Why no one wants to host the Olympics

[@Owlr4ider]

To sum it up, the host cities take all the risk, the IOC takes all the rewards.

[@Parlimant_Strifey]

didn't even mention the part where the committee members were getting bribes from foolish people in the bidding. Yes, deal with those zero ethics & morals IOC members...instead of avoiding them like a plague.

[@__jack________________2225]

Best comment so far.

[@qj0n]

It's too certain to call it a risk, it's a damage

[@jankisi]

Just like the UEFA

[@Owlr4ider]

@@jankisi Yes, but on a massively larger scale. UEFA Champions' League requires just 1 stadium for a single night and decent infrastructure: roads and public transportation, for everyone(the teams, staff, press, spectators, etc) to enter and leave the stadium in a decent enough manner. The Olympic Village on the other hand is orders of magnitude more demanding than that. Multiple stadiums hosting events over multiple weeks. Athletes, staff, press, etc, living in the city throughout the runtime of the event. Much more infrastructure is required, etc.

[@Azamat78726]

Why olympics are hosted by only 1 city instead of whole country ? Hosting it as a country might solve some issues like infrastructure and environment.

[@Jorge23Costa]

Technically they are hosted by the country and not by just one city, because for example this year you have events that will happen all across France, not only in Paris, including in Tahiti.

[@NiallMcEvoy05]

Absolutely and would allow smaller countries to host aswell. Irish person here with a dream.

[@xungnham1388]

They are hosted by the hole country. The host city is just where the main stadiums are. But they use stadiums hundreds of miles away. When Atlanta held the '96 games, they used soccer stadiums as far away as Miami and DC. Same thing is going to happen at the '24 games; they are using soccer stadiums in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, St Etienne, Nice, Nantes. They will have basketball and handball in Lille. Rowing and kayak in Vaires-sur-Marne. They're even holding the surfing events in Tahiti, the french territory in the Pacific ocean.

[@GrandSolarSystemPoobah]

​@@NiallMcEvoy05 Coolock

[@nosignal88]

1000%

[@averytucker790]

Imagine being in a country where everyone wanted the main city to spend $5 billion on better housing, but the city said no. Yet when the Olympics was said to be held in that country. The City agreed to spend $52.6 Billion on a stadium, high speed rail system, and 30 luxury hotels for the athletes. I'm not surprised people protest against these games. Infact, I'm surprised more people don't protest against these games.

[@SnifferSock]

How does spending money on "better housing" work? People are supposed to pay to house themselves, what can the city do about it?

[@techpriestsalok8119]

@@SnifferSocksubsidize them, incentivize builders to build cheaper/smaller houses, punish groups artificially racking up housing prices, build better public infrastructure that allows for more housing area to be utilized, etc. There is a whole lot the city government can do to help with housing issues, for every option I listed at least 10 reasonable sub options or full options exist.

[@luisenriqueperezperez3193]

@@SnifferSock I'll give you an example. I'm from the Dominican Republic, we have something here called "Housing Bonus". That is a governmental subsidy that the government provides to FIRST TIME home buyers which is somewhere between USD$3-6K that can be applied to complete a missing part of the 10% down payment of a house/apartment or directly to the housing loan if the buyer has the complete down payment. What's the catch? Simple, the house/apartment has to cost USD$100k or less. This incentivizes construction companies to build low cost houses/apartments since this is essentially a guaranteed influx of buyers. The DR is now incredibly full of giant low cost apartment complexes, which makes it incredibly accessible for anyone to get their first house/apartment.

[@Elmaestrodemusica]

Chicago, until we protested it down ....

[@averytucker790]

@@techpriestsalok8119 Sir or Madam you're exactly 2,115% correct.

[@Zezetheb]

Kind of surprised Salt Lake City wasn’t brought up as an example of how to do them well. All venues that were used in the 2002 Olympics are still being used today, and are planning to be used again in the 2034 Olympics. Also, I think it’s one of the few cities that did actually benefit from that “legacy” idea. The games absolutely put Salt lake on the map, and it has since become even more of a pro sports training / competing / recreational destination.

[@hanguhbur]

I was wondering the same thing. I suspect it was conveniently not mentioned because it didn't fit the narrative of this video.

[@getoffamylan6844]

I am literally going to an ISU short track event in the Olympic oval later today, and my 11 year old is currently taking speed skating classes in that same facility.

[@kerstinanderson6172]

I was looking to see if this comment was made and glad I was not disappointed. Yeah, the SLC Olympics was purposely left off. Boo!

[@dh1952]

Yea they purposely ignored the successes of SLC, Atlanta, Barcelona, Lake Placid, London

[@SeeJay1986]

it seems like North American athletes have benefited the most from their winter olympic games as the venues post games end up being the perfect training facility for alpine sports. In Canada, Calgary Alberta ended up being exactly that, and just as their facilities started to get outdated, the city of Vancouver and Whistler in British-Columbia hosted the games with updated modern facilities in the latest technologies. ..Turin Italy struggled after cause of proximity competition facilities in other countries who dominate in alpine sports.

[@mikatu]

We keep avoiding the main problem. The main way cities lose money with the Games is because the IOC takes a lot of money and they spend zero! They should pay the cities to host, not charge them for the Games. In fact, the way the cities won the bids in the past was by bribing the IOC officials. When your process includes bribing something is not right.

[@badkarmabaroo]

Exactly. The IOC also includes stupid ass demands in their contracts with host cities: create separate lanes on all roads that will only be used by IOC personnel; the IOC commissioner must be greeted ceremonially at the tarmac (and hotel) when s/he arrives; IOC must have separate entrances to the airport. Crazy shit.

[@subscribetopizzatheonlyrea7322]

@@badkarmabaroo ahahhaha thats bizarre

[@TheAnimeist]

@@badkarmabaroo The IOCC is corrupt no doubt. But who knows? Those demands may be put in place to see if the contract was read in full detail. Like what Van Halen used to do with brown M&Ms being removed from the bowl.

[@z-beeblebrox]

This is also why a permanent venue solution has been avoided for so long. Because that WOULD require the IOC to foot the bill in some manner.

[@nutmeg208]

Yeah, the Olympic Committee should change their business model to one that also raises money.

[@savannahm.laurentian1286]

They used to utilize mostly existing facilities. Now they build dorms & venues. It's insanely wasteful.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

That's not even true. Did you watch the video? That happened for ONE Olympics.

[@giraffestreet]

More and more sports added into the game

[@EstParum]

Brazil built stuff for the Olympics​@@bipolarminddroppings

[@OK-hl6qd]

@@bipolarminddroppings you didn't watch the video

[@BuurmanDirk69]

​@@bipolarminddroppings ah yes. Sydney, Athens, Beijing... Only one olympics

[@harpgrewal8203]

They are a huge scam which leaves the host in debt for decades.

[@captainAlex258]

or millennia since canada barely has nothing at all, I really need to find a small town for my l.a.noire tv series

[@hybridstryker233]

💯💯💯

[@Clippidyclappidy]

On top of the fact modern Olympia is literally just Goebbels propaganda and is just rebranded eugenics. As in the same Goebbels who was propaganda minister of 1930s Germany.

[@larsonfamilyhouse]

And make athletes bear the burden of all the costs.

[@bridgetbinion8494]

Plus everyone wants to kiss Russia's ass even though they are cheaters.

[@kevindavies189]

It’s really sad to see the state of many of these facilities. Here in Sydney, Olympic Park is still immaculate and frequently put to good use. It’s an area to be proud of.

[@KatieBellino]

That's great to hear! It seems like certain cities/countries are more capable of hosting. Sydney, LA, it seems like Paris has the venues and finances.

[@SherlockHolmesb-kp4ru]

​@@KatieBellinoI am not so sure about Paris given the current news of the place

[@SherlockHolmesb-kp4ru]

@@flmis The seine river in particular comes to mind ,swimmers had to swim through a river with dangerous levels of e-coli and coincidentally they got sick

[@AllMenMustServe]

@@SherlockHolmesb-kp4ru But that was actually a good thing about the Olympics in Paris. Swimming in the Seine has been prohibited since 1923 because the water has been too toxic. They invested a whooping €1.4b to clean up the river. They just didn't complete the programme on time. But it will eventually be done and that's a good thing for the city. However, financially speaking, the Olympics as a whole is not profitable at all. And I mean for the City/Country itself, because for the IOC it is indeed highly profitable because they are the ones taking all the immediate revenue. Even for a city like Paris who only had to build 2 new venues and will definitely use those and not let them die like many host cities did previously, the daunty challenges of hosting such an event aren't covered by the global exposure and tourism the comes from it. Paris realized $8,7bn in Investments which will probably not be reimbursed with Cash Flows resulting from such investments in next few generations of population. Olympic Games are expensive, and French public finances are not in the best state. But hey, they hosted the Olympics, who cares? The big guys who wanted the Olympics hosted there probably earned some indirectly from it and will still be rich afterwards. But the common citizen, who only wants an healthy economy and the country to prosper will be the ones paying the debt for years to come through taxes. The insane amount of money invested on just logistics of planning the Olympics is enough to make something actual worth in the city/country. Like invest on healthcare, transportation, housing etc.

