Best haul falls short for Brazil as host nation
Print Edition
HOST Brazil, backed by an emotional and enthusiastic local fan base, captured the most Olympic medals in the country’s history but fell far short of the haul that past host nations have brought in.
Brazil’s 19 medals, seven of them gold, was a significant improvement over its London 2012 performance, more than doubling the number of golds and picking up two more medals in total.
The country’s tally in Rio de Janeiro was capped off by a gold in the men’s volleyball final on Sunday and Brazil’s first men’s soccer gold on Saturday.
For the crowds that poured into the streets to celebrate the soccer win, or shouted from windows and in bars throughout a rainy Rio during the volleyball final on Sunday, the victories were another sign that a Games many once thought destined for disaster had far exceeded local expectations.
From concerns about the Zika virus, to polluted waters, security and shortages of funds, the Rio Games faced problems that critics believed could derail their success. “I can’t tell you how happy I am, and I’ve been a critic of the Games” said Rafael Rocha, 28, a designer out celebrating Brazil’s soccer gold on Sunday. “Not only have the Games gone well, Brazil is doing well, too. This is a huge relief.”
Though Brazil’s medal performance impressed some, it also fell short on a range of measures. Sports in which Brazil was supposed to perform well in, such as judo, were a disappointment. And athletes expected to win medals in events ranging from sailing to gymnastics failed to get on the podium.
As a result, Brazil came in 13th in the gold-medal table and 12th in total medals, missing the government’s goal of a top-10 finish in the overall medal count. Only hosts Canada in 1976, Mexico in 1968 and Greece in 2004 have done worse, and all have far smaller populations.
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