IOC President Includes Caveats to Rio 2016 Legacy Success

(ATR) Thomas Bach spoke to sport administrators from the Americas urging the "perspective of reality" when discussing the legacy of the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Rio 2016 was the latest Olympic Games to take place under the auspices of the Pan American Sports Organization, and the first to take place in South America. Bach addressed PASO delegates at the body’s Extraordinary General Assembly this week in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Since the Games have ended, many Olympic venues have seen hiccups from the original post-Games plans. The Olympic Park in Barra has seen limited events, with temporary venues still to be dismantled. The Brazilian sports ministry assumed control of the park, after a private operator could not be found.

Lack of a private operator has also plagued the Deodoro Park, which has been closed since last December. Included in Deodoro is the canoe slalom venue, which was supposed to become a public pool post-Games. A spokesperson for Rio City Hall told Around the Rings today that there is still no update in the bidding process, meaning progress in finding an operator remains ongoing.

In the wake of Rio 2016, the Maracana saw its power cut off in a row between Rio 2016 and the consortium in charge of the stadium. After months of disrepair and fighting, the situation was resolved, after football club Flamengo paid to clean up the stadium to host Copa Libertadores matches. The sale of the venue remains in limbo after the Rio State Government cancelled a contract with Lagardère, a French company, as it would alienate the city’s top football clubs.

Retrofitting has begun at the Rio 2016 Athletes Village to get units ready for sale later this year. So far, only 240 of a possible 3,604 units have been sold. In an attempt to fill the apartments, City Hall considered a program to sell apartments at a lower rate to civil servants. The program reached only an exploratory phase.

In addition, many Cariocas say quality of life has not improved because of the Olympic Games, despite grand promises from IOC officials. While much needed transportation systems have been built, many are already at capacity immediately after opening. Services such as improved sewage and water treatment have not reached the city’s citizens. Finally, there is fear government officials are continuing practices of gentrification to drive up real estate prices in the city’s port area at the expense of locals.

"I think we all share the judgment that these Olympic Games have been a great success under very difficult circumstances at the time in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro," Bach said in his PASO speech. "But we also have the reports that not all the legacy which has been provided is already in full use.

"I would like to appeal to everyone who is making these judgments and who is looking into the matter and I would like to appeal to the fans, to everybody to compare it with previous experiences and to put it into the perspective of the reality."

Bach shared examples of delayed Olympic legacy in London, saying it took over a year to get the Olympic Park fully operational. London’s legacy was also set back by the expensive, delayed renovation of the Olympic Stadium to convert it into a football stadium.

The former chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation Dave Edmonds resigned in November of last year, after an inquiry was launched by London Mayor Sadiq Khan into the cost overruns associated with the stadium.

Bach acknowledged that the Rio Games’ legacy has been hampered by the ongoing Brazilian financial situation. Recovery from the revelations of a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal has not come as quickly as President Michel Temer hoped. Brazil saw negative growth for 2016, and outlooks for 2017 have been tempered.

The corruption scandal, known as the Lava Jato investigation, has touched multiple high profile politicians associated with the Olympics. Former Rio State Governor Sergio Cabral has been jailed for his role in the scandal, while former Mayor Eduardo Paes has been accused of taking bribes from Odebrecht for Olympic projects. Both have denied the allegations.

Given the situation, Bach said it is important for sporting leaders to refrain from speaking out against the Games’ legacy. The tides will turn, he says.

"The implementation of the legacy plans is not easy because you cannot expect a country to implement these legacy plans as a first priority when at the same time you are facing such a deep social crisis in your country where you have to address basic needs of the population," Bach said.

"If you use this perspective, you realize we can be confident that in fact Rio is a better place after these Olympic Games and it will get a lot better in the months and years to come. Let’s appeal to everybody and ourselves to show this respect for our Brazilian partners and friends and to show this fairness when making comments and judgments over the legacy of these Olympic Games."

Written by Aaron Bauer

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.