Numerous incidents of theft occurred on Day 12 of the Paris Olympics, but there were also some bright spots. (Updated at 12:10 p.m.)
South Sudan’s deputy sports minister robbed
South Sudan’s deputy minister of sports and youth policy has fallen victim to thieves at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Valeurs Actuelles reports.
The incident took place at a hotel in Villejuif, a suburb of Paris. The official left her bag on a table in the lobby and went to the front desk. The deputy minister immediately discovered the loss, but none of the hotel staff noticed the intruders.
The alleged perpetrators were caught on several CCTV cameras, but they have not yet been apprehended. The bag was later found on the roadside near the scene. It contained the victim’s mobile phone and documents, but jewellery and $35,000 in cash were missing. The money was meant to cover the expenses of the South Sudanese delegation at the Games.
Indonesian national team’s bag with $62 thousand stolen in Paris
A bag containing $62,000 for the team, bank cards and athletes’ documents was stolen from the manager of Indonesia’s badminton team at the Olympic Games in Paris, Antara reports.
The bag belonging to national badminton team manager Armand Darmadji was stolen from a car in Paris on Monday at around 5:30 p.m.
The Indonesian national team manager was in the car with his colleague Puspa Irawati when the alleged thief flattened the car’s tyre. Darmadji went to check the tyre, while Irawati went to nearby shops at the same time. When they returned to the car, they did not find the bag there.
The Indonesian manager reported it missing to the country’s embassy in Paris. As a result, members of the diplomatic mission and local police arrived to help. Despite the incident, the Indonesian badminton team’s return schedule was not disrupted.
Silver medal returned to the winner
Kenyan runner Faith Kipyegon has been returned the silver medal she won in the 5000 metres race at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the International Athletics Association press office said.
Kenya’s two-time Olympic champion runner Faith Kipyegon came second in the 5,000 metres race at the Paris Olympics. However, her result was cancelled. Two laps before the finish line, Kenya grabbed the arm of Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and the Kenyan team appealed the disqualification. The judges sided with Kipyegon and reinstated her silver medal.
The race was held at the Stade de France. Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet (14.28.56), a two-time world cross-country champion, won the gold medal. In second place was Kipyegon, who was reinstated after disqualification (14.29.60). Third place went to Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands (14.30.61). This is the third Olympic Games for 30-year-old Faith Kipyegon. She won gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and at the Tokyo Games in 2020.
The Paris Olympics run from July 26 to August 11.
