To think Rio has been shocking

[pleasemothermay1]

There is hardly any one in the seats even the foot ball and brizallians love foot ball

The pools are green no one can say why I hear a rugby athlete got injured they got lost on route to the hospital in abulance 😳

There are issues with transport

The ioc have said this has been one of the most diffcult games in a long time

Even the opening was very poor I no they didn't have much money so why not just do a carnival instead they tried to copy ours though the ages sort of thing but not very well play to your strengths I think some samba and carival theam would have been awesome.

Also some govermnet staff have not been paid I fear that it's unlikely the para games will be much better
Contrast to London were there wasn't a ticket going begging even for the para games

I think it's all well and good allowing emerging countries to have this but they must be able to afford it and also show that the tickets will be pitched at a price of the avarge wage

amd also that the cost of the games is not at the expense of paying your govermnet staff there will be no legacy at least we have had the good sense to sell some of our ventunes I don't think there is any vunue sitting empty

Tbf I agree with you. I watched a few sports and thought it was a bit disappointing that there was hardly anyone in the stands. Compared to London where the atmosphere was amazing, it just didn't feel the same.
I think it's been a massive let down

There are ongoing issues with how the 2012games were paid for: The Lottery, gathered to support good causes, was supposed to be re-imbursed to the tune of something like £400m from the sale of assets, The stadium was sold at a knock down price (built without an end user) and charities are still going without the fund to which they should be able to apply.

However, overall, I think 2012 was a huge success and a good thing. In Rio, I might well have joined the protestors, unless there is a clearly demonstrable way in which the games will be of long term benefit to the country and its citizens.

Oh, and having been to gigs in various places all over the world, what people in the UK rarely appreciate is just how nuts we are at cheering on anything from a snail wearing a racing number to a goat wearing a GB strip as a nation. (We have cheese rolling and bog diving competitions FGS!)

That was also coupled by the simple fact of geography, and it being easier for lots of different nations being able to have fans get to the games with a lot more ease than this time round. So the crowds all egged each other on in a competitive way that wasn't apparent and frankly really isn't possible outside Europe.

Well this is what has made me more than anything about the games! I think they could have done so much more for the people (especially children) in the favelas during this time. It's literally right under their noses!

The Brazilians have done their best.

Zika concerns will have deterred many from travelling to see the games which is a shame.

It's not really for us to criticise.

I'm sure I remember there being loads of empty seats at our games in 2012

Brazil is bang in the middle of an economic crisis. The population that can afford to take time off (its NOT) holiday time there and pay for tickets is relatively small.

Nobody can solve the favelas' problem let alone "for the olympics".

People in Brazil are seething at how the current president got into power. Virtually a legal coup d'etat.

They are also seething after the last World Cup 2 years ago.

They are having to cope with a Zika outbreak.

When was it the last Olympics in the Southern Hemisphere?
I think it's great that the Olympics have gone to South America, and nobody expected it to go as in London or even China (at an economic peak).

And why aren't you there OP? :)

Surely the point of the Olympics is that it is watched the world over on TV, not about the people there in the audience? I commented to DH the other day that a lot of the sports - gymnastics, dressage, canoeing- are much better to watch in close up and with slo mo replays than they would be live. I'm not really surprised that the average middle class Brazilian is less than interested in cheering on minority sports like Taekwondo, particularly if there is no Brazilian in the running for a medal, and as others have pointed out, there are far fewer affluent countries within easy travelling distance of Brazil to fill the stands out of curiosity. I suspect this has always been an issue for those more niche sports. There will probably be a lot more spectators for the big athletics events.

I thoroughly enjoy the Olympics every time from the comfort of my living room.

minority sports like Taekwondo, particularly if there is no Brazilian in the running for a medal

Not sure that's a good example, actually.

Why not?

Brazil won two medals in London and has already won one at judo.
Martial arts are fairly high profile in Brazil, although mostly for MMA.

Even the paras

The Olympic committee should agree on one permanent venue , preferably in Greece ,and build proper facilities and stadiums and allow any participating country to train there ,
trips to the Olympics could be organised through official channels and would hopefully subsidise the maintenance of the venue . No country would have to bankrupt themselves to build a venue which would be redundant a year later .

