in Rio with the Kookaburras team boasting 10 returning Olympians and six debutants.

Captain Mark Knowles is heading to his fourth Olympics.

These 16 athletes take the overall Australian Olympic Team number to 216 from 21 sports.

A final team of 440 is expected.

The Australian Olympic Team announce the 16-man hockey team for Rio.

NEW-LOOK DIVING TEAM

Familiar and new faces in the diving team named for Rio with Melissa Wu heading to her first Games.

The only diver to medal in London, Brittany Bronan, has also been named.

RIDING TO THEIR FIRST GAMES

Three Paralympic debutants will join Beijing 2008 Paralympian Sharon Jarvis in Emma Booth, Katie Umback and Lisa Martin in the equestrian team to ride in Rio.

There are high hopes for the riders with Australia winning nine medals in equestrian at the Paralympic Games — three gold, one silver and five bronze — since the sport was introduced in Atlanta 1996.

Para-equestrian rider Emma Booth having a pilates session.

Jarvis, who has limited strength and movement on her left side as a result of bone cancer, just missed a medal in Beijing and failed to qualify last time.

“My main motivation has been to get to another Games so I can have another shot at the podium,” she said.

“I want to show that cancer sufferers and survivors that anyone can achieve great things, and I want to show everyone in country WA that they can get there too.”

MORE NAMED IN OLYMPIC TEAM

And in more news from the equestrian world, show jumpers James Paterson-Robinson and Matt Williams have been added to the team heading to the Olympics.

They join previously selected Edwina Tops-Alexander and Scott Keach.

James Paterson Robinson riding Niack De I'abbaye in France.

OPALS SQUAD PREPARES FOR MORE CUTS

It’s getting close for the Opals.

The squad of 15 needs to be cut by three with a camp on the Gold Coast the last chance for players to strut heir stuff.

The Opals, despite the recent retirement of Lauren Jackson, are considered big medal hopes in Rio.

While the final team for August will be decided at the upcoming camp, Sara Blicavs and Abby Bishop were cut this week.

“It is going to be a very difficult decision for us as a coaching staff at the fourth camp,” said coach Brendan Joyce.

“From the final squad of 15, any of those players deserve to go so it’s going to be a very tough choice for us to make.”

GOOD NEWS FOR OUR SEVENS WOMEN

GOLD medal contenders Australia have had their opposition for the Rio Olympics confirmed — and it’s pretty good news for our rugby sevens women.

The Aussie women have been drawn in the same pool as the sixth-ranked US, eighth-placed Fiji and world No 14 Colombia.

Our rugby sevens men will face South Africa in their pool at the Olympics.

Originally published as Racing to Rio: Body parts wash up near Olympic site, Jason Day withdraws but Aussie team grows