The Spanish Sailing Federation issued a report that two Nacra 17 sailors and their coach were assaulted at gunpoint in a popular Rio neighborhood. Fernando Echavarri (2008 Olympic gold medal in tornado class) and Tara Pacheco (two-time world champion in the 470 class) were getting breakfast early in the morning with their coach, Santi Lopez-Vazguez, when they were assaulted by "youths with pistols." The three were having breakfast in the Santa Teresa district and were unharmed, but were forced to hand over a camera, all of their money, and important documents.
Echavarri and Pacheco were recently in Hyeres, France, sailing in the Nacra 17 fleet for the Sailing World Cup. They finished in second place out of 33 boats.
Security has been an issue for the 2016 games, albeit a minor one in the mounting list of threats such as pollution and the Zika virus. The games are set to open on August 5.
