A suspicious package was destroyed by a bomb squad near the finish line of the men’s road race today on the first day of competition during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The men’s road race finishes at Copacabana Beach, where beach volleyball will also be held during the Games. The volleyball arena was already the site of a potential bomb scare during the opening ceremonies. Last night, the bomb squad used robots to inspect two suspicious bags sitting near the volleyball arena, though no threat was found.
The package exploded today was apparently done so without warning to spectators and news crews, as it came as a surprise to commentators working on the men’s road race. The suspicious package was found in a building near spectator seating on the beach. The cyclists were still approximately 70 kilometers away when the package was destroyed. The race will still finish at Copacabana Beach, where spectators will watch as some of the first medals of these Olympic Games are harvested.
Bomb disposal experts appear to have exploded something in a building near to the finish line off Copacabana beach
— Lia Hervey (@LiaHervey) August 6, 2016
Though the downhill portion of the loop has proven very precarious for the cyclists competing in the men’s road race, there is no reason to believe that the finish line will pose a threat to anyone.