ROCOG CEO Sidney Levy yesterday discussed the state of the Rio Games on CNBC, noting the "first priority has to be the athletes, their transportation, their food, the competition places." Levy said, "This was the main thing we were worried about. ... I'm very glad to report we're doing very fine on that one.” Levy said officials were "pretty worried the first day” about security, as there were many heads of state in attendance at the Opening Ceremony. However, things "worked very well.” Levy: “First day we had a glitch in security, and the machines were too strict, so the lines were too long. We had to adjust that. But I think we had 96% of the people here saying they feel secure inside the park. It’s a pretty good number, so I think we got that” (“Squawk on the Street,” CNBC, 8/9). In N.Y., David Segal notes the Games are the "single most daunting logistical challenge in the known universe." The "more you see of them, the crazier it seems that anyone would voluntarily undertake them." To pull it off is to create a "modest-sized city, layered on top of an existing city, a realm with a three-week life span in desperate need of food, water and electricity as well as systems for transportation, waste removal, ticketing, the management of countless employees and volunteers, and the list goes on." The Rio atmosphere "is kind of laid-back." Segal: "What’s odd is the curious absence of basic 'Here’s Where To Go' markers, which has added degrees of difficulty to navigating that seem totally unnecessary." Then there is the "lack of signs that simply celebrate the presence of the Games," and there are "lots of places that are absurdly understaffed" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/10).
TICKET STANDING: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Luciana Magalhaes noted around 1.1 million Olympics tickets "remain unsold for sports including volleyball, judo, basketball and handball." About 82% of the 6.1 million tickets made available as of Monday "have been sold" (WSJ.com, 8/9). In Boston, Gary Washburn suggested instead of having these "premium athletes play in front of sparse crowds," the IOC should "distribute free tickets to lesser-publicized events to children and families of Rio" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 8/9). Meanwhile, GOLFWEEK's Alistair Tait noted tickets for the first three rounds of the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions "have been pegged" at US$15.75, while tickets are "double for the final rounds." The Int'l Golf Federation "hasn’t released anticipated attendance figures for golf’s first appearance in the Olympics since 1904." IGF President Peter Dawson and VP Ty Votaw said that they were "confident that crowds would be good for the medal rounds" (GOLFWEEK.com, 8/8).
BARE NECESSITIES: In Boston, Nora Princiotti wrote the latest issue at the Rio Games is a "lack of snacks." Vendors at the venues "are so short on food and drinks that spectators looking for their peanuts and Cracker Jacks are being allowed to leave and reenter in order to get them." ROCOG Exec Dir of Communications Mario Andrada said that the decision "'eases the pressure' on those inside the venues, who have been swarmed by long lines when they do have food." Andrada said that the reason for the shortage "was a collection of missed deliveries" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/9).
TRYING TIMES: The AP's Goodman & Gomez Licon note a judge has ordered ROCOG to "allow peaceful protests inside venues after several fans were escorted out of stadiums for holding up anti-government signs" especially calls "for the removal" of interim Brazil President Michel Temer. The IOC "bans political statements at the games and has pleaded with fans not to disrupt competition" (AP, 8/9).
STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION: The AP's Tim Reynolds notes unlike the '14 Sochi Games, Rio these Games "seem to be increasingly tolerant by comparison." It "hasn't been flawless -- for example, homophobic slurs were shouted by some in the stands at a U.S. women's soccer match as the games opened -- but there's certain signs of progress on the inclusion front." Gay marriage is legal in Brazil, though tolerance "seems far from universal." But so far "there seems to be far more cheering than prejudice." It "has already been a games unlike any other for the LGBTQ community." U.S. women's basketball F Elena Delle Donne, who came out as gay last week, said there is a "lot of support." Reynolds: "That's as the International Olympic Committee intended, too" (AP, 8/10).