[@kali7055]

Same in Munich, the Olympic Park here is iconic and full of people almost every day. The swimming and ice sport facilities in the park are actively used by the general public. There are frequent open air events in the park and concerts and sports games in the Olympic Stadium. People like to gather in the hills around the Olympic Stadium to have picnics and enjoy free concerts (Like the recent Taylor Swift one where over 30.000 people gathered in the hills outside). Our former Olympic Villages have become affordable housing for mainly students and are almost full.

[@thomascho8132]

There isn't a strong demand to host because while the IOC stands to make billions from broadcasting right and advertising, the cities that host them are usually left in debt.

[@joelmilten]

I feel like this wasn't emphasized enough. From what I've heard, too much of the money from food and merchandise sales go directly into the IOC's pockets. Not enough goes into the local economy.

[@freewaynicky5569]

For every winner...there has to be a loser

[@Monitice]

@@freewaynicky5569 Every floor ... has to be made out of floor.

[@KhanMann66]

Did people forget what happened in Rio 2016? So many new stadiums went up only to be abandoned once the games are over. A huge waste of time.

[@ad-t-dude]

The revenue from broadcasting rights used to be split evenly between the IOC and the organizing committees of the specific individual games. Then the IOC decided to keep ALL broadcasting revenue which is very lucrative especially in the United States. This is a major cause of their current problem finding host cities. This is even more so for the Winter Games. Now, it is my understanding, that they are sharing some of the broadcasting revenue as an incentive to get host cities.

[@FrancisSiuChock]

Isn't it time for the corrupt IOC to start paying cities to host game?

[@simonjenkins5738]

@rosstheboss8633then the question we should be asking is do we even need an Olympic Games?

[@Rei-xq3zm]

@@simonjenkins5738alternatively, does each game ACTUALLY need to cost so much?

[@saikat93ify]

@@simonjenkins5738The Olympics are a wonderful opportunity for a lot of sportsmen to show case their skills in a global platform. It also inspires many people. Almost all olympians have an inspiring journey behind them. The goal of the Olympics inspires a lot of people as well. I don’t know about the economic side but it’s definitely a great event worth having.

[@musyarofah1]

@@saikat93ify then you don't watch the video at all.

[@bobmarshall3700]

Time for the IOC to get themselves an honest job!

[@faerydae29]

In Brazil it was a disasters. Thousands were forced out of their homes in the poor areas so it could get torn down to build Olympic Venues. Now the venues sit empty. It’s extremely expensive, wasteful, and it hurts the locals! I agree with having multiple nearby countries hosting the event to be able to use exiting Venues, or just have a permanent location in Greece. Times have changed, we can all travel now.

[@blor3664]

It would probably boost Greece's economy but you forget winter Olympics.

[@Jeloquence]

Having one permanent location would be the best idea for several reasons. But isn't it a little of an advantage to preform in your home country? Seeing all the french supporters in the stands this year, is a big boost for the athletes to do really well. You don't want to lose in front of so many people who cheer for you. Also preforming in your own timezone and climate would be kind of an advantage, right? I think, maybe it should rotate certain cities respectfully, every continent gets one city. And maybe in Europe (because, let's be honest, it's small in the great scheme of things) it can span a couple of countries with the best facilities.

[@jasewilliams14]

@@Jeloquence I didn't see any advantages at the Paris Olympics. All I see on social media is people complaining about events, athletes, and boycotting France or purchasing anything from there.

[@myyou7335]

​@@blor3664 I don't see a problem here. Winter Olympics is done separately and they can just go to whichever country is big on snow. or Ice. . .Also they should split indoor and outdoor winter olympics if they need to.

[@TheManofthecross]

yep and much more. also with ww3 being a risk as it is. the games might be suspended out right.

[@NostalgiCrazy]

At this point, the most practical thing is to reuse all existing venues. It's cost effective and there are plenty of cities to rotate every 2-4 years. Some comments have mentioned just having 1 or 2 permanent locations, but the people that have spent so much money, time, and labor to build all those venues deserve to see their work at future Olympics again.

[@smurfcatcher]

Love the explination that the host city is able to show itself off to the world. Yes, because nobody has ever heard of Paris France or Los Angeles California.

[@YRS24]

lol spot on

[@user-zw5jj2uf1p]

In that sense it may help developing countries more. The first time I heard of Rio de Janeiro was through the 2014 World Cup

[@thrusta100]

Brisbane tho? Now they wanna hand em back, can’t even decide on a stadium 🏟 😮

[@thebeautificationclub8578]

Toronto Canada has never hosted. I'd love if they did since I'm in the GTA

[@Madjiul]

Everyone’s heard of Paris France but it’s had a shit reputation over the last few years. So I think the decision would be somewhat to do with trying to save their international PR😂

[@christianvandegraaf9844]

Using existing venues isn't enough. Oslo wanted to bid for the 26 winter games, and was well on its way with a plan to use the existing infrastructure and venues, merely needing to build athlete housing which would be transformed into student housing later. Problem was that the IOC list of demands beyond just the sportive was leaked and it was absolutely insane. Things like wanting unobstructed car transport to each venue, 5 star hotels for executives, free helicopter transport, tropical fruits in arctic norway, meetings with the king and prime minister etc. Once that was seen, all public support for the bid evaporated.

[@db5094]

wtf

[@josepheridu3322]

entitlement inflation

[@janejustin1788]

tropical fruits in Arctic Norway, meetings with the king .....wtf

[@davestang5454]

Understand that the IOC is run by very corrupt, greedy individuals these days. The "Los Angeles 1984" plan did not take for future games because as more and more players jumped in the event and they realized more and more ways to PROFIT off the games, the original focus, the ATHLETES and the sporting competitions themselves, became secondary. I think this has been made very clear for the 2024 Paris Olympics, featuring an opening ceremony that was ridiculously extravagant.

[@dfuher968]

Yeah, most of the demands had nothing to do with the actual events or athletes, it was about insanely expensive coddling of the IOC members and executives. I remember the helicopter rides. Also each had to have their own luxury car with private chauffeur, an iPhone with unlimited use, 5-star hotel suites for all, luxury meeting rooms on numerous locations with a specified temperature and specified accessories right down to the fruit and snacks they demanded in every room, whether it was used or not. Just the demands to the catering of them was beyond beliefs, down to the slightest detail, that would be more expensive than the most pricey restaurant in the world. And it just kept going for 100s of pages of outrageous and expensive demands.

[@kirbyrules55]

I live "in" LA. the 1984 olympics were so sucessful that they made a fund for under privileged kids to give them really cheap tennis lessons. I used to teach those. The charge was 10 dollars for 4 1-hour lessons for 6 weeks, so 24 total lessons, group style. Now-a-days group lessons are 30 a piece or more and more than 100 an hour for a private lessons so you can understand how cheap 10 dollars is for 24 lessons. The LA 84 olympics' fund paid for the rest. This fund STILL EXISTS in 2024 and kids still get to benefit from it across LA, meaning hundreds of lessons each week.

[@garfieldsmith332]

That was 40 years ago. So much expense, kickbacks and corruption in the Olympics of today.

[@KallyReeder]

That's awesome 🎉

[@H0mework]

Very cool thx for sharing.

[@Shark-pj8in]

10 dollars is more now tho

[@OscarUnrated]

@@garfieldsmith332 it’s not like there wasn’t corruption in the 80s. Iran-contra affair

[@roygoodhand1301]

You forgot something: Denver 1976... In a statewide referendum on 7 November 1972, Colorado voters rejected funding for the games, and for the first (and only) time a city awarded the Winter Games rejected them.

