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RIO SELL HELL

Rio Olympics 2016: Empty seats AGAIN blight Games as not even the athletics can draw fans

NOT even the showpiece events of the Olympics can draw the crowds it seems - as the athletics got under way with THOUSANDS of empty seats.

Jess Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson got going in the heptathlon but some of the finest athletes on the planet failed to coax the Rio public out to watch the blue-ribbon entertainment.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson gets under way with thousands of empty seats
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Katarina Johnson-Thompson gets under way with thousands of empty seatsCredit: AP:Associated Press
The athletics are supposed to be one of the highlights of the Games but could not draw a big crowd
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The athletics are supposed to be one of the highlights of the Games but could not draw a big crowdCredit: AP:Associated Press
There were medals up for grabs in the Women's 10,000m final but there still seemed to be more empty seats than fans
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There were medals up for grabs in the Women's 10,000m final but there still seemed to be more empty seats than fansCredit: Reuters
Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana on the podium after winning gold in front of just a few thousand spectators
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Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana on the podium after winning gold in front of just a few thousand spectatorsCredit: AP:Associated Press
A view from the back of the Olympic Stadium as the morning session got under way in the rain
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A view from the back of the Olympic Stadium as the morning session got under way in the rainCredit: PA:Press Association

And it is just the latest embarrassment to hit Rio after the diving pool turned GREEN - leaving GB star Tom Daley fearing he's been diving into "something bad".

The Games has been blighted by the woefully low turn-out of fans inside the arenas - despite stars like Usain Bolt pleading for people to head out in their droves.

But the appeals seem to have had little impact, as the Olympic Stadium became yet another venue to be way down on its capacity - in stark contrast to the packed houses for London 2012.

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As the athletics got under way in pouring rain on Friday morning there were vast swathes of empty seats for the first morning of track action, with barely a couple of thousand inside the 60,000-seater venue when the session started.

More drifted in but the attendance remained feebly low.

Veteran Brit Jo Pavey finished 15th as Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana stormed to gold in a brilliant world-record time - against a blue backdrop of empty seats.

The turnout for the evening sessions, and in particular the sprint superstar’s 100m final on Sunday night, will prove how successful he has been.

The empty stands as the Women's cycling road race came to its conclusion
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The empty stands as the Women's cycling road race came to its conclusionCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
A sprinkling of fans watch Australia v Switzerland in the Volleyball Arena
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A sprinkling of fans watch Australia v Switzerland in the Volleyball ArenaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The women's beach volleyball is usually a banker to draw in the punters
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The women's beach volleyball is usually a banker to draw in the puntersCredit: Reuters
The scene during the the second half of the inaugural women's rugby match between France and Spain
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The scene during the the second half of the inaugural women's rugby match between France and SpainCredit: AP:Associated Press
The Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre also saw a small crowd as the water polo got under way today
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The Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre also saw a small crowd as the water polo got under way todayCredit: PA:Press Association

On Monday morning, organisers claimed 84% of of the 7.5 million available tickets had been sold.

But that now appears a remarkable statement with not even the athletics seemingly able to bring in the punters.

The Olympic committee’s excuse has been that South Americans are very late buyers – but maybe they just haven’t been convinced by the thrills of the Games.

Tickets are expensive and the organisers have found it difficult to convince Brazilians that the Games they’ve paid for have been worth the money.

The threat of anti-government protests, crime, and the Zika virus will not have helped either.

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