I personally thought the 2016 Olympics should have been postponed somehow or cancelled (arguably that). I have nothing against Brazil but I do have a problem with the Zika virus outbreak. I'll return to that at the end because the actual disgrace I'm writing about involves the Olympics directly - in and out of play.

Where to start. Having to question that is itself rather sad. I'll start with the United States and in particular I'll start with the women football team. Specifically Hope Solo. After losing to Sweden she had this to say:

'The best team did not win today. I'm very proud of this team. But I also think we played a bunch of cowards. They didn't want to open the game. They tried to counter with long balls. I don't think they're going to make it far in the tournament. I think it was very cowardly. They're moving on and we're going home.'

Is that what the Olympics are supposed to be about? Isn't America about being fair, accepting, kind, giving, understanding, forgiving? But you can't beat the American team without being called 'a bunch of cowards'. Yet the 'best team' did not win. Apparently you weren't the best team this year but you just refuse to accept it. Life isn't fair and you should consider yourself lucky not recognising this at the age of 35; instead you whine like a spoilt brat who doesn't get their way for once.

Funny thing though, the idea that Sweden wouldn't make it far. It seems to me Sweden made it to the very end losing the gold to Germany therefore getting the silver medal. Meanwhile, the 'best team' didn't get a medal at all. So much for your bitter prophecy and so much for your best team remark. Speaking of that, it is amusing the BBC says:

Sweden's coach Pia Sundhage coached the US team to gold medals at the Beijing and London Olympics.
"It's OK to be a coward if you win," she said.

Whether she said that it clearly isn't what cowardice is. Yet I question why the best team had to be coached by the current coach of the silver medal winning cowards who beat them? That is extremely ironic, don't you think? 'The best team' more than once shared the same coach as the cowardly Swedes this year who 'only' won silver. But if it's the best team shouldn't it be gold? Yet the American team didn't win a medal at all. It seems you don't understand what 'best' means and you don't know how to lose either (ironically making you a loser at losing as well as a loser in the 2016 Olympics). Get helped by your enemy (or enable your enemy) and then bitch when they best you. That indeed seems to be the American way though, in a lot of things. That's not to say only America does that, though. But I'd like to believe that different when it comes to the Olympics; I do know and the world knows too this isn't commonplace but the fact it happens ever is a problem. Really, to act out like this in the Olympics is just pathetic.

Solo later tweeted: "Losing sucks. I'm really bad at it."

Obviously. Poor Solo.. you didn't win for the first time it seems and you resort to petty insults and put downs. I do Hope you'll be able to train harder for the next Olympics so you can become 'the best team' - if you're lucky it might even be silver! But that's not the end of it, is it? Oh no. Not at all. It seems Americans decided to boycott Swedish goods! What a bloody disgrace that is. America lost in an Olympic match to Swedes so Swedish goods should be boycotted! Acting like little children for losing a game. Well to those Americans who did this you have yourselves to blame for being seen in poor light by much of the world: if you act poorly then you will be seen and possibly treated poorly and it is entirely your fault. America is not superior to other nations and saying otherwise doesn't make it so; if you want respect you should try earning it rather than resort to bullying and other childish acts! The link which references American boycott of Swedish goods also includes other sore losers in other parts of the world [than the United States of America] - all a disgrace and contrary to what the Olympics is about.

But what about outside competition? What about the bloody disgrace Lochte? Here you have a successful swimmer who stupidly got drunk with his team mates and arrogantly vandalised a toilet at a petrol station (and the fact he was drunk doesn't mean it wasn't arrogant and it doesn't make it acceptable because he got drunk on his own accord). But in a stupid cover up attempt (pretty idiotic to believe there wouldn't be CCTV footage) he lies and says he was robbed. A likely excuse given a gun was aimed at his head but it happened to be a guard who was demanding money for the damage he and his moronic team mates caused. He goes on to tell his mother to say he was robbed and only after the coward left Brazil was more truth uncovered. But then he pretends to apologise. On August 19 the BBC reports:

On Friday Mr Lochte tweeted: "I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that I am sorry.

It's a real shame the 'apology' is lacklustre, I must confess. It's also a shame you aren't responsibly dealing the situation whilst saying you 'should have been much more responsible'. Of course the best would be to not have vandalised anything in the first place but I know that is beyond you, sadly. The BBC goes on to say you wrote:

It's traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country - with a language barrier - and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave...
I am very proud to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided.
I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons.

