Rio officials had to literally cut their way into a stadium after losing the gate keys

For most of us, losing our keys means, at worst, a sheepish call to a roommate or thankful nights spent on a friend's couch until the landlord can come. For one (perhaps former?) security guard at the Rio Olympics, however, a lost key meant a minor international incident.

That's because on Wednesday, the first day of Olympic athletics in Brazil, a gate at the Maracana Stadium had to be opened by bolt-cutter after guards lost the key. BBC's Julie Carneiro captured the moment:

Other entrances to the stadium were open, but spectators were forced to wait hours due to the misplaced keys. In a Games plagued with political corruption, economic woes, Zika virus, and myriad concerns about water quality, literally just opening the doors to the land-based sports should be the least of the problems. The official opening ceremony for the Rio Games takes place Friday — fingers crossed it's all downhill from here.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up