The empty seats at many venues during the opening week of the Rio Games have been a "major headache for organisers," according to Eisenhammer & Grohmann of REUTERS. ROCOG Exec Dir of Communications Mario Andrada on Thursday said, "We see some empty spaces in stadiums, we are working on it." Volunteers and army personnel working at the '12 London Games "were allowed to fill empty seats," but that is "not happening in Rio, mainly because the organising committee is still desperately in need of cash from last-minute ticket sales." Volunteers also claim that they "were not entitled to free tickets, even when events had already started and empty seats were there for everyone to see" (REUTERS, 8/11). YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski noted empty seats have been seen "everywhere from beach volleyball to soccer stadiums to Michael Phelps's races at the aquatic center." ROCOG has offered several reasons for the empty seats, including the fact that fans who "received free tickets from the Olympics' many sponsors -- typically seats one might see on television -- aren't using them." Andrada: "We're seeing some sponsors not living up their responsibility for tickets. There was a sense that some corporate tickets haven't been used." Wyshynski noted part of that is due to the "long security lines at venues." Andrada said that those lines "frustrated some of these VIPs in the first week." Meanwhile, ROCOG officials believe some volleyball fans are "simply showing up for Brazil matches and then vacating the stadium in Copacabana beach rather than staying to watch other matches" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/11).
ANY VOLUNTEERS? The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Troianovski, Jordan & Kowsmann in a front-page piece report security lapses and food shortages are among the "many glitches" that are "straining Brazil's ability to deliver on its promise to make the first-ever Olympics in a developing country democracy a success." The group of volunteers "meant to keep the Games running smoothly has been fraying," as many volunteers "have been no-shows since collecting work outfits and complimentary wristwatches, leaving venues short-staffed." Andrada indicated that at "some venues, just 20% of expected volunteers have shown up." Security also remains a challenge, with Andrada saying that the military is "now escorting every Olympic vehicle from venues in the Deodoro section of the city." Troianovski, Jordan & Kowsmann note the food shortage has forced some venues to offer "simplified recipes" to "alleviate spectators' waits." ROCOG claims things are "improving, with added food trucks, a bolstered workforce and sped-up lines" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/12).
