The British Olympic Association has warned Team GB against criticising the logistical issues at the Rio Games for fear of appearing arrogant, as organisers said they were working hard to fill empty seats and resolve transport issues.
Hugh Robertson, who was the UK sports and Olympics minister during London 2012 and is now vice-chairman of the BOA, said he had impressed upon the team leaders of each sport the need to remain humble. “I spoke to the team leaders at the last meeting before they left and I said: ‘Just remember Brits do have a reputation for this touch of arrogance in the international sports world and it’s really important that whatever the frustrations are we get behind this and are positive about it.’”
Spectators and officials have been caught up in transport difficulties while the weather has played havoc with the schedule at the rowing lake and long queues have afflicted fans trying to get into venues, many of which have been half full or less.
Over recent years the BOA, like the Football Association, has worked hard to overcome the residual impression that British sporting institutions retain a certain arrogance. Robertson was determined that the 366-strong British team in Rio would retain their humility in order to avoid the impression that they were comparing the Rio Games negatively with London. “It’s enormously annoying when you get involved in some of the things that have been going on but it is really important for us that we don’t come here and stick too many pins into it, particularly the local organising committee, because the suspicion will be that we are just doing this to big up London.
“They will be particularly sensitive to any criticism from us so it’s really important we don’t get caught up in that.”
Whereas the Australian team was voluble in its criticism of the Olympic Village when it first arrived, refusing to move in until repairs were carried out, the BOA sent an advance guard to ensure the accommodation was ready.
Because of the spread-out nature of the Games and the logistical challenge of getting around Rio, only about a third of the Team GB athletes are staying in the athletes’ village. The rowers and those competing at Deodoro are among those staying close to their competition venues. A spokesman said that no athleteshad been affected by transport problems.
An International Olympic Committee spokesman conceded that there were “still a lot of teething problems” but said that the situation was getting better by the day.
Addressing the question of empty seats, the Rio 2016 ticketing director, Donovan Ferretti, said that 84% of all tickets had been sold. But the number of empty seats in the stadiums does not tally with the number of tickets that are claimed to have been sold.
Ferretti said that many of the tickets in the early days of the Games were for double sessions and that fans may not have turned up for both. He said that Brazilians, typically last-minute ticket buyers, were doing so in great numbers and also predicted a rush of visitors from Chile and Argentina.
Rio 2016 organisers said they had no concerns about the 14,000 temporary seats added to the Engenhao stadium that will host track and field events next week, despite the lack of a test event.
Mario Andrada, the chief spokesman for Rio 2016, said the same company had provided much larger temporary seating structures for the World Cup.
While steering clear of concerns over the organisation of the Games, Robertson was critical of the International Olympic Committee over its handling of the Russian doping crisis.
“The IOC, which had reformed itself quite spectacularly after Salt Lake City, perhaps needs to undergo a process of further reform now. Frankly, I have been a bit disappointed by their response to this,” said Robertson.
“A lot of time recently too many of the decisions have looked politically influenced rather than for the benefit of sport,” he added. “There is no bigger threat to sport currently than doping and an organisation like the IOC has to take a tough line on it and provide some leadership.”
The IOC also defended its policy of banning any political chanting or messages within venues, after several incidents where fans were challenged over protests against interim president Michael Temer.
“This is a longstanding rule, not just for these Games but all Games. We find that spectators and athletes like the fact stadiums are a place where we concentrate on sport and not other issues,” said an IOC spokesman.
“We ask people not to make political protests or take part in commercial activity.”