[@uncleremus64]

Montreal 1976 was a debacle. I visited Montreal in 2009, and on a guided tour of the Olympic village, the guide said the city was still (at that time) repaying the debt from the 1976 Olympics.

i LIVE IN MONTREAL QUEBEC, CANADA. WE HAD THE SUMMER OLYMPICS BACK IN 1976. WE ARE STILL PAYING FOR THEM BY THE MILLION$ EVERY YEAR. THAT IS 48 YEARS LATER. DO NOT EVEN TRY TO GET THE OLYMPICS, EVER.

[@KnugLidi]

Thanks to the incredible corruption during the construction phase.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

​@@KnugLidi That's pretty standard for Montreal, unfortunately

[@NoName-md6fd]

The thing I heard about it, was that concrete trucks would pass a border to say they were going to unload the concrete (for constuction) as to get paid by the load, but didn't unload the cargo at all. They would then pass that border 2 or 3 times and rack up the profit. Yeah, it was bad and we are stuck with the olympic stadium.

[@haroldb1856]

The Olympic stadium in Montreal is called the Big Owe.

[@clickbait3753]

My econ professor told our class how he was hired by the city of boston to consult them about the potential pros and cons of an olympic bid they were considering. He didnt give a recommendation of either going forward with the bid or not, but he said that within 48 hours they had withdrawn their bid for the olympics. That was all I needed to know lol.

[@MNIU_]

So he was hired to do a job and didn’t do it?

[@lyyila0256]

@@MNIU_ Sounds like he just gave a list of pros and cons without a formal advisory recommendation either way, just that the list of cons were so bad that he didn't need to give a recommendation for them to realise it was bad

[@Emileigggggh]

As someone who lives in Boston, can confirm that the Olympics being here would be an absolute nightmare lol

[@phoenix5054]

​@@lyyila0256 It's a tragedy how some people don't have the ability to comprehend a paragraph-long post.

[@jamesprumos7775]

I'm glad your professor gave an honest assessment of the bid.

[@AntiNihilist]

Ah yes. Los Angelos really didn't have enough traffic lately, so it's nice to know it will have a sufficient amount in 2028.

[@AntonioCDias-bh7ns]

I am brasilian and it really hurts that my country spent so many with olympiads and soccer word cup while we have so many people in poverty without education or health care adequate.

[@cesarin3592]

Yeah, i'm mexican but i remember watching all the protest on tv. I was very worry about things going mad after the end of the semifinal against germany in 2014 cause your politicians risked the economy and stability of your country just to get ,maybe, the worst humilliation of your national team in football

[@Tokru86]

@@cesarin3592 7:1, never forget. the best football game ever :)

[@AntonioCDias-bh7ns]

@@cesarin3592 They SOLD the game : don't forget Neymar pretended a contusion in the mach before for get out of the shame!!!!

[@MatheusFernandes-xf4zm]

"agro-exportador" significa, sem desenvolvimento.

[@sabrinarodrigues629]

​@MatheusFernandes-xf4zm English please.

[@rody2k6]

As a Brazilian and resident of Rio , I can confirm that our Olympic legacy is bullshit. Even Maracanã stadium which was shown in this video with horrible pitch took a few years after the game to finally be stabilized. I went to the games and found it awesome but the lasting effects were and are complete crap

[@murlocanonyme]

I heard that the city of Rio is in debt for something like 300 years just to built the Maracanã, is it true or is it exagerated ?

[@rody2k6]

@@murlocanonyme no no that is not true. The last management company actually owes the state of Rio money. To save the stadium they basically had to get two football clubs Flamengo and Fluminense to take over the stadium. It’s a really convoluted story but the info that you got is wrong, fortunately.

[@christianbolisca1493]

This was happening at the same time as a massive corruption scandal with Lula and Rousseff.

[@bobdrooples]

The old stadium had it's rebar rotting from piss though...its an upgrade?

[@rody2k6]

@@bobdrooples you mean Maracanã pre 2014 World Cup ?

[@70mavgr]

We hosted the 2004 Olympics in Athens, got universal praise and left with billion euro installations rotting away with no use whatsoever. The only positives where the expedite of the metro infrastructure and the tram system.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

It's the same in Sydney. The village and venues are in the middle of no where and a constant issue.

[@greywell2982]

@@goodshipkaraboudjan As an american, I have researched the rio and there is a issue as well.

[@esmeraldagreengate4354]

​@@goodshipkaraboudjan closing ceremony was a great party though 😁

[@mikejones-go8vz]

Greece should stage it every time and every competing nation should contribute. The stadia and infrastructure would be already built and used every time

[@dutchuncle2716]

@@mikejones-go8vz Why Greece? The modern Olympics are founded by a French man, and have nothing to do with Olympic Games of Ancient Greece except for the name.

[@TheMacacoco]

One of the success stories not mentioned is Barcelona. Its hosting led to increased international interest in Gaudi architecture which raised Barcelona's profile as a tourist destination.

[@gemmeldrakes2758]

And now there are so many tourists that Barcelona has protests against tourism.

[@angel_of_rust]

@@gemmeldrakes2758 whoopsie

[@mooreanonumbers]

Barcelona 92 lead to increased international interest in Dr Fuentes❤

[@mervzd]

Thanks to the original Dream Team.

[@Harry-tb8yo]

@@mervzd The original Dream Team was Cruyff's FC Barcelona at that time.

[@Lagmaster33]

The leaked document from Norway when they pulled out from the Winter Olympics bid showed how IOC head honchos wanted to be treated like royalties. It's insane. Nothing to do with sports, just accumulating personal wealth.

[@phild8095]

That is the purpose of power.

[@dmac9777]

I've worked on 2 world cups and a commonwealth games and the VIPs are exclusively executives from the organising committees.

[@markrichards6863]

I agree, the games are a racket. The IOC should be volunteers and nonprofit.

[@patrickorourke41]

I researched LA84 extensively for a project in my CA Culture class in college. It was a wild success thanks to everyone from top to bottom, especially Peter Ueberroth. There was also a MASSIVE volunteer force that helped run the games. Los Angeles refused to take a single tax dollar and funded the whole games through corporate sponsorship. The only real money spent came out of the initial fund started by Ueberroth. LA only had to build two new venues and modify a few existing ones. At the end of the games they netted over $200M in profit, and that led to the creation of the LA84 Foundation, which went on to create a ton of youth sports programs in Sourhern CA. That’s what you call a legacy👏👏👏👏

[@caellencaellen1958]

And they were inspired by the success of the frugal Depression-era LA Games of 1932, don't forget!

[@Jigamanx2]

Now that’s a model with pursing. Have all these money hungry corporations pay for the event. Sell it ass a more exclusive advertisement than the Super Bowl (for the US) and watch the free Olympic money roll in to do cool things for the hosts city

[@kaleimaile]

I hope it will be a good one again in 2028. I got to go to the Gold medal baseball game: USA vs Japan (Japan won) @ the Dodger stadium.

[@steveroberts9453]

Apologies for Zola Budd.

[@wavelength0123]

What about the efforts taken to clean up the streets of LA for the games to make the city "presentable" to foreign nations?

[@jaredhuang2225]

LA is unique in that it already has almost every venue needed for the summer games. The only expensive things they are building are long overdue improvements to public transportation.

[@dt7353]

Should just stay there forever.

[@danielzhang1916]

they should limit it to LA and other former hosts, not every city is able to host such a big event

[@barmybarmecide5390]

Hardly unique, this is the situation Paris finds itself in. Most the budget has gone into public transport links, cleaning the river and restoring historic sites. The olympic village will be social housing after the games and be a part of a larger estate later

[@EdDunkle]

Paris has a ton of venues and an actual river. It's probably the best site for the Olympics.

[@cattysplat]

LA has infinite money cheat unlike every other place in the world.

[@lucsanaraujo]

If the idea of an Olympic permanent city goes forward, I think a good solution to keep the excitement of the Games is making local-themed editions, as if the chosen country/city becomes the event's Master of Ceremony, responsible to organize the event right there not only at the ceremonies and brand identity, but also to decorate, to make expositions, presentations, experiences, conventions, etc. around the whole city during that time; ensuring the infrastructure stuff would be exclusively organized by the IOC. It would be less expensive for a local Olympic Comitee and virtually zero costs for the public authorities, would attract countries that had never had a single chance to host (or even thought in bidding) to show their culture to the world and would leave visitors watching the event motivated to visit that country soon after ending the Games.

