RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Taking the Olympics to Rio de Janeiro was always considered a bit of a risk. Now that South America’s first games are drawing to a close, the question is: Did the gamble pay off?
The answer, according to experienced Olympic officials and experts, is a mixed bag.
Yes, Brazil managed to pull it off under difficult economic and political conditions, with the sports competitions, venues, athletes, friendly hosts, television images and Rio’s scenic backdrops all rising to the occasion.
Yet, behind the scenes, these were also troubled Olympics that fell short in other areas – empty seats, ticket fiascos, organizational mishaps, spread-out venues, green water, street crime, traffic chaos and lack of a clear Olympic feel in the parks.
The Olympics on TV are never the same as the Olympics on site. That’s been the case more than ever this time, reminiscent of the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where great sporting moments contrasted with lost buses, failures in the technology system and other off-the-field problems.