FOUR months after the Olympics ended, what benefit has the 2016 Games had for their host country? The locals danced in Copacabana when the news broke in 2009 that Rio de Janeiro had finally succeeded in its bid to become the first South American city to host the Olympic Games.

Last weekend’s Réveillon, or New Year’s Eve party on the same beaches attracted similar crowds, although with a surplus of rooms, after additional hotels were built for the Olympics, occupancy levels were 85% compared to 98% the previous year.

The customary fireworks display at Copacabana was cut to 12 minutes, just one cost-cutting measure introduced as the country counts the cost of holding the Olympics.

Many have questioned the wisdom of granting the Games to an emerging economy, although Brazil was in a stronger economic position in 2009. Since then, however, it has been rocked by a recession, with its former president Dilma Rousseff impeached in the aftermath of the Petrobras oil scandal.

Hers is the first name listed on a plaque at the equestrian centre in Deodoro to mark the first stage of its transformation in August 2015 for the Olympics. Riders and officials were impressed with the top-class facilities subsequently provided at Deodoro, which had also hosted two Pan-American Games.

What future impact the Games will have on equestrianism in Brazil is an intriguing prospect.

“I love my country, I am really proud of my country but we don’t know yet what the impact from the Games will be for it [equestrianism],” said Pedro Veniss at Geneva, where the Brazilian rider won the Rolex Grand Prix.

Following the success of the London Olympics, the British Horse Society launched its Hoof campaign aimed at introducing horse riding to the wider public.

Historically though, London (where tourism numbers have increased by 5% per annum since the Games) and Barcelona were the cities that benefitted from the Olympics.

The situation in Rio de Janeiro already differs where post-Olympic budgets have been slashed across the board with cutbacks affecting hospital services and causing the closure of several libraries.

Brazil successfully pulled off hosting both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, but when hosting the Games creates debts for the host country, is that a true Olympic legacy?