Brazilian Crowds Causing Controversy

The Brazilian fans at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games have grabbed more attention than the competing athletes due to the partisan and raucous crowds’ attitude.

Brazilian Fans - Photo by Dan Carson

Disruptions from the crowd have occurred across all sports causing competitors, coaches and officials to plead for silence during crucial times. 

The topic of whether or not this unacceptable etiquette has affected opposition success during the Olympic Games has been a constant controversial discussion amongst fans and viewers worldwide.

The Brazilian fencer Ghislain Perrier told Andrew Keh of The New York Times, "It’s an incredible feeling when you enter this arena. You feel all the power of the Brazilian people.” In contrast, Galia Dvorak of Spain said, “We are not used to this in table tennis,” acknowledging that she had been shocked and unnerved by jeers from Brazilian fans during her match. She added, “It was just weird.”*

Rafael Nadal, the current 5th ranking in the world of tennis, lost out on a bronze medal in the Men’s Singles semi-finals. The Spaniard lost 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 to world number 7, Kei Nishikori, who took home third place for Japan.

Adding insult to injury, Nadal was turned away from a Chinese restaurant in Rio after his loss against Nishikori because he failed to bring home a medal for his country. Sir Chris Hoy was the first to tweet about the incident. 

After having been booed by the audience during his match against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the tennis quarter-finals, Nadal was visibly upset after crowd members would cheer after he lost a point, yell out just before he served or criticise him when he

Rafael Nadal - Photo by Jackie Warner

challenged a line call. Nadal would continuously gesture for the umpire to hush the spectators and would deliberately show his annoyance by throwing his hands up or abandoning his stance and walking around before a point was played.

This, however, did not seem to affect his game as Nadal won 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals. Although, in a press conference after the match, Nadal addressed the issue by saying that he was not expecting these sort of crowds at the Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee has largely avoided saying anything critical about Rio, Rio 2016’s organisers or Brazilians fans, but its spokesman, Mark Adams, did say Olympic chiefs would prefer it if “the passion is channelled in a good way”** according to a press associate of The Guardian. However, Brazilian fans have only been asked to behave themselves more than halfway through the tournament after the French pole-vaulter, Renaud Lavillenie, reacted furiously to the partisan treatment he received during the final against Brazilian Thiago Braz da Silva.

Lavillenie says, “If you get no respect in the Olympics, where can you get respect?”

Samo Nxumalo, the Student Representative Council Sports Officer and fellow sports enthusiast at Monash University South Africa says, “It’s been quite a journey to the Rio Olympics with all the controversy surrounding Brazil (the Zika Virus and the President’s impeachment). So the booing and the unnecessary behaviour is just adding salt to the wound. Whether or not Brazil was winning, they need to be disciplined enough to know that getting to a world class level for a tennis player or even a pole-vaulter, it takes hard work and dedication… and for the fans to not only disrespect the game of tennis but their guests, shows a clear lack of understanding of the Olympic Games. I believe those fans should have been dealt with personally and not via social media.”

The Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games 2016 are due to end this week Sunday, 21st August, and the official judges of the games will not be the only ones watching with critical eyes.