Rio de Janeiro.

Star athletes

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the first man to hold the world record for both the 100m and 200m, is the biggest international name to have arrived early.

A buoyant Bolt has been active on Twitter and Instagram, where he entertains millions of followers with pictures of his daily exercises and Jamaican-style meals alongside fellow team members. (@usainbolt)

image copyright Twitter/Usain Bolt

US swimmer Michael Phelps, who is an eighteen-time Olympic gold medallist, has been warming up fans with some virtual fun, such as a recently launched series of "phelpsmoji" - and a "nice trim" before Rio. (m_phelps00)

image copyright Instagram/Michael Phelps

National idols

For local Olympic idols, the countdown is proving emotional. One of Brazil's most famous soccer players, Neymar, who currently plays for Barcelona, has been tweeting pictures of histennis player Rafael Nadal, who was met by a legion of journalists at the airport on Sunday night. "One of the kings of tennis has arrived", the Rio 2016 organisers tweeted in Spanish. (@rio2016_es)

image copyright Twitter/@rio2016_es

Many athletes are posting tweets about their daily activities and videos from the Olympic Village and elsewhere. "Love it," British hockey player Henry Weir wrote on Twitter, offering a quick video tour of his accommodation with some "great" waterfront views. (@HENRYweir_)

Brazilian media

Local media coverage of Rio 2016 kicked off in earnest over the weekend as TV Globo inaugurated its high-tech Olympic Studio.

Esporte Espetacular, Globo's mainstream weekly TV sports show, was broadcast from Barra da Tijuca's Olympic Park for the first time on Sunday. The park area is expected to be visited by more