The Rio Olympics are looking like a tale of two cities

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

Competitors ride past an 'eco barrier' along a polluted canal in the Leblon neighborhood during the Women's Road Race on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

At the very first Olympics hosted by a country from South America in the event's 120-year history, we've witnessed some unprecedented things.

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We've seen Gisele Bündchen walk the world's longest runway and Michael Phelps and other Olympians dominate for the US team.

All of these events are happening in a city where its citizens cannot afford to attend the Olympics hosted in their own backyards, and where roughly 22% of its more than six million residents live in the sub-standard housing.

These five photos illustrate the gulf between the majestic fanfare of the Olympics and the lives of ordinary Rio residents.