Sport Heritage and Mega Event Effects

In the complex and often debated essay of the mega events and Olympic games, in particular, the research offers a critical reflection about the last 2016 Olympic Game, comparing the Rio de Janeiro case with the model event of Barcelona. Through the study of the main literature about mega events and the focus on the case studies of Barcelona ’92 and Rio 2016, it emerges a reflection about different points of analysis concerning the geographical perspective of the mega event. In particular, a first proposal for reflection certainly concerns the post-event legacy and the event’s effects on urban fabric; a second aspect underlines the identity component of the place, especially in relation to the creation of the strong difference in between the Olympic part of the city and the disadvantaged and peripheral areas of the city such as the large slums, the élites and the minorities. A secondary study can be traced back to a work of comparison with other events of a global nature. A first example allows us to relate the Olympic case of Barcelona in 1992 - considered as a successful event in terms of organization and physical rewriting of the entire city - with the 2016 Olympic Games, thus trying to understand the real dynamics that imply a strong differentiation between the two Olympic cases in terms of post-event legacy, governance, and diversified urban restyling. Next to this first proposal, a secondary evaluation is given by the possible juxtaposition of the Rio event to another unsuccessful one: the Turin Winter Olympics, catching differences and points in common of two missed opportunities. As a last point of reflection we could start from this question: the failure of Rio 2016 - in logistic, managerial, cultural and especially identity - can be attributed or at least linked or even more influenced by the message transmitted after the closing of Expo Milan 2015 in terms of lack of efficiency of these events?