Yes, how horribly traumatic... you must have been terrified, unable to speak Portuguese with a gun aimed at you because you stupidly got drunk and were caught in an act of vandalism. And you're very proud to represent the United States in the Olympics? I somehow suspect the United States of America isn't at all proud to have you represent them - and they bloody well shouldn't be! You accept responsibility, you say, but I'm not sure that's true. Strange robber though, don't you think? Imagine a robber who refuses to shoot - you pay or you stay but I won't kill you! A great excuse that is. Saying you accept responsibility doesn't make it so. But it's worse: on 21 August the BBC reports you saying:

I wasn't lying to a certain extent," he said. "I over-exaggerated what was happening to me.
He added that he was sorry, saying: 'Brazil doesn't deserve that.'

You're right: Brazil doesn't deserve that; Brazil doesn't deserve YOU. You aren't sorry though; that's pathetic excuse at a lie. You over-exaggerated. You over-exaggerated?! That's what that was? You not only lied about being robbed you're lying about lying and accepting guilt!

In a separate interview with the US network NBC, part of which also aired on Saturday night, Mr Lochte said he felt "hurt" watching footage of his team-mates being taken off their plane.
Mr Lochte had already returned to the United States from Brazil.

And probably relieved you weren't also taken off the plane.

"I mean, I let my team down and you know, I don't want them to think I left them out to dry," he said.

Whether you let your team down or not I don't know or care to speculate. But what I do know is you let the United States of America down and even worse is you let the world down; that is obvious from the news reports. Surely that is much worse?

However, he maintained the men were threatened and made to pay.
"Whether you call it a robbery or whether you call it extortion or us just paying for the damages, we don't know. All we know is that there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money."

That is NOT an apology; that is a poor attempt at arguing semantics, trying to move the attention away from the facts and the context. That's what the weak and spineless do.

It seems also that Brazilian police want to question him over making false claims but according to the BBC his lawyer said he will not be responding. Yet despite his claim he is sorry and despite saying it was his fault he is refusing to even respond to the Brazilian police? Let's be honest: if he is sorry for anything it is having been caught in a lie and having to deal with the mess he caused. Yet he very obviously would rather remove his actions from history than act like an adult; he might be 32 but he's still a spoilt brat who refuses to accept responsibility for his actions. Arguing petty semantics over his acting like a jerk shows just how childish he is; he might be a successful swimmer but he's a failure when it comes to being an adult even at the age of 32. He doesn't deserve his medals and they should be taken away - as should those of his team mates.

Hopefully your Olympic career is over but since you're only 32 and you're a seasoned liar, attempt cover ups, manipulate the truth and lie about being sorry, perhaps you could try a different career? May I suggest politics? You'd be a great candidate: In a surprise move Ryan Lochte the disgraced Olympian is now running for office! 'It takes skilful dedication being an Olympian but it takes real courage to be an Olympic disgrace! I would like to add to my credentials so I am proudly announcing I am running for public office! I will put all politicians to shame and since I'm an Olympian who represented the United States of America I am definitely trustworthy!'

As for Zika: I blame also the WHO - who happen to have blood on their hands, literally - for trying to allay fears of Zika ahead of the Olympics. That was in May 2016. Disgustingly they also however in January suggested it is likely to spread across the Americas. Essentially they care more about the tradition of Olympics than the actual health consequences of the world; they were spineless here and it's a bloody disgrace (and how much it spreads as a consequence of the Olympics is immaterial).

As for the mother of a girl with microcephaly who says it isn't the end of the world I say it might not be the 'end of the world' but you're marginalising the suffering and taking for granted your daughter survived - some have not survived! (Never mind Zika isn't only about microcephaly).

I'll not get into the extremely poor conditions of areas nearby to Rio are in - and how the money could have been better used to help those in need - because that is also another topic entirely.

Bad coexists with good

But there is always a silver lining because bad cannot exist without bad. Two women runners - an American and New Zealand - are the best example in the 2016 Olympics.

The American and the New Zealand women accidentally clipped each other and both fell to the ground. It appeared at first the New Zealand woman was worse off but in fact the American was just quicker to get on to her feet. She helped the New Zealand woman get up, encouraging her to finish the race, even though there wouldn't have been much a chance of winning. But it then became apparent the American was more badly hurt. It was then the New Zealand runner's turn to help the American, getting her to move. The New Zealand woman went along but upon reaching the finish line she waited for the American. Once the American reached the finish they both embraced. The American left the venue in a wheelchair.

That is what the Olympics should be about. For their wonderful character they were both reinstated into the finals if they were physically capable of it at the time of the race! If only more people would be this way ... the world would be so much better off.