#Rio 2016: The Olympic Games in Brazil and the series of errors

The IOC (International Olympic Committee) holds the biggest event on the planet. Nothing compares to the media interest in the Summer Olympic Games. When a country decides to apply for a mega event permit and hold it, several requirements shall be met.

Many developed countries have given up due to the complex requirements from IOC. In addition, it involves many discussions about developing the Olympic legacy and its high costs, even for rich countries. 

The few examples of effective success of Olympic Games - such as Barcelona 92, the most famous - have focused on strategic prerequisites to achieve high performance. 

The equation is too complex: Balance of the funding source between the public and private sector, as well as adequate allocation of resources. Barcelona, for example, has used 40% of public resources, 40% of private resources, and 20% of the Olympic Fund. It was an investment of 17 billion euros (up-to-date values).

The economic return for the city was nearly three times that amount, especially with development of different economic sectors and major infrastructure restructuring of the city, especially tourism. The city changed completely and became one of the most important tourist destinations in Europe. Its economy is increasingly tourism dependent. It would never reach such level without the Olympic Games.

Barcelona, as well as Sydney, Beijing and London, applied solid concepts aiming at the return on its high investment. But no other city has reached the return as the capital of Catalonia.

Brazil decided to risk hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The bill was known to be too high, over R$55 billion.

Politicians, sports officials, and the press believed in the illusion we needed and deserved such relevance.

Hosting major events requires a complex, professional project, which must be focused on the use of public resources, active participation of the private sector, application of the multiplier effect of investments and, most importantly, legacy. 

The changes due to the major events can positively change a city and a country or ruin it. Irresponsibility, overpriced works, corruption, and no respect for public resources are still common in Brazil. 

Yes... the word “change”, so easily used by politicians, became an illusion in the Brazilian project, both for the World Cup and the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, we are similar to South Africa rather than Germany concerning the World Cup, and we are Greece and not Barcelona in terms Olympics.

Although tourists come to Rio de Janeiro and positively impact the GDP, it will be insignificant compared to the high expenses and lack of minimal planning. In addition, the Brazilian problems are all over the international news. Foreigners around the world could've watched on TV the bike path collapse, on Niemeyer avenue, for example.

The concept of economic impact on mega events shall always consider its net impact. This means the positive impact of tourists who come to the event less those who give up coming.

London, for example, was affected by the loss of tourists who were not interested in going to the city during the Olympic Games. There were gains and losses as well.

Unfortunately, the Rio Olympic Games, as the World Cup, in addition to the small economic impact, will leave several white elephants in a country which is not Olympic and has an increasingly obese and sedentary population, deficits in public accounts and expenses to be paid by all Brazilians, without any possibility of long-term return for the country.

It's all wrong.

During the 2014 World Cup, government planned holidays to reduce the inability to manage the city during the Games. This irresponsible decision, disconnected from the reality of a country with a significant economy, highlighted the end of the illusion created by the government.

Thus, there were many holidays during the event. According to the study of Fecomercio (Federa??o do Comércio de S?o Paulo, Trade Association of S?o Paulo), the real impact of this irresponsibility was R$30 billion to the economy and R$40 billion related to the increased employee costs, including overtime.

Yes, the losses to the economy are equivalent of two World Cups. The recessionary and inflationary economic nightmare began with the World Cup.

In the middle of Rio de Janeiro biggest crisis, during its 451 years of life, it seems history will repeat itself.

The solution found by Rio de Janeiro state government was the state of emergency decree.

However, the Brazilian Olympic Committee, which expends millions from public funds for years, decided to quietly import athletes from other countries aiming to get more medals in the Olympics.

As if the problem were the medals.

Poor Brazil!