Rio 2016 Olympics

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy has decided to pull out of the golf tournament at the Rio Olympic Games because of health fears over the Zika virus.

The Brazilian army was forced to shoot dead a jaguar, moments after the animal was used in an Olympic torch ceremony.

Brazil's government has authorised an emergency transfer of $US850m to Rio to help pay for infrastructure and security at the Olympics.

Every competitor from Russia and Kenya expecting to take part in the Olympics will have to be evaluated individually for doping and be cleared by their sports's international body.

The coach of Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba - the women's 1,500 metres world record holder and the 2015 world athlete of the year, has been arrested in Spain on doping charges.

New Zealand boxer David Nyika has failed to qualify for August's Rio Olympics.

The New Zealand rowers have sent a stern warning to their Olympic rivals by bagging 10 medals from 10 finals on the last day of racing at the World Cup in Poland. Audio

Four Olympic weightlifting champions from Kazakhstan, including the sport's most celebrated figure Ilya Ilyin, are among 10 lifters to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Gisborne judoka Darcina Manuel has been named in the New Zealand Olympic team and will compete at the Rio Olympics.

The hopes of Russian athletes competing at the Rio Olympics now rest with Olympic chiefs giving them a special dispensation.

Paralympic long jump champion Markus Rehm has seen his dream of competing at the Rio Olympics fade with the IAAF believing the German gains an unfair advantage with a prosthetic device.

New Zealand's world champion double sculls combination of Zoe Stevenson and Eve Macfarlane have suffered a setback in their final major competition ahead of the Rio Games.

New Zealand's Olympic rowers have the chance to gain a psychological edge over their Olympic rivals when they contest the last world cup regatta this weekend ahead of the August's Rio Games.

New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh has won his event at the Diamond League athletics meeting in Stockholm.

The Commonwealth games mountainbike champion Anton Cooper won't be competing at the Rio Olympics.

The New Zealand women's basketball team has beaten world number three Spain 54-52 in Gijon in their latest game in Europe.

Tall Blacks guard Jarrod Kenny has been forced out of their tour of Asia and Europe as they prepare for their final attempt to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

There's plenty of international experience in the New Zealand men's hockey team selected for the Rio Olympics.

Australia's number one tennis player Nick Kyrgios has decided not to play at the Rio Olympics, blaming "unfair and unjust treatment" by the Australian Olympic Committee.

The Rio de Janeiro Olympic velodrome will be ready this month for athletes to start training there with the Games' most delayed project still to be completed.