The 1936 Berlin Olympics were hijacked by the Nazi propaganda machine; the 1970s Games are remembered as the era of East German doping and the Israeli hostage crisis; the 1980s were the boycott Games and now, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, we face a Games beset by security issues, political turmoil, the Zika virus, doping sagas and more.

This week a series of arrests were made of members of a group allegedly declaring allegiance to Islamic State – and with plans to conduct attacks during the Rio Games. According to Brazil's Justice Minister, Alexandre de Moraes, the group was in the process of attempting to buy weapons.

Since the Munich massacre in 1972, when a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September took 11 Israeli team members hostage – all of whom were later killed in a botched rescue attempt – security has been of prime importance to the International Olympic Committee.

The Brazilian government's promise of a security force of 85,000 troops offers little comfort.

Few of the government ministers who were charged with delivering the Games remain in power – impeachment proceedings were launched against President Dilma Rousseff. In the space of a couple of months the sports minister, health minister and head of the national force for public security all resigned.

The recent unfurling of a banner by city police officers at Rio's international airport added to concerns. The banner read, "Welcome to hell. Police and firefighters don't get paid. Whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe."

While the public relations exercise worked for the police, it was another nail in the coffin for international observers already sceptical of Rio's ability to host a successful Olympics. The city's authorities managed to get approval for the release of 2.9 million Brazilian Reals ($1.2 billion) as emergency funding to pay the police and yet the current crime wave in the city continues.

Health concerns are also a big issue. The mixed reporting of the Zika virus has left many potential visitors and Olympic athletes confused. Olympic organisers have teamed with the World Health Organisation to announce any potential threat is minimal; a group of academic experts argues the opposite. Many of the world's top 20 golfers have pulled out of the Games, some of whom cite Zika as the reason. Golf courses and mosquitos go hand in hand.

Like the police, health workers have also complained of not being paid. The health system is described as being at crisis point in Rio. The hospital nominated as the go-to facility for international visitors was recently the scene of a gang-related shootout.

And what of the Games themselves, the actual sporting contest that billions of television viewers are expected to tune in for? Well, they too are at breaking point.

If Russia, one of the Olympic movement's most powerful and successful nations, is ruled out entirely, expect President Vladimir Putin to revive Cold War tactics. On the other hand, if Russia is allowed to compete, already sceptical international observers will be left feeling that the real gold medal winner in Rio will be politics – yet again.