Danish Olympic athletes worried about safety in Rio

Wrestler Mark Madsen has asked his family to watch the Olympic Games from Denmark

Lucie Rychla

Preparations for the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro are in full swing, but several athletes from the Danish Olympic delegation are concerned about safety in the large Brazilian city, reports DR.

Wrestler Mark Madsen, who is participating in the Olympics for the third time, has even asked his family to watch the games in Denmark instead of travelling to Brazil.

Stay home
“I have asked my wife and my children to stay home because of security,” Madsen told DR.

“I don’t want to sit inside the Olympic village having to think about what might happen to my family in the city.”

Thomas Jacobsen, the manager of the Danish Sailing Union who has previously been to Rio, is also worried about security in the host city – mainly because of poverty-driven crime.

“Our things get stolen and people get mugged in parks,” Jacobsen told DR.

New concerns
According to CNN, the current security plan for the Rio Games calls for 65,000 police officers and soldiers to guard key Olympic locations and tourist sites to prevent crimes or attacks.

Meanwhile, Olympic organisers have warned both athletes and visitors to use mosquito repellents to minimise the risk of getting infected by the Zika virus, reports the Guardian.

The 2016 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Rio from August 5-21.

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