On August 5, 2016, Rio de Janeiro held the opening ceremony of its Olympic Games, fulfilling an ambition that had begun two decades earlier.
Thirty years after the birth of Rio's so-called "Olympic dream," the city has made significant infrastructure improvements, but many of the promises made along the way remain unfulfilled.Rio officially launched its bid to host the Olympics in 1996, seeking the 2004 Games. The bid included a series of promises that helped build public support for the event, a momentum that lasted until the city was awarded the 2016 Olympics in 2009.
After unsuccessful bids for the 2004 and 2012 Games, Rio secured the right to host the 2016 Olympics with a more modest proposal that has still not been fully delivered.
Among the projects left unfinished are the cleanup of Guanabara Bay, originally scheduled for completion by 2016, and a subway line that would have extended to the city of Niterói.
Former mayor Eduardo Paes, who oversaw the delivery of the Games, says it is unfair to hold his administration accountable for promises made in earlier Olympic bids. He argues that more projects were completed than had originally been pledged.
