‘Please, take these Olympics away from us’

The organisers of Rio 2016 say they will deliver the Olympic Games on time and on budget, despite concerns.

Whether it's the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, the Brazilians want basic human services more than they want stadiums. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON Source: AFP

JUST how bad are things in Rio ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Olympics in 2016?

Here's just one example.

Olympic cities are encouraged to conduct test events at all venues a year out from the Games. This is to iron out any kinks and ensure the venues are Games-ready.

So guess how many people the Rio Organising Committee has ensuring the smooth running of test events? Bear in mind there will be 28 sports held in 35 venues in and around Rio, and that each sport will need at least one serious dry run before the Olympics in August 2016.

Maybe they should just hold a giant MotoCross meet? Picture: AP Source: AP

How many people are making this happen? Two. Yes, two. Two (presumably very busy) people orchestrating the entire process of running lead-up events at the world's largest multi-sport event.

This was just one of the many revelations delivered this week in an extraordinary outburst by John Coates, the long-serving Australian Olympic Committee chief who is also the International Olympic Committee Vice President.

Coates knows his stuff. If he says Rio's preparations are worse than Athens, they're worse than Athens. Coates backed down late yesterday from his spray, having clearly annoyed the locals:

"Following my statements about the upcoming Games in Rio I want to underline that I still believe that the Rio Organising Committee and the people of Brazil can indeed deliver an excellent Games in 2016," he said.

But whether Rio's organisers can deliver or not is no longer the point. The real point is that Brazilians don't want the Games. Neither do they particularly want the World Cup, which is now less than 40 days away. They're passionate about soccer, sure, but not so passionate about the state of the city they live in.

This symbolises how many Rio locals see their own city. They want better lives, not better stadiums. Picture: AP Source: AP

Every country has pockets of activists who don't want the Olympics, but in Rio this thing is becoming a grassroots movement. Protesters in Rio this week burned buses and clashed with police in the latest outbreak of unrest. Locals are angry that slums in the vicinity of some Olympic venues are being "cleaned up", which is often a euphemism for "demolished", leaving thousands homeless.

Others are furious at the vast sums of money being spent on venues while Rio - which is Brazil's second largest city - lacks all sorts of basic infrastructure. These views were well summarised this week by Brazilian blogger Anton Steeman.

THE ANGRY BLOGGER

In a blog post entitled World Cup 2014 – Why The Warfare?, Steeman writes:

"In a country with so many shortcomings, which need urgent attention, and so many life-saving projects failing, the government is blowing away some $US25 billion for the World Cup 2014 and probably a similar amount for the Olympics 2016 just for the fun and benefit of a selected and greedy group.

Couch surfing... this pre-loved lounge suite floats in the lagoon which will be used for Olympic sailing. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images

"Corruption is rampant in Brazil and the people know that the many billions invested in the two international events, will be paid by them at the end when the bill will be presented, while the same money could have been used for public projects benefiting the people.

"But it isn't only the corruption, the Brazilian is fed up with the fact that internationally Brazil belongs to the low-level education countries with functional illiteracy still dominant even under the youth, who drop out of school too early. Public transport is a mess, ruled by the transport mafia and corrupt councilmen. If you want to die quickly, go visit a public health facility in case of an emergency or even a simple cold for that matter. Infrastructure is absent and roads are either not paved, overflooded or full of potholes. Everywhere you see open sewers and proper sanitation facilities are suspiciously absent. When it rains, and it does that often, the streets are like rivers, even entering people's houses. Year after year, after year."

And on it goes. It's incredibly strong stuff.

Turn right and you'll find a site where 2000 workers were on strike earlier this month seeking decent wages and conditions in Olympic construction. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images

News.com.au contacted Steeman overnight and he had this to say:

"John Coates is right, he has all the reasons to get very, very anxious. Forget Sochi and Athens. Meet Rio. Nobody is doing one single thing, till the utmost, final, killing minute. Why? Simple - the prices hike idiotically, corruption is rampant and everybody gains. The people in the street? Ahh, my friend, of no importance for the authorities, evict themout of their houses, don't pay nothing, don't compensate nobody, destruct all you want, don't ask anybody etc, etc.

"You want a disaster? You get it in full force. If not with the World Cup, then with the Olympics. The WC might pass without too many killing problems, but only, solely, because football is king in Brazil. Olympics? Who cares about all that sports? Nobody! It's not football, and it costs too much money. Prepare for a disaster.

"The people in the street? They are fed up with the spending and the corruption and above that 'it's not football' and thus a useless waste of money.

"John Coates has all reason to be very, very worried. I'm really surprised the IOC hasn't a Plan B."

Even this poster seems to be losing its optimism. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images

PLAN B

Time to think about a Plan B, eh? Well, have we got a Plan B for you.

Earlier this week, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle generously offered his city's services as the world's leading stand-in host city for global sports events.

The plan would mean that Melbourne would become the "Plan B" host city for global events, such as the Olympic Games and the soccer World Cup, when the city originally chosen is struggling to make the grade.

It's a little like the theatre where leading actors have shadows in case of illness.

Rio's pretty sick now. Time to wheel the flying tram out of its tramshed perhaps?

If Rio's really not ready, Melbourne could fly in and save the day. Source: News Corp Australia

AND ONE MORE THOUGHT…

For the record, this reporter reported from the Olympics in Athens and they went fine. The games venues were held together with sticky tape and Band-Aids but it was actually a terrific and indeed under-rated Olympics. The locals weren't madly into it, but they weren't actively opposed either.

Perhaps they should have been. Look at the Greek economy now. This, in a nutshell, is what the opponents of Brazil's major events frenzy are worried about.

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