摘要:Winners and losers of the Olympic Games are normally determined by their sports results. However, as Brazilian cities have bidded to host the Games, the aim of this article is to investigate how the interests and the effects added to the Games may generate social, political, and economic wins and losses. As a procedure, we have revised the literature with respect to previous Games experiences. As the interests allow us to detect the winners, the effects generated by the accomplishment of the Games indicate the potential losers. We suggest that these effects be critically examined the next time a Brazilian city bids to host the Olympic Games. KEY WORDS: olympic games – sport – physical education.