WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016 SPORTS Russian athlete allowed to compete in Rio faces criticism MOSCOW: Russian long jumper Daria lives and trains abroad. One social ion piece lambasting Klishina. United States with an American trainer a The IOC has yet to allow them to Klishina is facing a barrage of criticism media account published her picture in “They’ve allowed only one Russian, month ago,” she said. “I have been there compete in the Rio de Janeiro Games. at home for agreeing to compete under a leaflet that was reminiscent of Nazi the long jumper Daria Klishina, to com- for three years now, that is why I think it Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for a neutral flag. Because Russian track and propaganda that encouraged collabora- pete at the Olympics only because she is wrong to accuse me and call me a Russian President Vladimir Putin, sought field athletes were suspended globally tion in the occupied territories of the trains in the United States,” veteran traitor of the motherland. I still hope to lower the tensions on Monday. “It’s following state-sponsored doping, the Soviet Union.”Russian athletes, the only sports journalist Nikolai Dolgopolov that it won’t be just me who gets to go not the right time for emotions, it’s time US-based Klishina was given permission thing you have to do in order to com- wrote. “How silly is that?” Klishina dis- to Rio.” for legal actions that we are undertak- by the IAAF over the weekend to com- pete in the Olympics is to give up the missed the criticism in a piece published More than 80 Russian athletes have ing,” Peskov said. “Court decisions are pete as a neutral athlete because she banner of your country,” the leaflet said. by the All-Russia Athletic Federation, applied for clearance from the IAAF, and pending. Russian athletes and those met “exceptional eligibility criteria.” “Do give up the shameful Russian flag!” and said she hopes other Russians will only Klishina and doping whistleblower who represent them will use all legal But that enraged some Russians, who Even the typically bland state-owned be cleared. Yulia Stepanova have had their requests means at their disposal and fight till the called her a “traitor,” and pointed out she Rossiyskaya Gazeta published an opin- “It is not like I started training in the accepted. bitter end.” —AP Is Rio’s 2016 Olympic ‘transformation’ for real? RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio’s mayor touts a oceanside cycle path collapsed, killing two “transformation” of the 2016 Olympic city people, after it was hit by a large wave in but when Rosa, a cleaning lady, makes the April. difficult journey back to her crime-ridden slum each evening, she’s grateful just to FUTURE OF POLICING? have made it home. Officials say that the Olympics will be At the heart of Rio de Janeiro’s so-called safe thanks to a huge reinforcement by sol- legacy projects-long-term improvements diers, elite national police units and others, brought by the Olympics to a rundown totalling 85,000 officers. city-is transport. But what happens once the tourists and New roads and cycle paths have been extra police go home? built along the Atlantic coastline, a system Just in the first five months of this year, of express bus lanes has been created and, 2,083 murders were committed in Rio state, biggest of all, a 10-mile (16-kilometer) up 14 percent on the same period last year. extension to the metro will link the far- Street robberies and car thefts have gone flung west of the city. through the roof. Add in the other urban goodies-new In favelas like Rosa’s home neighbor- housing, schools, a revitalized city center, hood in the Mare, shootings are a near dai- and the Museum of Tomorrow-and it adds ly event, often with powerful automatic up, Mayor Eduardo Paes says, to “a renewed weapons that increase the risk of deadly and more integrated city.” stray bullets. But if you’re like Rosa, who did not want Violence has gone down since 2008 to give her last name, this shiny new Rio when a bold new “pacification” strategy remains a world away. was introduced to insert police deep in the In the Mare favela, where she has lived favelas and increase community policing, for 18 years, shootouts between drug deal- rather than rely on sporadic raids from the ers and police with automatic weapons are outside. a near-daily reality, while getting to and However the program has recently from home requires negotiating tortuous appeared to unravel in some favelas, with bus routes. “The working class isn’t getting traffickers apparently regaining territory. any benefits from these Games,” said Rosa, Now, many favela dwellers question who