Aussie Athletes Had Their Gear Nicked From The Olympic Village In Latest Annoyance

They say the trials faced by elite athletes at the Olympics are enough to stretch the body and mind beyond what was previously thought capable.

Australia’s athletes are learning that first hand, a full week before the Games have even begun.

Today, the Aussies' long-suffering chef de mission Kitty Chiller reported the theft of a laptop and team shirts from their building in the Olympic Village.

The alleged theft took place during an evacuation on Friday, following a basement fire at the village, ABC News reports.

This is the same village that, just last week, was considered basically "unliveable" because of blocked toilets and poor wiring.

“This is concerning,” Chiller told media at a press conference, totally underselling it.

Four private security guards have since been added to their building's entrance, for the sake of conducting identity checks.

"When you have got 15,000 beds, there are a lot of people walking around the village,” she explained.

“I'm not accusing anybody but there are a lot of non-accredited workers, cleaners, housekeepers, maintenance workers still walking around.”

Needless to say, Chiller has had a rough weekend, and her ability to maintain her titular ‘Chillness’ has been severely put to the test.

The fire on Friday (believed to have been started by a cigarette in a rubbish bin) revealed to the Australians that their fire alarms had been silenced during maintenance; they only learned of the problem as smoke filled the corridors and stairwells.

The Opening Ceremony for Rio 2016 takes place August 5.

Photo: Twitter / AusOlympicTeam.