Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Underway

Today marks the opening of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

The Games of the XXXI Olympiad will run from August 5 to August 21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Featuring more than 10,000 athletes from 206 Nations, the Rio 2016 Olympics will see competition in 28 sports, including new entries – golf and rugby sevens. There will be 306 events within those 28 sports.

New Nations at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Kosovo and South Sudan.

Canada will send athletes to compete in 26 of the 28 sports, and aim to increase on previous medal counts under the “Own The Podium” movement. Canadian athletes will be paid for winning medals in Rio, earning $50,000 for gold, $20,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze from the Athlete Excellence Fund.