Let the games begin! Olympics start with diving competition in Rio

Officially there may be 170 days to go to the opening of the Rio Olympics in Brazil (5-21 August), but for the secretary of the country’s National Public Security Force (FNSP), the games are already under way.

The Diving Tests organised by FINA in Rio beginning this weekend means that for security forces, the game are about to begin Image by Marianne Bevis / CC BY 2.0

With 280 soldiers currently on security duty for this week’s Olympic diving tests – starting on Friday and running through to this day week at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre – Regina Miki De Luca said: “For us the Olympics starts now.”

Rio de Janeiro will have unprecedented security numbers  totalling 85,000 on duty in the build up to and during the Olympic Games in Brazil which begins on August 5 Image by Luiz Gadelha Jr. / CC BY 2.0

Brazilnews.net reports that a total of 272 divers from 49 countries are competing at the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Diving World Cup. Up for grabs are 88 Olympic places across all the individual events with further five places designated to synchronised events.

Before they arrived, the soldiers were presented at a ceremony last Sunday to kick off in earnest the security for the first ever Olympics held in South America.

The Games will see Brazil mount its largest ever security operation with 85,000 trained personnel – 57,000 military and 28,000 police and special forces – patrolling the venues and various city streets in which events will be held.

Among the divers participating this weekend will be the 10 metres platform bronze medallist at London four years ago, Tom Daley of Great Britain.

The qualifying competition features all eight Olympic events, including the individual in men’s and women’s diving.

There will also be synchronised competitions taking place on the 3m springboard and 10m platform, according to the Inside The Games website.

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