5 things to look out for at the Rio Olympics

The lead up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has been clouded in such controversy for so long that one could easily forget that the biggest event of the sporting year will get underway this Friday.

There have been political fallouts in several quarters of the globe in the run up to the Games, many of which will spill into the event itself.

Regardless, there is no doubt that the spectacle will have millions glued to their television screens for both the sporting and non-sporting aspects of this ancient international competition.

Here's 5 things we should keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

1) Is Rio up to the task?

Thousands of athletes have arrived to Brazil in recent days for one of the world's most publicised events, and many have complained about the state of facilities available.

The Australian team initially refused to move in to the Olympic village, citing concerns over blocked toilets, leaky pipes and exposed wires. A team of 600 workers were sent into the facilities to shore them up but question marks still remain.

Many leading sports personalities from Brazil, including former footballer Rivaldo, have warned people to stay away from the games following a spate of political corruption and heightened levels of crime in the country's cities.

2) Russian athletes

While 160 athletes from Russia will participate in the games, a further 113 have been banned after a report revealed doping on a systemic level, including state involvement. The IOC decided against a blanket ban of all competitors from the country, to the ire of whistleblowers and advocates for clean sport.

The controversy has caused a war of words in which Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused the IAAF of "blatant discrimination."

3) Zika virus

Some of the world's top sportspeople have pulled out of participating in the Games due to fears surrounding the Zika illness, which is spread through mosquito bites.

Most notably, golfers Jason Day and Rory McIlroy have decided against travelling, although some have criticised the latter for using the disease as an excuse to avoid a political decision over which team to represent.

4) New events

The 2016 games will see the debuts of both rugby sevens and golf, as they fill two extra spots in the schedule.

Fifteen-man rugby had previously been an Olympic sport, debuting in Paris in 1900, but made its final appearance in the 1924 Games (in Paris, coincidentally). Golf will be making its first appearance in the Olympic programme in 112 years.

5) The refugee team

Probably the best news story to come out the Games, the first refugee team will compete under the Olympic flag.

While there have been refugee athletes who have competed independently, they have never been united under one refugee team.

They were picked out of 43 candidates to represent the IOC and were officially announced on June 3.

Team Refugees includes two Syrian swimmers, five South Sudanese track athletes, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of Congo and an Ethiopian marathon runner.