The Olympics are coming to RIO in 2016. 42 world championships will be at stake over 17 days, as over 10,000 athletes from 205 countries vie to be crowned as Olympic champions. The Olympics are watched by a global audience of 4.8 billion people, and the games are hosted on a $2.5 to 3 billion budget. That’s a ton of cash for 17 days of glory.
Sustainability is in the DNA of the games, and supposed to be one of its greatest legacies. The historical facts show that previous host sites have millions of dollars invested in stadiums and sports arenas’ that now sit empty — ghostlike relics of a glorious past. The legacy investment should be in infrastructure, not deadwood stadiums with little use beyond those 17 days.
The city of RIO is dug up, and everything is running behind schedule. The subways, the airports, Olympic city, the golf course and the multiple venues for competition are all in various stages of incompletion. I would not bet my money on everything getting done in a timely manner. “We will be ready” was a confident declaration. The local executives are amused by Brazil’s penchant for “just in time” delivery on its promises.
The objectives are simple — an excellent Olympic games, a balanced budget, and a legacy for the city. It may take some divine intervention to deliver on all counts…..
About Hemant Rustogi