[@cerebrummaximus3762]

A permanent spot for an Olympic city, but the chosen "host" country decorates it based on local traditions and landmarks? Would have been an excellent idea! ...a few years ago. You see what's happening with France and Qatar (eventhough not the Olympics). Nobody's hosting a ceremony based on their local countries traditions, rather preferring a generic splendour bombast to wow the audience than something ethnic, and when they do focus on local traditions, it goes in disaster, such as the recent scandal of France mocking their own historical figures (and also the Last Supper, though Da Vinci is Italian). You can see a similar trend with other world competitions, such as Eurovision. It would have been cool if the songs and dances were themed to each of the countries' cultures, but it's just a generic contest. Some countries have done more local-themed songs. I'm not suggesting a full folk song competition, just have the pop songs more local themed, but darn it, Russia went full on and hired folklore grandmother singers one year, and that was good - however, sadly even this is no longer plausible, with countries such as the Ireland controversy straight up mocking their own culture. It's sad.

[@nicoladc89]

@@cerebrummaximus3762 It would be very very different if the "host" country was Botswana, which could never host an Olympics. The Olympic Games are one of the very few things that unite all of humanity, what could be more perfectly Olympic than an Olympic center built, maintained, financed by everyone? Wouldn't it be perfectly in the olympic spirit to give visibility to small nations that could never host an olympics? It would also be very interesting from a sporting point of view, always the same route for the marathon, always the same route for road cycling, always the same regatta field for sailing, the same pool for swimming, the same track for athletics. The only problem would be football, because you couldn't build 5/6/7 stadiums, but nobody gives a shit about Olympic football, it's worth less than the Europa League, they could even abolish it.

[@ogog7780]

Almost 50 years later, Montreal is still paying for the Olympic stadium 😵‍💫

[@EdT.-xt6yv]

Ahi caramba!

[@lordemelodrama4203]

Here in Brazil we will probably continue paying for this for at least another century.

i LIVE IN MONTREAL QUEBEC, CANADA. WE HAD THE SUMMER OLYMPICS BACK IN 1976. WE ARE STILL PAYING FOR THEM BY THE MILLION$ EVERY YEAR. THAT IS 48 YEARS LATER. DO NOT EVEN TRY TO GET THE OLYMPICS, EVER.

[@CD3MC]

didn't they fully pay it off last year?

[@burmesepython393]

No. It was paid off 3 decades later (2006)

[@MandiaM27]

I lived my entire life in the suburb/city next to the Olympic village in Athens. There was no growth to this really bad and abandoned by everyone in power city, the village and the facilities are abandoned and people of low income are housed there with no real infrastructure for the people there (no hospitals, no after school activities for kids, little to no commercial activity). The village is linked with city nearby with only one bus line that is rarest than truffles in the wild. So there was no metro lines connecting to the city and the village for more than 200k people, no economic growth, no drops in criminal rates. On the contrary the city is sinking more and more into darkness and the criminal rates have skyrocketed

[@daleviker5884]

Athens 2004 was a budget-style games that cost very little because of Greece's economic difficulties at the time. A year before the games there were doubts they could proceed. If no money was invested it is hardly to be wondered that there are few enduring benefits. How could there be?

[@iamnormal8648]

*no after school activities for kids* ? C'mon ... with all that Olympics playgrounds lying around in the village.. how lazy are the kids of Athens?

[@SuperDestroyerFox]

Rarer than truffles in the wild is a saying I need to use now.

[@chrislamp]

@@iamnormal8648 If you take a look at what happened to the old stadiums from the olympics you will see why these "lazy kids" don't play. The only thing standing from that time is the olympic stadium and even that hasn't had any type of maintenance since the day it was built. I am guessing the same thing happened to the olympic village.

[@70mavgr]

@@daleviker5884 Athens 2004 where most definitely not budget style Olympics. The economic crisis came post 2008. Over 20 new venues where build not including the hugely expensive renovation of the Olympic stadium.

[@lukemullet]

Slight correction on London. They originally said there wouldn't be a football team in the stadium and would be used for athletics only. They soon realised though that it wouldn't be financially viable and practically handed the stadium to a football team just so they didn't have huge costs each year.

[@MrWillyMrBrightside]

To be fair, with the provision that the stadium could and would be used for other sports, that's why it's not truly a football stadium (West Ham fans dislike this)

[@andrewwinslow9315]

​@@MrWillyMrBrightside Hammers Fans are still pissed they had to leave their old Ground for this dump, while Tottenham and Arsenal got much better grounds

[@MrWillyMrBrightside]

@@andrewwinslow9315 To be fair, those clubs paid for those grounds out of their own money and bank loans, West Ham got a very generous deal from the taxpayer

[@malahammer]

The arrogance of Seb Coe and Co not building it with football as an after use. It's completely their fault.

[@malahammer]

@@MrWillyMrBrightside as West Ham fans say "It's ours, It's round We got it for a pound" It's still not a football stadium.

[@dacorum8053]

I live in London and I opposed the 2012 bid because it was too expensive and it was sold to us on a lie because the final cost was several times higher than what we were originally told it would cost. it's clear that other cities are now far more aware of the astronomical cost of hosting which is why they are dropping out.

[@diehardharrypotterfanz]

As someone who lives in east London, I would say the 2012 Olympic Games has had a positive and lasting legacy on the communities here. From a brand new park, to lots of new housing and upgraded public transportation, the benefits have been numerous. I think London is a great example of how to hold the games and leave a positive legacy.

[@alyraismanisqueen4576]

Yes❤

[@ScarySox]

@joescott5015 We all pay while London benefits, just like everything in the UK!

[@AddySwann]

@@ScarySox London is a net contributor. it generates more in tax than is spent on it..

[@SeanusAurelius]

Of course it has. The issue is that it cost Birmingham and Manchester and Essex and Brighton and Scotland and Wales and the Isle of Man millions and millions of pounds.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

They are also perfectly capable of building parks, transport etc. without also building stadiums that they won't need once the Olympics are over.

[@JKSSubstandard]

A big problem ive always had is that the IOC doesnt take project sustainability into account when picking host cities.They keep picking cities that dont need all these new facilities and projects and investment. So it just ends up as a waste. I said for the last 2 decades that Buffalo, NY would make an amazing Olympic venue practicality wise. Make it a joint games between Buffalo and Toronto. Toronto builds a new baseball stadium they want. The Buffalo Bills get a new football stadium they want. The Sabers can get the new arena they want. University at Buffalo gets the stadium they want. And the olympic village can be built at the University at Buffalo to serve as replacements for some of their older dorm buildings after the games. And the city could use the infrustructure investment to get itself back on its feet. Thats 8 stadiums and a village right there. After the games, the existing 4 stadiums could be torn down. Nothing would be wasted at the end of the day. All the stadiums have teams waiting to occupy them afterward. The village has a tenant afterwards. But whatever, just hit LA again

[@kghostthegreat]

You can even build a good amount of it in Niagara Falls, which is more or less becoming a ghost town. And it literally has one of the 7 wonders of the world right there. Also not an insanely large population to work around either

[@KyrilPG]

* didn't take into account... They do now. Like in Paris, very very very few things were built. Even the Olympic Aquatic Center was sized for most international events but for the highest attendance requirement events that only exist for Olympic Games, like swim races. Those will be held in a major concert and sports arena with a temporary and reusable pool structure. The Olympic Aquatic Center will hold most other pool events. They've only built an athlete's village, and a media village, both to become housing within a few months after the games. (Private market, semi-social, and social housing). There's also a mid-size arena, which Paris needed for some time, that was built "for" the Olympics. But that's just a way for the city to externalize the cost of their new venue under the Olympic and privately funded budget. The city also piggybacked on the Olympics to fund their major river cleaning and sewer overflow problem solving projects. Literally everything that was really built "for" the Olympics, was either long overdue, or on Paris and-or France wishlist. So, there's zero chance of any equipment staying abandoned after the games. All the "new venues" already were used before the games for local events or serving the local population. Much like the training pool, which like the Olympic Aquatic center, were built in the district of Paris (and France) with the lowest amount of swimming pools per inhabitant.

[@eb.3764]

​@@kghostthegreatNo f__ck that. Go to Hamilton. Leave Niagara Falls the quiet place it is

[@osco4311]

That's because the IOC doesn't care about the host city. Sustainability is the taxpayer's problem. The IOC just wants the city that offers the most benefits to them: bribes, kickback contracts, and concessions on civil rights like advertising restrictions that violate free speech.

