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| Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, right, waves the Olympic flag as Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, left, and IOC President Thomas Bach applaud during the closing ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympicsin the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday. / Yonhap |
By Valter Junior
RIO DE JANEIRO — After two weeks, a feeling of relief is spreading around Rio de Janeiro, around Brazil and around the world. Day by day the concerns over the first Olympics in South America have vanished. Now it is safe to say that Rio 2016 was a huge success. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but still, it was a success. Maybe it was done in a Brazilian way, but it was done. Living in economic and politic turmoil, Brazil has shown that the country can organize big events. Here is a list of nine topics reviewing the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Venues
Although some of the arenas, specially the Velodrome, had schedule delays, all of them were ready to receive all events so athletes could do their best. The problems faced in the Olympic Village were the worst Rio has presented.
Transport
In a city with big transportation problems, in some places streets are squeezed between the sea and the mountains, exclusive transport with the new metro line, bus rapid transit (BRT) buses and exclusive lanes, worked well after some problems in the first days. The main issue was the distance between some of the venues. Arriving at Engenhao, where athletics competitions were hosted, could take up to two hours. The same happened getting to Deodoro, where the equestrian competitions took place. Imagine how it is on an ordinary day.
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| South Korea's Ryu Seung-min, third from left, a newly elected IOC member, poses with volunteers and other new IOC members during the closing ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday. / Yonhap |
Olympic Park
It wasn't awful, but it could have been better. If the structure was excellent for the events, it was not perfect for fans. Sometimes it was nothing short of chaos to get something to eat or drink. It was almost impossible to escape from queues. Food was not tasty and it was expensive. Some mornings there was no food because of logistical problems.
Tickets
One of the biggest disappointments was that some events were sold out but one could still see a lot of empty seats. It was hard to see an arena reach full capacity. Many of the tickets were given to sponsors. Others were in the hands of scalpers. Some of them were selling tickets of the men's football final for $2,000.
Supporters
The world really saw the way Brazilian fans celebrate. This enthusiasm caused some problems. French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie complained when he was booed while competing with Brazilian Thiago Braz. Officials of some venues where silence is important struggled to control the noisy fans. Brazilians and Argentineans were always teasing each other, and there was a party most of the time. There was also room for political protests in the stands.
Athletes
They are our heroes. As always, they were perfect. We live in a time where we can see athletes like Bolt, Phelps, Farrah, Neymar and other great names. And when they are in action, it is a great show. They enjoyed warm public reception.
Brazil
With 19 medals — seven golds, six silvers and six bronzes — in 12 sports, Brazil achieved its best ever Olympic performance. The first gold with Rafaela Silva symbolized what Brazilians are. The last two, volleyball and football, celebrated Brazilian traditions in those sports.
The city
Rio was beautiful as always. The Marvelous City was a pretty frame for the Olympic competitions, especially the events outdoors. The city put on a party for the fans and athletes creating a great atmosphere around town. Security, a major concern before the Games, was okay, having just minor problems.
Legacy
Only the future knows the real legacy of the Olympics for Brazil. For Rio, at least it is known that this includes a revitalized port, a new metro line and a BRT bus system available to the population making life a little bit easier. What will be done with the venues is a big question mark.
Valter Junior is a journalist for Metro Brazil. He can be reached at vajunior@gmail.com.
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