is 50. whether the embedded police will even stay on after the Olympics. EUGENE: Allyson Felix, fourth place, reacts after the Women’s 200 Meter Final during the 2016 US Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward ON THE MOVE Field on Sunday in Eugene, Oregon. — AFP Paes admits the legacy projects may not SPORTS FOR ALL? meet everyone’s expectations but he says Hosting the Olympics means building the effect is nevertheless huge. lots of new sports installations. “People imagine the Games will solve Officials say all this infrastructure-in con- Doubled up Felix finishes fourth, Brazil’s problems or even the causes of the trast to the embarrassing fate of unused problems, but it won’t be one or the other. stadiums from the 2014 World Cup in It was a chance to make a better city. Don’t Brazil-will benefit the population after the no chance for Olympic double expect a Chicago or Tokyo. Compare Rio to Games end. EUGENE: Allyson Felix had the star power to smiling. said. “I’m pretty sure it won’t be the same Rio,” he said. “There’ll be no white elephants,” Picciani change the Olympic schedule. Now, it’s her “I don’t know what happened,” said without her.” Other happenings on the final Transport is the key. According to city said, although that promise is likely to be hall, the new projects mean that in 2017, severely tested by the fate of the newly schedule that needs adjusting. Felix’s run at Prandini, who finished in 22.53 seconds. “But day of track trials: some 63 percent of the population will use built Olympic golf course, given that very the 200-400 Olympic double, made possible it got the job done.” DIVING FOR RIO: Prandini wasn’t the only public transport, compared to only 17 per- few Brazilians play the sport. after Olympics officials honored her request One of Felix’s biggest fans made news ear- one who left her feet trying to get that last cent in 2009. City hall hopes to rent out the facilities for a chance to run both races, came to an ear- lier in the day: According to USA Track and spot. Last weekend, Brenda Martinez was dev- “Transport is the biggest legacy when for sporting events but says they will also lier-than-expected end Sunday. She finished Field, 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin will be astated when she got tripped in the 800- measured by investments and numbers of be accessible to the public. These include fourth in the 200-meter final, one spot away the youngest member to compete for the U.S. meter final and left behind at the finish. On people who benefit,” Rafael Picciani, the the aquatic center in Deodoro, one of Rio’s from Rio, in a .01-second loss to a sprawling Olympic track team since 1972 after finishing Sunday, she wasn’t going to miss her chance. deputy mayor, told AFP. poorest areas. Jenna Prandini at US Track and Field Trials. third in the 400-meter hurdles. She leaned, and then barreled over the finish Currently, buses are used by 37 percent However all the construction came with “Honestly, disappointed,” said Felix, who Not bad for the junior out of Union line of the 1,500-meter final to take the third of people, compared to just four percent a high human cost: more than 22,000 fami- will not get a chance to defend her Olympic Catholic High School in New Jersey, who and final spot. Ricky Babineaux had a dive on the metro. The metro extension will lies were forced to move out of their title in her signature event. “The whole year, turned on the Beijing Olympics eight years that didn’t work out as well; he still came up change those numbers and the express bus homes. that has been what I was working for. When I ago, saw Felix winning the 4x400 relay and .06 short of third in the 400 hurdles. “I think it system will reduce travel times for many. Resettlement packages and new homes look back and see everything that happened, thought, “I’d like to be like her, someday.” was worth the dive, if I would’ve made it,” he However, the accompanying reduction, were offered and Picciani says “all those I still think it’s quite amazing I was able to Asked what she liked most about Felix, said. or what the mayor’s office calls “rationaliza- who left are better off now than before.” make the team.” McLaughlin said: “She wasn’t afraid to lose.” THE SUHR THING: Jenn Suhr is about as tion,” of previously existing bus lines, has But activists, like the Olympic Games She did make the 400-meter lineup, and “Sometimes, I get so caught up in the fact that close to a sure thing as there is in track and resulted in hardship for people-like Rosa- Popular Committee, say the forced changes that is, indeed, quite an accomplishment con- I hadn’t lost a hurdles race, and I come here, field.