The Latest: Ex-US military: Rio media bus was hit by gunfire

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Latest on the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (all times local):

5:25 a.m.

A retired U.S. Air Force captain who now covers women’s basketball says an Olympic media bus in Rio de Janeiro was hit by gunfire en route from a venue.

Britain’s Press Association on Wednesday quoted Lee Michaelson, who was on the bus Tuesday, as saying that she instinctively hit the floor when she heard the sound of gunfire and “hollered to the others … ‘Get down! Get down! We are taking fire.'”

Michaelson says “I know what a gun sounds like. There was a very distinctive sound of the report of a gun. It was the sound before I ever saw the glass (shatter) or anything.”

Police are investigating but Olympic officials say it’s not clear whether the incident was caused by bullets or stones.

Michaelson says both the bus driver and Olympic officials sorely lacked training. The driver slowed down and pulled over, which she says is “precisely the opposite of what he should have done, which was to put the gas on and floor it.”

When they returned to the Olympic park, she says there was no medical help waiting, despite some passengers being injured and bleeding.

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5 a.m.

Host nation Brazil must play big or go home Wednesday when its men’s soccer team takes on Denmark — for the country scarred by a 2014 World Cup debacle is facing another possible embarrassing elimination at home.

The team has had two deeply disappointing scoreless draws in this Olympic tournament — to South Africa and Iraq, not exactly world soccer powerhouses — and fans have been booing and mocking the team, especially superstar Neymar.

Brazil coach Rogerio Micale has leapt to the defense of his misfiring 24-year-old star striker, who has been criticized for poor performances and a lack of leadership.

The coach says “Neymar will become the best player in the world, we need to respect him … He is young. I know that at times he behaves in a way that we may not like, but at his age, wouldn’t we do the same things that he does?”

Micale said the criticism could hurt future generations of Brazilian players who dream of being on the national soccer team.

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AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org