Why Winning A Gold Medal In The 2016 Rio Olympics May Not Be As Big Of A Deal

It will be another grand event where more than 10,500 athletes are expected to take part in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil which begins today, 5 August.

The Olympic Games is considered to be the world's top sporting event as more than 200 nations compete to be the best.

Titles from the Olympic Games are extremely valuable and winners are considered to the greatest in a particular sport.

A host of problems has preceded the opening of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

There were ongoing fears about the Olympic constructions. Just a few weeks ago, Daily Mail UK revealed that venues were far from ready.

After frequent delays and skyrocketing costs have created doubts, Rio's new subway line is finally up and running, just a few days before the Games.

There was also a controversy surrounding the Olympic Games back in June, when a jaguar was shot and killed with a single gunshot after it escaped from its handlers shortly after it was paraded for the Olympic Flame torch relay event.

New Zealand jiu-jitsu athlete Jason Lee even claimed that he was "kidnapped" by men dressed as police and forced at gunpoint to withdraw money from two ATMS in Rio de Janeiro on 23 July.

Perhaps these incidents have dampened the excitement of the 3.6 billion audiences worldwide who are expected to tune into the Games.

Although competing in the Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, many of the world's best athletes have chosen to drop out from the Games this time.

LeBron James, as well as Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony Davis and James Harden, are among the string of NBA superstars who will not be competing in the Games.

Golfers are not keen to seize such an exclusive opportunity to compete for the prestigious title, even when golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904. More than 14 male golfers, including the four top seeds, have pulled out of the Rio Olympic Games.

There are more who have withdrawn from Olympic Games this year due to various reasons; however, the Zika virus has emerged as the primary reason why many athletes have backed out.

Many sportsmen and sportswomen have cited that health is their top priority, and it is not worth risking their health for Olympic glory as the virus is a serious concern ever since the outbreak began in April 2015 in Brazil.

The Associated Press warns that more than 1,400 athletes in the water competitions are at risk of getting "violently ill" following a 16-month long study.

The study revealed that waterways of Rio de Janeiro are as filthy as ever, contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria.

Athletes who had been training in Rio had reportedly fallen ill with fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.

A report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recently confirmed that there is indeed a complex system of state-sponsored doping program involving Russia.

The report stated that the scheme was directed by the country's sports authorities to cover up doping across a "vast majority" of winter and summer sports, CNN reported.

Following the incident, many anti-doping officials had called for a ban on the entire Russian team but the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) has decided to allow 271 Russian athletes to compete in the Rio Olympics. This means that Russia will now send only 70% of its national team, 118 fewer than the country had hoped to enter.

The IOC's final decision came as a disappointment to many, particularly The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

"In response to the most important moment for clean athletes and the integrity of the Olympic Games, the IOC has refused to take decisive leadership. The decision regarding Russian participation and the confusing mess left in its wake is a significant blow to the rights of clean athletes," USADA chief Travis Tygart said in a statement.

However, it is said that the rising crime rate is likely to have a chilling effect on ticket sales.

Two days ago, Reuters reported that 1.3 million tickets remained unsold for the games, an indication that spectator demand for Rio has lagged behind previous events.

The Guardian has also reported that the organising committee has decided to give away tickets to 240,000 underprivileged schoolchildren, in a desperate attempt to fill up the Olympic venues in Rio.