By Tragedy struck the Olympic games today as the long-awaited debut of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the world’s premier international sporting event resulted in the deaths of 13 competitors and the hospitalization of 37 more with frostbite, hypothermia and severely damaged extremities. Long targeted as a holy grail for many fans of the sport, instead of joyous celebration fans were left mourning the loss of many of the sport’s elite athletes. Organizers released a short but solemn statement announcing the cancellation of further Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu activities:
Everyone at the International Olympic Committee would like to express our deep regret at the miscalculations which led to this horrific event. The debut of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was meant to be a triumphant moment, and instead we find ourselves with a deep sense of grief and loss. In hindsight, original requests for inclusion in Rio 2016 would have made more sense, as would a summer game scheduling in general or the use of indoor facilities. We promise to learn and grow from this experience. In light of the experience of the Gi competitors, it has been determined at this time it would be unsafe to allow the No-Gi competition to go on, which is why we are regretfully announcing the cancelation of all No-Gi matches with the exception of an opening round bout between Gordon Ryan and Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu which, upon consultation with our team of BJJ experts, has been deemed best left undisturbed and will now commence at midnight tonight, and has been extended to a three-hour, most submissions wins format.