[@kghostthegreat]

@@eb.3764 the American side, the Canadian side is pretty much a tourist trap already

[@WesMakowski]

Hosting the Olympics is kind of like having a wedding. Statistically, the cheap ones are the most fun/memorable & the flashy/expensive ones often end in divorce...

[@John-gr5tx]

You tell them wes! The whole thing was started in 1900 to stop war and promote peace between countries. So far it has produced 2 world wars, several mass murderers, a dozen protests leading to riots and the divorce rate has increased 5 fold. Along with all the wars that are on the increase!

[@bobsinhav]

Don't get me started on the Ambani wedding?

[@jessquiatchon2204]

Tf is this analogy? those descriptions arent mutually exclusive.

[@JohnSonofSons]

I don't think there's any statistical evidence of cheaper or more expensive weddings resulting in divorce. However I do believe that people don't like those with money out of jealousy, so in their mind, they'd like to believe that more expensive weddings result in divorce. Because in their mind, rich people are bad. At the base of it all, jealousy.

[@rhubarbtart]

Lol ​@@JohnSonofSons

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

I always said. The summer games should only be in Greece. The Winter Games Switzerland. Every participating Nation kicks in for maintenance and upkeep of the facilities.

[@ketianma2810]

I am Beijing resident and I want to correct one thing. The national stadium in Beijing consistently holds all kinds of huge events like concerts, improvised parks, etc. I just went to a huge concert there several months ago and it was one of my most cherised memories. I'm not sure whether it paid off economically but it's definitely not "sitting there mostly empty".

[@pinkitydinkity6550]

Yes we also toured there as part of our architecture class and it’s pretty common

[@viron6734]

Thanks for the information. So many KZbin videos are poorly researched, like this one.

[@MaQuGo119]

50 Cents were added to your CCP Bank account, plus 10 Good citizen points.

[@sbakst]

@@MaQuGo119go and touch grass

[@FrcNeru]

@@MaQuGo119 5 yuan, cents are a imperialist construct

[@MrGrandBarbu]

as a quebecers, i heard for decades that we've still been paying for the interest of the montreal 76's olympics debts. and the cost on maintaining still adds up

[@AIMAGICSTREAM]

Omg.

[@markrichards6863]

It's true. On the plus side, the expansion of the Metro has benefitted the whole city. Olympic Stadium in Montreal is weird.

[@brucejunior1813]

Even the Olympic villa in Rio is almost still empty to this day. Only a few of the buildings have people living in.

[@loercayt6146]

Is it dangerous tho?

[@Velvet74]

Hopefullly since most of the buildings in Paris and LA are already existing it will be better from now on.

[@freebolt5913]

I would rather we never host the Olympics again, dont care what other country's do or dont do.

[@luciennedespota909]

A permanent location makes total sense. Although the Paris Olympics were beautiful and well organized, getting from one event to another became a real hassle on certain days. The opening ceremony was a five minute walk from my hotel. Due to security issues, and Metro train problems, I ended up needing to take three different trains back to my hotel. I had to show my Pass Jeux six times just to get onto the block of the hotel. There were huge lines at train stations and at the different events. Eliminating the need for public transportation and utilizing buses and vans which move people from one event to another without traversing huge swaths of a metropolitan area would be cheaper, easier and eliminate the need for the military and police to be stationed on every street.

[@paulclarke7571]

I'm a Canadian. The 1976 Olympics in Montreal ran way over budget as after the terrorist's attacks in 1972 games, the security budget ballooned to $1.1 billion. That's 5.35 billion in 2024 dollars.

[@RandomDude-t8b]

Entertainment as a whole is a economical waste, instead of using it to cure cancer or sustainability of the earth.

[@cynthiajohnston424]

Remember the '72 Olympics well as Olympic equestrian Kathy Kusner returned to her home in Maryland & rode for the barn where I worked . Much more occurred surrounding the Munich attacks , both before & after , that never reached the media ! 😪

[@HelloMattMat]

Interesting to learn about '76 as a fellow Canadian. My understanding is that the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver were considered highly successful, and I believe profitable, as Canad learned much of their lessons from previously hosting in '76 and '88.

[@wendysnelgrove5870]

@@HelloMattMat Calgary was also a pretty successful games and that infrastructure is well used. I don't mind if we host another winter games, but I hope we don't host another summer games as I think the cost just isn't worth it.

[@lamou1708]

It took more than 30 years to repay the debt of The olympic stadium in montreal by tax payers. In the end, an extra sales tax was added to tobacco to finish paying it all. I remember thanking some smokers for helping repaying that debt as a joke

[@steamedbunnft4477]

Olympic Committee should stop glorifying the event so much. Stop asking for too much with too little benefits to host countries. Just keep it real.

[@KorianHUN]

All about corruption. These large numbers are a joke, the real money is the bribes everyone pockets and the friend and family who own the contracted companies get the rest.

[@ObscureGaruda]

@@steamedbunnft4477 Wtf do you think the OLYMPIC COMMITTEE should do? Shit on the Olympics? Wtf do you think their job is?

[@franklinhuang]

@@ObscureGarudaacknowledge the issues and account for it?

[@sdiz3509]

@@franklinhuangcommon sense isn't so common 😂😂

[@neale3871]

Far too many events, some are quite obscure. Host cities should choose, outside of the classic sports.

[@lordmusea]

At this point, why would any country want to host the Olympics? There’s little, if any, economic benefit to the host country. The costs are outrageous to prepare, it inconveniences the locals, and the IOC is basically a criminal racket at this point. 🤷‍♂️

[@ChryskylodonInstitute]

exactly. should not be called olympic but corruption games

[@BurritoKingdom]

Probably the same thing with the World Cup. Oil rich countries.

[@thesenate1844]

​@@BurritoKingdomThese days even the Olympics don't have the level of international prestige as hosting a FIFA world cup.

[@sadmanh0]

@@BurritoKingdom it's not just the oil money that makes them want to host fancy shit, those countries all have terrible human rights record and so they try to hide it with sports washing.

[@sharpasacueball]

@@thesenate1844 Even the FIFA world cup is making losses too

[@TedTrinity]

It's not worth the money. Splitting it up by individual sport by category and have cities bid on each sport. Specializing on individual sports would improve everything overall and less overwhelming. Something needs to change

[@JB-yb4wn]

I think cities should bid on each event.

[@carlosroura7581]

Being from Barcelona, it came as a shock to me when I first learned about this topic. For us, it is still said today that the Olympics of 1992 really transformed the city and put it on the map for worldwide tourism. Not only that, but most of the infrastructure and venues are still used today. Almost all the venues here have been repurposed for hosting various contests, events & festivals (like a copy of the Oktoberfest or a copy of the Feria de Abril), fashion events & galas, other sports competitions, lots of concerts and shows (like Cirque du Soleil and many musical artists), comic-cons, congresses (some are used for the Mobile World Congress for instance), a yearly children festival and a yearly youth employment & studies guidance & job fair, and some are even open to the public permanently as sports facilities or museums I don´t know if Barcelona´s model was exceptionally well maintained through time or what, but it really was a blessing for the city. Nowadays though, I´m not so sure it would be again, probably not

[@memovilmx6239]

Barcelona has a lot of stuff. Actual summer, a shitton of culture related venues, magnificent architecture. The Olympics were a booster? Perhaps but definitely not what brought Barcelona to the world's eyes.

[@SomeoneFromBeijing]

Been to Barcelona and I can confirm it. That shopping centre shown in the video used to be a stadium. It is really cool. Beijing did something very similar. The gigantic swimming venue is now a water park. New metro lines are used by residents to get to places. And despite what the video says, the main stadium is still hosting football matches, concerts, and many other events. The football team he mentioned never planned to move into the stadium, the video was wrong about it. I remember living in Beijing during that period. The city really transformed. And I enjoyed the Olympics.

[@estebanod]

It’s harder when you’re already in a big city

[@sporeafan]

I'd say it's a bit special case as Barcelona is just lucky, being already well known tourist destination before, and being able to combine a well sized city, with the sea and incredible soft power of Spanish and Catalan cultures

[@belamoure]

Today Barcelonese pistol water their tourists so that they can leave them alone .

[@mogerus]

Holding the Olympics in a permanent place is a practical and cost-effective idea; and holding it in Greece would be symbolic. Sports, no matter where it's held, is still a crowd drawer. Like the Superbowl and the World Cup, they can still earn revenue as long as they allow sponsors.

[@RaymondHng]

Greece does not have the financial resources to host every time. Also, hosting the Games in one country for every Olympic Games is in violation of the Olympic Charter.

