Brazilians vow to trim Olympic spending, which could be a lesson for Los Angeles

Los Angeles residents concerned about their city bidding for the 2024 Summer Olympics might want to keep an eye on what’s happening in Brazil.

On Tuesday, organizers of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games announced significant cutbacks in some expenses in an effort to avoid going over budget on the massive sporting event.

Rio 2016 has a reported budget of $2 billion to $3 billion to cover just the cost of running the 17-day competition (not the associated construction of venues, roads, railways, etc.). A recent review suggested those primary expenses might rise 10% over initial projections.

That wasn’t good news for a country in the throes of recession.

“We need to organize the Games to be economically sustainable,” Mario Andrada, a Rio 2016 spokesman, told Reuters. “There’s no more space for lavish overspending.”

Organizers said they planned to reduce test-event and promotional costs. They will also seek to scale back on a massive volunteer force, which would save on uniforms and transportation for the unpaid workers.