Rio Games CCO Renato Ciuchini said that tickets to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics "will be available for the equivalent of 'two bus fares' to make the games affordable for Brazil's poor," according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. About half of the 7.5 million tickets will cost less than 70 reais ($26.70), while the cheapest are 40 reais ($15). Students, "the elderly and people with physical disabilities, including obesity," can get a further 50% discount. Buyers of the 20 reais ($7.60) tickets can "split payments across three monthly installments." Ciuchini: "That is two bus fares. We believe that this is accessible to all Brazilians." Rio is the first South American host of the Olympics and organizers have "promised that spectators will be more representative of the country" than during last year's FIFA World Cup. The ticket process is "being scrutinized by Rio state's
public prosecutor's office." Brazilians can register for tickets on Thursday and apply for
specific events in March (BLOOMBERG, 1/15). SKY SPORTS' Lia Hervey reported in comparison with the London Olympics, "where the most expensive
tickets" were for swimming, gymnastics and athletics, the most
expensive tickets at the Rio Games "are for the athletics, men's
basketball, beach volleyball and men's volleyball finals." The
cheapest tickets for the Games come in at £10 ($15) for the 50km walk, canoe
sprint, mountain biking, marathon swimming, modern pentathlon, shooting
finals and preliminaries of the football, hockey, rowing, sailing,
weightlifting and wrestling. Ciuchini: "We will have a fair and transparent process, in line with the concept of
'Games for All,' which is one of the pillars of Rio 2016" (SKY SPORTS, 1/15). The AP's Stephen Wade reported in a separate piece thousands of local
schoolchildren will receive free tickets to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de
Janeiro "if city hall and organizers can decide how to pay for them." Rio Mayor
Eduardo Paes proposed months ago that the city buy 1.2 million of the
7.5 million tickets to be issued for the games -- about 16% -- and
"distribute them to schools." Ciuchini applauded the
idea on Thursday, "but said the organizing committee would not foot the
bill" of an estimated $10M. Ciuchini: "There are no free tickets" (AP, 1/15).