[@KatieBellino]

@@RaymondHng I'd assume that if you went to a permanent venue in Greece, the IOC would have to start footing the bill for that venue. Every nation would contribute to the fund through athlete entry fees and ticket sales would go right to upkeep.

[@RaymondHng]

@@KatieBellino A significant portion of the broadcasting rights revenue collected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is allocated towards the staging of future Olympic Games. Specifically, the IOC redistributes about 90% of its revenue to support the organization of the Olympic Games, as well as the development of the Olympic Movement around the world. General breakdown of how the IOC allocates its broadcasting rights revenue: Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs): Approximately 50% of the revenue is provided to the host city organizing committees to cover the costs of staging the Olympic Games. (For the 2024 Paris Olympics, approximately 27% of the budget is covered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC's total contribution to the Paris 2024 Games amounts to $1.7 billion, of which $855 million comes from revenues generated through broadcast agreements​)​. The overall budget for organizing the Paris Olympics is primarily sourced from private sector funding, including the IOC, partnerships, ticket sales, and licensing, covering nearly all the costs of the event​ ) National Olympic Committees (NOCs): Around 10% is distributed to NOCs to help fund their operations and support their athletes. International Sports Federations (IFs): About 10% is allocated to the IFs to support the development of their respective sports globally. Olympic Solidarity: A portion is dedicated to Olympic Solidarity, which funds programs to support athletes and promote the Olympic values worldwide, especially in countries with fewer resources. The remaining revenue covers the operational and administrative costs of the IOC and other initiatives to promote the Olympic Movement. This revenue structure ensures that a large majority of the funds generated through broadcasting rights are reinvested into the continued success and growth of the Olympic Games and sports globally.

[@bilbowilbo9849]

@@KatieBellino Participating nations would help fund the maintenance of all the venues if say, Athens were to be the permanent host city. Greece itself might provide the security and/or misc. costs. Agree, the IOC model needs to change. Amazes me that LA got the 28 Games with the Calif. economy in deficit.

[@KatieBellino]

@@bilbowilbo9849 As demonstrated in 1984, LA is a unique city because it has almost all of the facilities to host the games without building much in the way of new structures...the stadiums and colleges are numerous. A poor American economy is still easily able to provide the food and materials needed for the games.

[@gregorylu]

What about a rotation with “anchor cities” as where the Olympics returns to regularly, but still gives room for other cities to make bids when they feel like they have the budget? For example, in the golf majors (except the Masters), each have “anchor sites” which the major returns to every 7-8 years. St. Andrews for the Open, Pebble Beach, Marion, Oakmont among others for the US Open. But other old and historic courses also can make an appearance every once in a while. This process allows two things: 1) it makes it so anchor sites don’t need to spend as much money to build infrastructure, and we can use already successful cities to do so, such as LA. 2) it still gives us the ability to experience the wow factor when a new city hosts. Further, there’s the added benefit where if a country that regularly hosts the Olympics has an issue, whether through domestic turmoil or crimes against humanity, the IOC can effectively suspend that country until they fix their issues, then reinstate them into the rotation. Sites can also serve as emergency backups in case no new country desires to bid on a future Games, or if a site has some massive issue that may prevent them from hosting/completing their infrastructure in time.

[@danflaman7268]

Or you rotate the hosting between 5 distinct cities, and the facilities in all of the cities between Olympic years are available for participants to train at at a reduced cost to their home country. in effect you get a training facility that's globally local for athletes in that area to train at that should be an Olympic level venue, and the participating countries can use it with reduced costs for their athletes because they are already paying money to the IOC.

[@ikester8]

I like that idea. It's still worldwide, and nearby cities in the country can host some events without breaking the bank.

[@caellencaellen1958]

This would be a superb plan for the struggling Commonwealth Games...

[@Lilitha11]

I like that idea but I am not sure it would work due to how long it is between each event. If you only rotate between the same 3 cities that is every 12 years. A white elephant isn't really worth it, if the games only come to you every 12 years, and that was using an extremely small number of cities.

[@droid2D2C3P0]

Similar concept to the world juniors. Canada hosts it every other year and on off years the rest of the world rotates. Canada has a ton of infrastructure for hockey plus a high concentration of fans to fill the stadiums making it easy to host every other year, but still allows other countries a turn on off years

[@johnpk5831]

It costs too much to run the games and bribe the IOC. Then there's all the headaches before, during and after the games for the host city.

[@mradamp125]

Boston was down to be a re-occurring destination. We have DOZENS of high-quality universities with wonderful facilities that agreed to participate as Olympic hosts. BUT the IOC demanded new venues erected for the event. Wicked stupid. We told them to take a hike.

[@vordman]

Good for you. But have a heart for those poor IOC officials denied their backhanders under the table from the construction companies.

[@kelvinpell4571]

But you are also governed by democrat party fascists

[@rungfang27]

I imagine you saying wicked stupid in a Boston accent. While Ben afflick dances to the dunkings in the back ground!

[@mradamp125]

@@rungfang27 accurate

[@normadgarmez7026]

Sounds to me that Boston gave the IOC a lot of benefits on a silver platter to host the games. I mean that's what they need to be profitable and hosting a city is one of them. But nope, it's not enough and ask that those countries especially the citizens flip the whole bill.

[@sandrajohnson4233]

i never understood why they have to focus on a city rather than a country or state. It would make it less congested and there would be more venues available.

[@felix-gj4ut]

i think the main problem would be that the olympics dont work like forexample a world cup. Games/Events tend be made out of much more smaller events, with an incredible amount of different sports, often happpig somewhat simultaniosly, which makes trying to see more than one event incredibly difficult if its happens to be at the other end the country, meaning you either dont get to see it/or have to travel a lot.

[@donnacrabtree5611]

yea like the football world cup and the euros, many stadiums in the whole country ... would be a much better way to do it 👍

[@j-lon3564]

It’s simple, really. Olympic sports don’t really have that much of an appeal for the general public. Imagine having to travel to a random city in the middle of Brazil, that you’ve never heard of, to watch Pole Vault? You simply wouldn’t go. Now, if all of the events are in the same city, you end up attending “random” events because you’re already there.

[@donnacrabtree5611]

@@j-lon3564 well they could split the crap sports that no one wants to watch and include them at the various venues with the good stuff people do want to watch, or alternatively just ditch the crappy ones no one wants to watch anyway ... just as easy ... Also just to note, many people travelled to and from different cities / venues for the recent euros football in Germany and it was an excellent vibe everywhere 👍👍

[@j-lon3564]

@@donnacrabtree5611 the whole point of the Olympics is to compete in a bunch of sports that wouldn’t have a spotlight otherwise, ditching them would ruin the event. About the euros, of course people travelled around lol, it’s football, the most watched sport in the planet and it was with most of the biggest and most well-known national teams. The Olympics is different, you can’t expect people to travel to random places to watch random events, it wouldn’t work. About bundling the events together, they already do that. All of the athletics stuff is held in the same venues(running, long jump, pole vault, etc.). The country-wide Olympics is a good idea only in small countries, like France, Portugal, Spain, etc. if that were to happen in the US, Russia, Brazil, China, Canada, etc. it would be a complete flop because people just wouldn’t attend the sports that are held in lesser known areas. Try to imagine yourself going to the outskirts of Arkansas in the US, or to a random city in the countryside of China, to watch archery, you simply wouldn’t go because there’s nothing attractive about the sport or the place. In contrast, if the Olympics is held in New York City, for example, and you get tickets for archery, you would attend, because you could go sightseeing across the city and visit tourist attractions and you would get the “feeling” of the Olympics as everyone is bundled together there to watch the Olympics as a whole.

[@LiezAllLiez]

Wow... spending a fuckton of money on a one-time historical event produces deficits, rather than revenue? Who woulda thunk it!

[@KorianHUN]

But several politicians were paid huge sums under the table, totally worth it for them!

[@Abluemoon9112]

This video is stupid lol. Countries like the USA make money off the Olympics and they also utilized the buildings after the games.

[@SaintNormRIP]

Atlanta actually avoided that by selling sponsorships to every event to corporations. Rare Olympics that didn’t cause a city a massive deficit. Of course the IOC hated it because the city of Atlanta benefitted and they didn’t from the corporate sponsorships.

[@Abluemoon9112]

@@SaintNormRIP lol the only Olympic that cast a deficits are countries that can't afford to host it or use it as vanity project. The Olympics that the United States have hosted have either broke even or made a profit from. The London Olympics also were very inexpensive.

