MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Rio's Olympics preparations “plagued with delays”; city full of “social issues”
International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice president John Coates has called Brazil's preparations for the 2016 Rio Games “the worst” in his experience and critically behind schedule, but warned there was no “plan B” to find another host. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesHave said it from the start NO South American country is ready to host such an event the Olympics and world cup in the space of 2 years -crazy
Apr 30th, 2014 - 10:45 am - Link - Report abuse 0The games have been pulled off in Socialist countries and even Communist countries but they never calculated the cost of having the games in incompetent and corrupt countries. Should be interesting to see unfold.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 11:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!
Unless, the games is MONOPOLY, I expect they will have trouble.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 12:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If the world cup goes less than smoothly then they should be worried for The olympics
Apr 30th, 2014 - 12:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Corrupt FIFA.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 01:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They should call it quits now and give the games to Buenos Aires. They'd make a much better job of it...
Apr 30th, 2014 - 01:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There is NO WAY that either the World Cup or the Olympics should take place in South America. The whole place is corrupt and unsafe. Ready to go somewhere that you could be killed for your mobile phone or camera? Where the “police” are just as likely to steal your stuff as anyone else? Or where they'll stand by and watch you murdered because they're outnumbered and scared?
Apr 30th, 2014 - 01:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If you go to Brazil, you are asking to be robbed, wounded, killed. Still want to go? On your own head be it!
I watched this on the news. Apparently there are only two people working in the office that is organising the games in Rio. Coates was flabbergasted at the incompetence, delays and described it as unprecedented. They have sent in a team of experts at considerable cost to try to help.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 01:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0My question is, why are the IOC so surprised?
Unfortunately FIFA it seems has no choice,
Apr 30th, 2014 - 02:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0it goes ahead regardless, but if anyone gets hurt, heads will roll bit not FIFAs we suspect..
They are also very worried about the HUGE amount of water pollution in Rio and are thinking of moving some of it to Iguazu. Iguazu! Can you imagine! That is not even 3rd world up there! It is more like Africa and how in the world could they get anything done in time. It will be like Sochi with wolves running around the hotels.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 02:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 03rd world countries shouldn't be hosting big events like this.
I have faith Brazil will pull off a wonderful and memorable Olympic games.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 03:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Project management in Brazil can be hard for foreigners to comprehend.
Open raw sewage flowing right out into the sea where they intend Olympic Athletes to be sailing and swimming.....disgusting!
Apr 30th, 2014 - 03:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'm guessing these are part of the “social issues” mentioned.
Iguazu! Where did you here that yankee? That place is stiffling hot in the summer. It makes Miami in August feel like Boston in September. The towns close from noon to 4 because of the heat.....official siesta time. Great place to visit but far from a venue for the Olympics.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 04:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No planB by the way for the Olympics.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 04:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Brazil is ok, spent quite a bit of time there and not been murdered yet LOL if you walk round flashing your wealth then you are asking for trouble (Same as in any city) Yep they have problems but hell so did most of the others who have held them.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 05:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They could always move the games up to Recife :-) now that would be great, ideal for the sailing etc LOL (play beat the sharks :-) )
13. The unabridged version of this same article.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 06:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Made in Brazil doesn't inspire much confidence.
I will be curious to see how this rolls out. I don't have much hope for ”the country of the future
I'm very happy with it all.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 07:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We walked separate from you. I hope forever. We should support South America and the BRICS, including militarily if necessary.
As they say here in Brazil: “ Vão plantar batatas!”
@17:
Apr 30th, 2014 - 08:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As they say in Brazil: “Quem é burro, peça a Deus que o mate, e ao diabo que o carregue.”
@ 18
Apr 30th, 2014 - 09:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Are you sure you're alive?
@18 ljordao, you hit the nail on the head !!! As for the Brazzo @17, he's “happy with it all”....no surprise, he'd be happy if he had a plate of shit to eat for dinner. But you really have to forgive him, he has no brain and has no idea what he's talking about ...“We should support South America and the BRICS, including militarily if necessary”....what kind of asshole says that ?? one ignorant SOB.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 10:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well the Olympics may get back to it' original roots. Running around a dirt track.
Apr 30th, 2014 - 10:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The Olympic committee likes to make it look like the country is receiving a great gift when they host the games.
Personally I fail to see how any country can possibly recoup the gigantic expenditure that is expected. Better to use Google adwords to promote your country than host an over bloated Olympic games.
@20
Apr 30th, 2014 - 11:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Maybe a Brazilian, Russian, Indian, Chinese or South African!
When you consider Brasil, you might consider cultural ties with America, CPLP, Africa, Goa, Daman, Diu and throughout Oceania.
They're going to hand out free guns to the competitors when they arrive I heard....
May 01st, 2014 - 12:11 am - Link - Report abuse 0Thanks Keith,
May 01st, 2014 - 12:58 am - Link - Report abuse 021. I think they runners would be fine in dirt but swimming in raw sewage is really making them work for it!
