Games digest

(China Daily) Updated: 2016-08-17 07:33

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WRESTLING

Jubilant Cuban just has to dance

Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez danced endlessly on the mat after taking out Turkey's Riza Kayaalp to win the men's 130kg.

The 6-foot-7 champion also body-slammed his coach when he came running up to congratulate him, then hoisted him in the air like a small child.

Lopez went on complete an extended lap of honor, taking selfies with Cuban fans after what was his third Olympic victory, equaling the record of Russia's Aleksandr Karelin.

"My dance just came naturally to me. We are in Brazil and you have to dance, it's normal," he said.

PARALYMPICS

Crisis talks held as more cuts loom

Games digest

More cuts will be made to services for athletes at the Paralympics next month unless additional funding is rapidly secured for the cash-strapped Games in Rio.

Crisis talks were held on Monday by International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven with the Brazilian government and Rio's mayor in a late attempt to preserve the quality of the Games in recession-battered Brazil.

The committee has warned that some countries' delegations might not be able to travel to Rio for the Sept 7-18 event if they do not receive $7 million in grants that should have been paid last month.

POLICING

Athlete quizzed about assault

A Bulgarian athlete was questioned by police on Monday after he was accused of attacking and injuring chambermaids working at the athletes' village.

"A procedure has been opened to investigate injuries inflicted by an athlete of the Bulgarian delegation on several chambermaids working at the Olympic Village," police said in a statement.

One of the women claimed that the incident happened when she and her colleagues went to the athlete's room to clean it.

"But the athlete resisted as he left the room, hitting one of the women before attacking the others," the statement said.

Police did not identify the individual involved.

It is not the first time that employees at the village have been assaulted at the Olympics.

Boxers Hassan Saada of Morocco and Namibia's Jonas Junias Jonas were arrested on charges of sexual assault on Aug 5 and Aug 8 respectively but were subsequently released. Other police concerns in the village have been triggered by several break-ins and robberies, which Games officials have blamed on cleaning staff.