[@vordman]

@@Abluemoon9112 London was a very good example. There were many existing venues they could use. Wembley, Lords, O2 etc and the venues they had to build were needed anyway.

[@garystrahan4601]

It's interesting that this popped up in my feed, considering I boycotted watching the Olympics since 1990 when Atlanta was awarded the games and came to the conclusion that the whole process was corrupted and costing taxpayers of the losing bidding countries millions of dollars.

[@Emmanuel_Rocha]

Same, I don't even bother to watch them anymore. People are taking way too long to realize the Olympic games are just a scam.

[@Masterraccoon-np3kl]

⁠@@Emmanuel_RochaWith how horrible this 2024 Olympics game is? Not really. The number is increasing. Rapidly.

[@JB-yb4wn]

@@Emmanuel_Rocha Oh hell, I haven't watched them in decades, just so boring.

[@rchilde1]

One thing you forgot to mention or expand upon, is that for the LA 2028 Olympic Games not all of them will be held in LA or even the S Cal region. Two events, Softball and Canoe Slohlam will be held in Oklahoma City; a city that already has world class venues for the two sports; which will significantly save LA28 and the Olympics. In fact, OKC also has a very straight course along its river that could also be used for rowing events - that hasn't been announced but it could. This just reiterates the acceptance of the Olympics being a multi-city effort where possible, while also shining a bit of light for lesser known cities or those would couldn't do it on their own such as Oklahoma City, to also shine and share in the rewards of being an Olympic city.

[@mircopaul5259]

Still need to build toilets for all the gender fluid people

[@GilBangalan]

The idea of having the Olympics as a "multi-city effort" is worth considering. I would go beyond by suggesting to have the Olympics in a "multi-region" event. Some games maybe held in the cities of several regions - USA, South America, Asia, Middle East, Africa, etc. The cities will not have to accumulate debts just to hold the events - and use the money for the people who needs help.

[@davestang5454]

Technically speaking, a "city" doesn't host the games. It's organized by the national Olympic committee so it would be normal for some events in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics to be held in other American cities. They try to keep most events in a tight geographical area but that's not always practical. Team events, especially, might employ multiple venues.

[@aclark903]

@@davestang5454Hope LA reigns back the Pride shit, but I won’t hold my breath.

[@SnowmanTF2]

That only got announced a few weeks ago, even if there had been rumors for months at least the Canoe Slalom was for over a year, some chance the video was already shot and in editing by that point.

[@AAblade7]

I’m kind of surprised the 96 Olympics wasn’t mentioned that much as well. I know the IOC hated it, but that was because of how little control they had over it. The major sponsors had much more say due to Atlanta using mostly private funding for the games. IOC really cracked down on sponsorships after that one.

[@belamoure]

IOC hated Atlanta 1996 because Atlanta was so bright and lit about not being screwed by them. I was there in 1996 and I really saw how a city can control IOC's pirates.

[@nachobroryan8824]

Eric Rudolph is an example of why people wouldn't want what happened in Atlanta.

[@70mavgr]

The 1996 Olympics where bought by Coca Cola.

[@colej1206]

Surprised by this as well, guess it goes against the narrative of the video. A lot of facilities were reused after the Olympics a good example being the Ga Tech North Ave dorms which were built originally to house athletes.

[@Xiuhtec]

Atlanta used them as an excuse to perform much needed upgrades on their interstate highways through downtown as well, traffic improved for many years following.

[@tarik6990]

Hosting the Olympics is a major luxury today compared to 30-40 years ago.

[@YourCanadianGuide]

And then there is Canada, who managed to go in debt for 40 years to pay off the stadium in Montreal 48 years ago... Sorry

[@tarik6990]

@@YourCanadianGuide Yes and today it would cost a thousand times more and you'd be a thousand times more in debt than you were back than in 1976.

[@CastorRabbit]

Like most things

[@Gingermycat]

​@@tarik6990 what makes it ok because it was cheaper then? The Olympics are dying because people don't really care. We have bigger issues

[@tarik6990]

@@Gingermycat It's not that it makes it ok, it's that the challenges regarding financing were different at the time. How are Olympics dying?

[@dranzacspartan8002]

The Olympics should be held in Greece, permanently. The country is already geared up for millions of tourist a year, and its freeways are spectacular, with vehicles travelling at 160kph. They could run all the traditional events in Sparta (Javelin, Discuss, Archery, etc); they could run the water events between one of the 2000 islands of Greece; they could run the cycling/vehicle events at Mount Olympus; and they could run all the track events on the original Olympic Stadium in Old Olympus.

[@Belomoh6]

Agreed

[@carmenl163]

That's not possible. Those are UNESCO World Heritage sites. They are historical and cultural legacy and cannot be put in jeopardy of destroying them.

[@iljagaimovic9166]

And who will pay for the game? Greece

[@dranzacspartan8002]

@@iljagaimovic9166 The Olympic Committee. It doesn't require Rocket Science, mate.

[@dranzacspartan8002]

@@jbrock8596 You really need to comprehend, mate. Think. Just think. IF you have it a one location, preferably Greece, then EVERY COUNTRY has to pitch in and the OC is the International committee to work that out. Forget Rocket Science with you, mate ... just grab a 3rd Grader to explain this to you!

[@stevek1225]

The IOC should just buy an island in Greece and host the event in the same place, every Olympics

[@cannibalronny7314]

Exactly an Olympics disneyland

[@christinajoseph5029]

@@cannibalronny7314 ohhhhh I like these ideas, especially a Disney land type .

[@donnacrabtree5611]

love that idea yes 👍👍👍

[@mrcak2]

Agreed. Maybe can collaborate with 2nd country as co-host.

[@Z4r4kiKenpachi]

That island can be in the middle of possible battlefield.Aegean dispute has potantial to create war.

[@MrSilverDude101]

There's really only one city I've heard of that loved hosting the Olympics, it was Salt Lake in the 2002 winter ganes. It was very similar to the LA model, but new infrastructure was built. The difference is that all that new infrastructure is still in use. Students still stay in the Olympic Village when they attend the University of Utah. The difference is SLC was a growing city as opposed to an established one. Would be hard ro replicate in another city, but not an imposible one.

[@caio5987]

London loved it too back in 2012

[@XMysticHerox]

@@caio5987 The long-term effects of the London olympics is a big part of why cities dropped out this time.

[@imtired1696]

I hear Salt Lake City is going to host winter games again too?

[@maxpowr90]

Why Salt Lake is so happy to have a "new" NHL team. They're gonna build a new arena for the team (and the Utah Jazz) so they will definitely be ready for the 2030 or 2034. I imagine Stockholm is the other winning bid.

[@FffFff-jd2lo]

@@XMysticHerox i thought london olympics were successful?

[@marscaleb]

What honestly surprises me the most is... How soon before the Olympics the IOC picks a city. I thought this was planned out far further in advance than this.

[@elainelindsey1306]

It used to be done 7 years in advance. I remember watching the bid for 2004 Olympics which aired live on TV in 1997. Dunno maybe the system changed recently.

[@RaymondHng]

@@elainelindsey1306 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) typically awards the hosting rights for the Summer and Winter Olympics about 7 to 11 years in advance. This long lead time allows the host city to prepare the necessary infrastructure, facilities, and logistics to accommodate the event. For example: The 2024 Summer Olympics were awarded to Paris in 2017, giving Paris 7 years to prepare. The 2028 Summer Olympics were awarded to Los Angeles in 2017 as well, giving Los Angeles 11 years to prepare. The 2026 Winter Olympics were awarded to Milan-Cortina in 2019, providing a 7-year preparation period.

[@btf_flotsam478]

Brisbane was picked a decade in advance.

