Some 40 Thousand Tickets Are Not Used on the First Day of the Olympic Games
Some 40 thousand tickets were not used on the first day of the Olympic Games after the event's opening ceremony, on Saturday, August 6, due to the long lines in front of the Olympic Park and in Deodoro. The figures were disclosed by the Organizing Committee.
Ticket holders gave up waiting, did not manage to get in or were too late to enter the venues. Since then, the number of fans in the arenas has oscillated. It is clear that the number of fans increased in matches of medal disputes or with Brazilian athletes competing in popular sports such as swimming, tennis, volleyball and gymnastics.
However, the empty seats are also clear – the case is considered even worse as these are Olympic competitions. The London 2012 Olympic Games even made an agreement with sponsors, which receive a higher number of tickets, to give those which would not be used to fans interested in attending the games.
The Olympic Committee says that the fact that several tickets grant access to double rounds also explains the empty seats.
Fans end up choosing one of the games and missing the other. At the moment there is no control of the sponsors' unused tickets. The Rio 2016 Organization recommends that companies inform about available tickets.
A survey held by Folha in Rio shows that, especially in the arenas hosting team sports, such as basketball and handball in the Barra complex, the occupancy rate in the grandstands is close to 65%.
Water polo has drawn attention due to the fans' high attendance. In the game between Brazil and Australia last week, occupancy was above 80%.
In the men's basketball game between Brazil and Lithuania at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, August 9, 80% of the seats was occupied. The Arena Carioca 1 can hold 16,000 people.
The Arena do Futuro, where the men's and women's handball matches are being held, the number of fans is high even when the Brazilian teams are not playing.
The grandstands can hold 12,000 people and at least 60% of the seats have been occupied. After the slow first rounds, the tennis arenas have reached an 80% occupancy rate.
The elimination of Novak Djokovic and Thomaz Bellucci's victory, both on the main court, had nearly full grandstands. The gymnastics arena has received more than 10,000 people every day - the venue has a total capacity of 12,000.
Curious fans have also attended the matches of less popular and individual sports - however, the numbers are not so high. On Tuesday morning, August 9, few people attended the weightlifting competitions.
Translated by THOMAS MUELLO