Rio 2016 Olympic Games and diplomatic legacies

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to describe perceptions of Brazilian diplomats in regard to legacies, diplomatic legacies and strategies that have been applied by the Brazilian government to leverage possible legacies of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Drawing on soft power theory, I investigated whether Brazilian diplomats perceived the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as an opportunity for the country to gain diplomatic relevance in international affairs by improving its non-coercive power. I sent invitations to all ambassadors and consuls responsible for Brazilian representations abroad (N=198). I received answers from 12 diplomats living abroad and one diplomat in charge of the department of General Coordination for Cooperation and Exchange on Sport, a department inside the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Results showed that Brazilian diplomats perceived higher chances of positive legacies related to infrastructure, positive image of the country internationally and development of elite sport in the country. Few leverage strategies for diplomatic legacies were cited by the diplomats, who understand the event itself as the most important leveraging strategy. Implications for theory and practise are discussed.