With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, people are once again talking about the larger question of what it takes to organize a major multi-sport competition and whether or not the costs and effort justify the goal. After all, many an Olympic village has been left virtually abandoned following an Olympic Games or similar competition. And the costs just seem to keep going up and up.
So, is it worth it? And once a competition is over, can venues be used for other purposes? Let’s take a closer look at what is involved and where different host sites stand today.
How Much Does It Cost?
For each of the Olympiads that have taken place over the last several decades, the cost of building facilities has run into the billions of USD. The most notorious case was the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, which cost over 50 billion USD and also caused a great deal of controversy in China because the government had to raze historical neighborhoods and forcibly displace people from their homes to build sporting venues.
The costs have gone up and down, to some extent, but they have almost always been quite high. The upcoming Paris games is partially using already-built facilities because the city has twice before hosted the Olympics.
In fact, the only Olympics in which the host city actually managed to profit from an Olympics was the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. The reasons for this, though, were very unusual: Because of the Soviet boycott and the uncertainty surrounding the event, there were relatively few bidders for the event, and the Los Angeles committee didn’t have to promise as much.
What Happens In The End?
There are several examples of cities whose venues end up virtually abandoned in the end. Following the 2016 Olympics in Rio, some of the facilities are literally rusting from lack of attention. The aquatics stadium now appears to be something out of ancient history, and the government has prohibited its being filled with water because of the risk of zika virus spread.
Stadiums from the 2004 Olympics in Athens are in a similar state, appearing closer to relics from the ancient Greek Olympics than the modern one. Barcelona, Seoul, and other cities are facing similar problems with their venues. All these cities share the unfortunate fate of not being able to utilize the venues they spent so much on post-competition.
A Better Alternative?
Major international competitions that only involve one sport are, of course, in much better positions to get the full value from their stadiums. Every Brit knows Wembley Stadium, of course, which is home to England’s beloved football team. Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and Camp Nou are equally popular in Spain.
And let’s not forget cricket, the most beloved sport of the world’s most populous nation. Narendra Modi’s stadium seats 132,000 spectators and is almost always filled to capacity when matches are being played.
Will There Be A Solution?
In all likelihood, the trend of countries spending exorbitant amounts of money on multi-sport competitions will continue. Although the economic rankings of the world’s nations are shifting to some extent, there is concern that it is only rich countries that will be able to afford hosting competitions in the future. And with the rise of alternative sporting competitions (BRICS games, etc), there are even further questions still.
Can You Profit From Sports?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to try your hand at online betting? This trend is becoming increasingly popular, and sites are becoming very easy to access. You can download an online betting app with ease, and payments and winnings can come in many different convenient currencies, including cryptocurrency.
In addition, there are many different online forums available these days where you can educate yourself on different team and individual rankings, who is moving up and down, statistics, etc. So give it a try; you might just end up getting lucky.
Museums, Concert Halls, Or Disaster Sites – The Future Will Tel.
The future will tell what becomes of these former Olympic sites. One would hope that they can become venues for other types of entertainment – concerts, lectures, etc. Perhaps a precedent needs to be set by one country that could stand to gain back what they’ve spent. Beijing, are you listening?