Amidst criticism over whether or not the city is equipped to host, the 2016 Summer Olympics will descend upon Rio de Janiero, Brazil in just under a week, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the sprawling seaside city for the first Summer Games hosted in South America. Athletes around the world have been training and participating in Olympic trials and tests to qualify for the big event. And for the first time in history, The International Olympic Committee named 10 refugee athletes — from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — who will compete as Team Refugee Olympic Athletes.
Getting Ready for Rio
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Lutimar Paes of Brazil prepares for his Men's 800-meter final at the Ibero-American Athletics championship, a 2016 Rio Olympics test event at the Rio Olympic Stadium. #
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Marcos Chuva of Portugal takes part in the Men's Long Jump Final at the Ibero-American Athletics championship, a 2016 Rio Olympics test event that took place at Rio Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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Brazilian badminton players Lohaynny Vicente, left, 20, and her sister Luana Vicente, 22, pose for a photograph on the roof of a house in Chacrinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Their father, a drug dealer, was killed in a shootout with police when they were four and six years old. But sixteen years after that tragic day, the two sisters are elite athletes and rising stars in badminton, a sport little played in a country better known for soccer and surfing. Lohaynny will compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. #
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Denis Eradiri of Bulgaria takes part in the Men's Long Jump Final at the Ibero-American Athletics championship, a 2016 Rio Olympics test event at Rio Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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Brazil's synchronised swimmers Maria Eduarda Miccuci, right, and Luisa Borges pose for a photograph before a training session at the Rio Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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Athletes exercise at the University of Eldoret in western Kenya. In Kenya's western town of Iten, known as the "Home of Champions" for drawing runners to train from around the world, athletes rise to pound the track and dirt roads at dawn. Kenyan athletics champions like marathon world record holder Dennis Kimetto and 800 meter champion David Rudisha have trained there, alongside Britain's double Olympic and world champion Mo Farah and a host of others. At 2,400 metres (7,900 feet), the altitude makes Iten an ideal location for established middle and long distance races to build their endurance and stamina. #
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Paralympic athlete Leandro de Miranda throws the ball during the presentation of the Arena Carioca 1 at the Rio 2016 Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Arena Carioca 1 is the venue for basketball matches during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. #
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Aisen Chen and Yue Lin of China compete in the Men's 10m Synchro Platform Final at the 2016 FINA Diving World Cup, a test event for Rio 2016 Olympic Games, at the Maria Lenk Aquatic center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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A competitor takes part in the International Mountain Bike Challenge at the mountain bike circuit, which is part of the X-Park, at the Deodoro Sports Complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The International Mountain Bike Challenge is a test event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. #
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Thailand's badminton player Ratchanok Intanon, who hopes to win gold at the Rio Olympics, takes a break during an afternoon training session at a gym in Bangkok, Thailand. #
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Luis Cabrera of Venezuela, left, fights with Rohit Tokas of India during the International Boxing Tournament, which is a test event for Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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Luca Vettori, left, Stefano Mengozzi, center, and Oleg Antonov, right, of Italy block a ball from Serbia during their FIVB Men's Volleyball World League final round group match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Volleyball World League finals is a test event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. #
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Competitors jump into the waters of Copacabana as they take part in the International Marathon Swimming event, a test event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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France's team performs their Free Routine during the FINA Olympic Games Synchronised Swimming Qualification Tournament at Maria Lenk Aquatics Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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Competitors take part in the International BMX Cycling Challenge at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games BMX cycling track, which is part of the X-Park at the Deodoro Sports Complex. The International BMX Cycling Challenge is a test event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. #
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David Oliveira of Brazil gets ready to take part in the International Marathon Swimming event in Copacabana, a test event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Game, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. #
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