Sport-Oriented Schools as a “Legacy” of Mega-Sporting Events: The Case of the Ginásio Experimental Olímpico (GEO) Inspired by the Rio 2016 Games

The perception of what a sport-related event legacy is has been changing over time, and defining it has always been a complex task. When huge investment is required to produce these events, there is a public controversy of those in favour and against. For that reason, a careful planning of a mega-sporting event’s legacy is relevant to demonstrate that the investment to be made is not in vain; instead, it could have a major positive impact in developing strategic sectors, and even help to change the direction of a nation for the better. One of these key sectors is education – including physical literacy. The planning of the education legacy of mega-sporting events – the Olympic and Paralympic Games – for the purposes of this research, has been historically based mainly on the creation and implementation of educational programs related to Olympic Education. These programs take place mainly before and during the sporting event, and once the event is over the funding decreases without ensuring its future sustainability or the possibility to scale up its impact.

This research aims to explore new perspectives when the education legacy of mega-sporting events is planned and executed by analysing the case of the Ginásio Experimental Olímpico (GEO) – Experimental Olympic School, a sport-oriented educational project led by local authorities inspired by the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Through the analysis of data collected from primary sources (interviews/field visits) and secondary sources (historical documents/reports), findings were contrasted with the IOC’s Legacy Guidelines, to determine that the GEO can be an innovative education legacy initiative showing tangible positive results and proven sustainability for the benefit of Rio de Janeiro’s population, as well as a potential initiative of application in future sport mega-events.