Olympic sailing: Olympic champion attacked in Rio

The bad news from Rio de Janeiro just keeps coming. Last weekend, the Spanish Nacra 17 team Fernando Echávarri and Tara Pacheco, accompanied by their coach Santi López-Vásques, were robbed in the Olympic city. The trio were threatened and robbed by five men holding two pistols. The frightening incident took place on the morning of 21 May in the Santa Teresa district, which is popular with tourists.

While the prominent sailors remained physically unharmed, the perpetrators escaped with a bag containing money, documents and a camera. This was confirmed by the police at the scene to the sailing news service "Scuttlebutt". A search is underway for the perpetrators and the stolen items.

Fernando Echávarri won Olympic gold in the Tornado in 2008. In 2008/2009, he skippered the "Telefonica Black" in the Volvo Ocean Race. Tara Pacheco is a double world champion in the 470. Together, the two professionals are among the favourites in the battle for the Olympic medals in the new Nacra 17 mixed catamaran class. An initial statement from the Spanish Sailing Federation said: "The lack of security in Rio is one of the teams' biggest concerns. Now the Spanish team has felt the violence that is at home in Rio three months before the start of the Olympic Games."