May 01st, 2014 - 01:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0Bahahaha
Your problem, Boy. You fight for the yours, not for others!
May 01st, 2014 - 01:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0What are the competitions where the athletes will be swimming in open water?
May 01st, 2014 - 06:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0Marathon 10k men and women, Triathlon men and women, maybe some in sailing and windsurfing, off the top of my head...
May 01st, 2014 - 09:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well, what can we say:
May 01st, 2014 - 11:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0WHO'D HAVE THUNK IT?
HA, HA, HA.
Brazil: can't find it's arse when it's sitting on its' hands!
And of course there's no Plan B: now does anybody believe that? This guy is either lying or grossly incompetent if that's the case.
27. That was a joke, they are concerned about sailing and canoeing since Rio only process 35% of their raw sewage the rest just lows into open water.
May 01st, 2014 - 11:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0Brazil is filthy, dangerous and chock full of criminals. For me there is no reason to ever go back. If I want a beach full of South Americans I can go to Miami.
The IOC, just like FIFA, have every reason to be worried. Lula only wanted the two competitions held in Brazil so that he could gloat over his accomplishments to his ignorant supporters, regardless of the cost...and presumimg that they will be successful......Now that things aren't looking all that good, he will probably try to distance himself from the 'fiascos' they are likely to be.
May 01st, 2014 - 05:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0When Lula was in power Brazil was expected to continue it's growth at full speed. Very few people could predict the catastrofe we have today, and it's only the tip of the iceberg. I would hope the visitors to the cup and Olympics take care because it's not safe.
May 02nd, 2014 - 12:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0Brazil´s very capable of organising the Olympics. The problem is that some countries like China have now establish a tradition of lavishly spending billions and billions of dollars in stupid grandiose events. The USA and many other countries have organised the Olympics without incurring in extravagance. But today there´s the perception that in order to host the Olympics, you need to be willing to spend sixty or eighty billion dollars. Obviously this stupid trend dramatically reduces the number of countries willing and able to host the Olympics.
May 02nd, 2014 - 02:56 am - Link - Report abuse 033 José
May 02nd, 2014 - 04:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0“The USA and many other countries have organised the Olympics without incurring in extravagance. ”
You're right, José.
I know that Summer Olympics are historically more costly than Winter, but the Vancouver 2010 Olympics were deemed a great success even at a “bargain” cost of $7b.
That included a massive infrastructure project to put in a new 100km road to Whistler and all the brand new facilities on the mountains, a state of the art Skytrain from the airport, along with a new Convention Center, a waterfront Athlete's Village, and other venues.
All at 1st World labour prices.
It can be done, without spending tens of billions - but do they have enough time left ???
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/vancouver-olympics-worth-the-7-billion-price-tag-study-says/article15036916/?service=mobile
I think the basics like a stadium and accommodation for the athletes is not extravagance. Brazil bid for the games. Brazil was aware of the cost and commitment. They can't blame others for their inability to provide the very basics.
May 02nd, 2014 - 03:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No one expected Brazil to put on a display like the London 2012 Olympics. At the closing ceremony everyone said that Brazil 2016 would be different, more of a carnival. They manage to put on a carnival very frequently.
I can completely understand the World Cup Finals going to Brazil. I cannot understand the burden of the Olympics going there, especially so swiftly after the World Cup. Brazil were wrong to bid for it and the IOC were idiotic to award it.
@ 35 ElaineB
May 02nd, 2014 - 04:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0My wife, a great Olympics fan, agrees with you!
@35 ElaineB...if you want to comprehend why Lula wanted the WCup & Olympics in Brazil, you only have to do is analyze his personality : he is a megalomaniac, that carries a chip the size of the world on his shoulder. He has pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes and the truth be known, he couldn't give a damn that the cost to Brazil, of US$ 30 billion or more, has and will continue to deprive the people of far more important things, such as public health, security and education. That is probably why, despite the fact that some of his allies would like to see him re-elected end 2014, he has said he will not run for re-election....he does not want to be in charge when all hell breaks loose in Brazil. All that matters to him is that he has managed to become part of the 'elite', wealth wise, because despite his (stolen) fortune he is still an uncouth, ignorant bastard.
May 02nd, 2014 - 11:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@25 Yankeeboy- At least it keeps the flys off the locals for the duration of the games.
May 03rd, 2014 - 02:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0@37:
May 03rd, 2014 - 10:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0You are absolutely correct. I would add only that this megalomaniac's highest accomplishment has been the infiltration of his fanatic fans in all Brazilian government institutions. Even (or maybe especially) in academia, his personality cult is irredeemably hostile to sound economic science and all individual freedoms.
@39, right again. All levels of government are infested with these damned 'petistas'....and as you say, especially in academia....they are the so-called “esquerda champagne” or “esquerda caviar” (the rich who claim to be socialists) made up of a lot of artists and even well-to-do people who like to appear sympathetic towards to poor, but only in theory.......and the poor, once again, fall for it...
May 05th, 2014 - 11:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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