Olympics: Brazil frustrated with Olympic score, eyes hosting 2016 Games

Tuesday 26 August 2008

BRASILIA - Brazil on Monday moaned its lacklustre performance in the Beijing Olympics, with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva saying the country must do better even as Rio de Janeiro bids to host the 2016 Games.

"I think we need to quickly take the issue of Brazilian sport more seriously," he said in his weekly radio address, after lauding the few Brazilian champions who made it to the winners' podium.

Lula could barely hide his frustration over Brazil's paltry three gold medals, four silver and eight bronze, which put the nation in 23rd place in the Beijing rankings - lower than the 16th position it scored in the 2004 Athens Games.

Brazil's media were also disappointed, wondering how a country usually known for turning out champions in football, beach volleyball, Formula One and other disciplines could languish so badly in the world's most important sporting arena.

The Brazilian Olympic Committee is thinking of hiring more sports psychologists, the daily O Globo reported, while the Folha do S. Paulo stated: "Winning Olympic medals is always positive, but it doesn't have to be a priority for a country like Brazil."

Brazil's men's beach volleyball defeat to the United States and football loss to Argentina in Beijing were especially stinging, though questions were raised for all activities.

Brazilian federal and state authorities and big companies have to pull together "so that we have more competitive teams, more competitive athletes, which will improve Brazil's chances of better performance," Lula said.

More specialists were needed "so we can compete in the Olympics in equivalent conditions" as other sporting nations.

"If we start doing that now, we have a chance to improve a lot in 2012" - when London hosts the next Olympics - "and to be at the forefront in 2016," he said.

Lula said Rio had "concrete" chances of hosting the 2016 Games, in the face of competition from Tokyo, Chicago and Madrid.

"South America has never had the Olympics, and I think that the Olympic Games should come to South America. It's an important issue for us Brazilians and we are going to fight," he said.

The winning city for the 2016 Olympics will be announced next year.