About the Rio Olympics

May 4, 2016 at 4:18PM

RIO OLYMPICS

When: Aug. 5-21

Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Who: 10,500 athletes from 206 countries

Sports: 42

What's new: The 2016 Summer Games will be the first to be held in South America. Golf returns to the Games menu for the first time since 1904, and rugby sevens will make its Olympic debut.

The venues: Events will be held in four Olympic zones across Rio. The main Olympic Park is in Barra, which will host 17 sports including swimming, gymnastics, track cycling and tennis. Other zones are Copacabana (beach volleyball, triathlon, rowing); Maracana (track and field, soccer) and Deodoro (rugby, equestrian, BMX).

Time and temperature: Rio is two hours ahead of the Central time zone; when it's 8 a.m. in Minnesota, it's 10 a.m. in Rio. Because the city is in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be winter during the Summer Games, but the average high temperature in August is 78 degrees.

The U.S. team: The U.S. will again send one of the largest delegations to the Olympics, with 550 athletes expected to make the team. Thus far, 112 have locked up their places. More will be determined at the Olympic trials for swimming (June 26-July 3), track (July 1-10) and gymnastics (July 8-10). The men's basketball roster will be announced July 10.

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The Minnesotans: Several athletes with Minnesota ties will compete in Rio. Those who already have made the U.S. team are Greco-Roman wrestler Andy Bisek of Chaska; track cyclist Kelly Catlin of Arden Hills; triathlete Gwen Jorgensen of St. Paul; and women's basketball players Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles of the Lynx.

RACHEL BLOUNT

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