DHs 2nd cousin is part of the Aussie team, his family are there. Apparently the ticket prices are exorbitant, they were hoping for discounted prices on arrival but these have not eventuated.

FWIW these are the third games in the Southern Hemisphere, the other two were in Australia. The Sydney games in 2000 saw massive releases of last minute discounted tickets to put bums on seats - I'd suggest it was a matter of distance and cost of travel, both of which would apply to Brazil and combined with economics and Zika I'm not surprised that they are struggling.

Elfies - I agree. And yes Greece is the obvious place.

I don't think it's been 'shocking'

I think London 2012 was amazing, perhaps extra special for me because I live in east London and spent a lot of time around the Olympic village and experienced so much of it (for free).

I get your point about the empty seats. I think the organisers dropped the ball there. I was listening to an interview with one of the team GB divers parents and she said how they only were allocated one ticket which had to be paid for, so that coupled with flights and accommodation made it far to expensive for them to go.

The tickets to the games themselves shouldn't be pricey, and I think they have been made out of reach for many people

i think theyre doing the best thay can with what they have

alot of people ther cant affrd tickets they should lower theprices

im still watching as team gb are doing great

What the OP is missing (apart from full stops!) is an understanding of the geography of Brazil. Not only is Brazil a long distance to travel for many potential spectators around the world but distances within the country are huge. Any city is South America hosting an Olympic Games will struggle as the cities are not only more isolated within their own countries but are a long distance from the major centres of population in the Northern Hemisphere.

Competitors from Europe account for roughly half of those partaking at an Olympic games. London was just a short flight or car journey for spectators and most countries took up their allocation of tickets. Similarly, when the Olympics were held in Barcelona, it was well-nigh impossible to get tickets.

they should be handing out tickets for free at this point

Quite a few on the beach for the sailing, although it is a real struggle to find coverage. Rio is a terrible sailing venue even disregarding the filthy water, and to add to this there appear to be no cameras outside the harbour. The beach spectators will see very little, but it is probably nicer there than in an echoing arena watching the vest and pants stuff.

BTW London 2012 went about 3 times over its already huge budget, even with millions in volunteer labour. As many of the Brazilians struggle to eat, I'm guessing goodwill is rather thinner on the ground.

Oh dear to the misery mongers.

I think it would be a terrible idea to have a permanent venue! Surely one of the great joys of the Olympics is that each host has its own culture and "flavour". And that hopefully, the youth of the host nation will be inspired to participate in sport. Not to mention how logistically, in terms of climate and travel, one venue will favour certain nations over others and vice versa; so it is only fair to move it around.

I agree with other posters who say Brazil are doing a good job in v difficult circumstances.

Someone made a point upthread that the Olympics should stay in one area. (Greece makes sense)

The world is littered with empty and disused swimming pools, stadiums etc. A colossal waste of money that is increasingly difficult to justify.

any one who actually went to London would no that most of the venues bar the VIP seats were full

Even the free events like road cycling or sailing were you just rock up to the beach were empty considering it's a out door nation I was shocked

Also it's not about your nation being in this said match in London you literally got randomised tickets you could choose the sport but with tea, sports you would have no way of knowing whom was going to be playing whom bar the first matches

They really missed a tick and I personally think the poor will be paying for this for years god I actually think this is the first games were the host nation has nit improved its medal standing

Most host nations invest heavily in there athletes when they know there having the games

It's a shame no legacy and a frigging green pool while the poor watch on from the shanty towns those who think it's been a success ☹️

I think if your going to spend millions it would be prudent to make sure the people who have been most effected I heard they had to knock down some of the shanty towns to make way for some venues

Are at ting somthing one would hope some of the poor would be moved in to the atletes village Ect after but I very much doubt it

CorkieD Sat 13-Aug-16 11What the OP is missing (apart from full stops

playing the man not the ball

How very sporty of you see your getting in mood of Rio 😬

they should be handing out tickets for free at this point

i am sure those in the poor areas would love to see the games it may even inspire them instead they watch from the roof tops