[@WickedNightingale]

Brisbane was picked 3 years ago and they have not done one single scrap of work towards implementation. they haven't even written word on of a plan to implement. It is going to be an absolute disaster - LA will end up hosting two in a row,

[@nicoladc89]

Well, at today we know the host cities of Olympics up to Salt Lake City 2034. Paris and Los Angeles were chosen in 2017, 7 and 11 years in advance. Milano-Corina was chosen in 2019, 7 years in advance. The French alps and Salt Lake City in 2024, 6 and 10 years in advance. Brisbane in 2021, 11 years in advance. The idea of ​​hosting the Olympics in a single city, having to build facilities from scratch that will then be dismantled, when there are already sports facilities everywhere, is a stupidity of biblical level. Paris was a little less stupid this year by hosting tennis on the courts of Roland Garros, sailing in Marseille and surfing in Tahiti, but then they spent 2 billion to make the athletes swim in a river that hasn't been swimmable for over 100 years. It seems that in 2030 they want to hold the skating competitions in the Turin 2006 facility (something that the idiots who organize Milan-Cortina refuse to do). For Milan-Cortina they cleared dozens of hectares (in an area that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to make a sledding track that no one will use anymore, when they could have gone to Innsbruck which is a few kilometers away. You want to host the Olympics in a single city? Why not always the same city? All the NOCs and Olympic countries contribute according to their capabilities and all together build an Olympic center where the Olympics are always held. The opening and closing ceremonies are assigned to a nation, which can then make itself known to the world even if it is not one of the rich nations, the facilities will be used in the future. The money earned is reinvested in the maintenance of the Olympic sites. And that's it.

[@diegosilang4823]

In Vancouver, all Olympic facilities are still in use, but the Provincial and Feds had not fully recovered the cost. The winner are the real estate investors who inflated property cost and making it unaffordable to average people.

[@Bobrogers99]

One topic just touched upon is that there are so many "sports" that have been added to the Olympics, and they all require an often-specialized venue. That adds to the overall costs of being a host city.

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

Most don’t “require” a specialized venue. The IOC simply requires separate buildings. No reason, you couldn’t hold many of indoor sports that have small competition areas such as the fighting sports and weightlifting in one building divided into multiple areas.

[@etienne8110]

​@@donkeysaurusrex7881even if not specific, more sports means more venues used at the same time. So more venues (which won t have much use afterwards), means more spendings. And returns aren t following.

[@Calemdoscope-uq1yg]

Not to mention how pandemic-time olimmpics turned into politcal speech platform for "underrepresented group" ( the one that demands letting men into women lockerrooms ).

[@richiericher9084]

Additionally, many of the "new" sports can manage with temporary infrastructure. Take 3x3 basketball, the last world cup was hosted on a temporary court in the middle of Vienna. Similar things go for speed climbing or BMX.

[@tk80mufa5]

I would argue the sports program itself should get cut down to the big 3 in terms of audience interest : - *Athletics* ( but only Sprinting really , everything else is outdated like Shot Put , Javelin & Discus & Hammer throw , Pole Vault , Long & Triple & High Jump , Marathon , Decathlon , Race Walk , etc. ) - *Aquatics* ( but only swimming as in races , no Diving , no Water Polo , no Artistic synchronized , no Marathon ) - *Gymnastics* ( but get rid of the Vault & Trampoline ) the only "new" sport i am okay with is *Climbing* , since over the last 20 (?) years in Western countries it has gained an enormous following / active scene. Combat Sports (inluding Fencing , Boxing , Wrestling , Judo , Taekwondo , Karate , etc.) to me are quite primitive , and should all get canceled. same with Equestrian & Modern Pentathlon. animal rights have evolved. Cycling & Triathlon is for morons only. now on to the team sports : since FIFA actively sabotages the Olympic football tournament - get rid of it. same with the low audience interest sports like Field Hockey , Team Handball & Rugby. also get rid of Tennis ( the Slams are more prestigious than the Olympics) , Badminton , Table Tennis , 3x3 Basketball & Beach Volleyball , Canoeing , Rowing , Sailing , Surfing , Skateboarding , Breaking & Golf , Archery & Weightlifting . the only team sports I would keep are *Basketball* & *Volleyball* ( since FIFA is actively gonna sabotage Futsal if it were to be included ). So , in my book , that would be *6* (!!!) sports , and only really three types of venues need to be built - a indoor running track ( no more than 20,000 capacity ) - an indoor swimming pool ( no more than 10,000 capacity) - several multi-purpose indoor arenas for Gymnastics , Climbing , Basketball & Volleyball ( again , no more than 10 - 20,000 capacity ) I want to also add , that the Olympics should be extended AT LEAST to *4* (!!!) weeks , not two ! If you are going to have an event like this , at least let the people enjoy it for a full month !!! ( like the FIFA World Cup ) there i did it , saved billions of Dollars/Euros/Pounds and hundreds of boring sports tv hours.

[@johndodd6843]

The exception was also the most criticized: Atlanta. Atlanta made a profit and its legacy projects have mostly been used (the Olympic stadium became Turner Field, home of the Braves. It's now Georgia States football stadium and hosts the high school semifinals)

[@Daoibhéar]

I'm surprised Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the UAE haven't been selected to host an Olympics. They'll spend about $1T on a sporting event easily

[@olliemcdowell4503]

Because then it’d have to be in Qatar, Saudi Arabia or UAE LOL

[@abstort9593]

​@@olliemcdowell4503 yea like didn't doha already get under fire for hosting FIFA since it's a very homophobic country (or something along those lines, i don't fully remember the situation)? i doubt it would fly for qatar to host the olympics in today's climate, and for good reason

[@shagunthapliyal7309]

Qatar and Saudi Already got the 2030 and 2034 Asian Games with Saudi even making an new city for the asian winter games and obviously the 2034 World Cup

[@lol-ih1tl]

​@@abstort9593 the FIFA World Cup 2022 boycott was because of the unspeakable working conditions of the construction workers.

[@Hex4Trex]

I'm not - I suspect that has always been considered very controversial

[@An00bisY00tubis]

I’m from Brisbane and am not looking forward to paying for the Olympics with tax

[@ChrisSmith-bh2hg]

You hosted the Commonwealth Games. You already paid to build much of the necessary infrastructure.

[@Scottagram]

I'm not overly pleased about Brisbane hosting the games but I softened on the idea. New selection rules state that 80% of the infrastructure has to already exist or be funded before the Olympic bid, specifically to prevent empty stadiums. New rules also let the event spread out more instead of being in one stupidly big mega-venue. Gabba total reconstruction has been demoted to a regular refurbishment and new stadium proposal has also been shot down.

[@jimjimson6208]

@@Scottagram Thank god

[@matthewbain6306]

@@ChrisSmith-bh2hg You would think so, but no, already huge arguments about the amount to be spent and where the main stadium would be. The commonwealth games were actually on the Gold Coast and although some venues will be reused most will be in Brisbane .

[@MercifulEmma]

If Brisbane is anything like Sydney the infrastructure and venues created will still be used years to come if that is any consolidation.

[@cv4981]

From what I gather the only real recent successful Olympics was the 2012 London Olympics, due to the absolutely massive focus on makign sure the facilities built for the Olympics would serve a purpose after. From what I know almost every single permanent build for the Olympics (stadiums, accommodation, the Olympic village) still exist today and are in use.

[@rafhurffer7884]

I'm a live in London and can confirm this. The main stadium is now a weekly sold out premier league stadium, the arena is home aof Londons basketball team, the aquatics is just an awesome public pool etc. The best part is the area where they built the olympic park was pretty dodgy and now I think I see mkre new builds there than anywhere else still to this day

[@FlashyVic]

​​@@rafhurffer7884The stadium very nearly wasn't as the London Olympic committee insisted the Olympic stadium design be specific for athletics and not fit for easy conversion for football after the games. Even though there was never ever going to be any demand for a large arena for athletics in the UK. It was only afterwards when reality bit and with some dubious dealing and a lot of taxpayer money wasted that West Ham moved into the stadium - against the wishes of the majority of their support. And it's renowned in football supporter circles for its bad sightlines, poor atmosphere and distance of pitch from many of the seats.

[@jasonstevens2060]

Pretty sure Vancouver and Lillehammer for the winter Olympics were considered successful also

[@CtrlAltDelete007]

The Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics are one of the most successful in the history of the Olympics. Vancouver still utilizes pretty much every single venue and infrastructure upgrade they did in preparation for the games. They also didn't lose money like most Olympics.

[@bennwaters5851]

Sydney was more sucessful than London.

[@bubbabear244]

The Big Owe in Montreal for the 1976 Olympics didn't pay off their debt on the Stade Olympique until 2004. It's not being used regularly as the Als and CFM play elsewhere where they don't need a 65k seat venue.

[@123mathtutorabc4]

lol, the CFM play right next door and the Als prefer an 100 year stadium to the Big Owe, oh yeah they are going to spend another $870 million to replace the roof again...

[@krisppynugget]

At the very least they still use or have repurposed some of the old sports vicinities (the aquatic center is still in use today, for example, and the biodome was converted from the '76 velodrome), but the Big O itself is a white elephant, the whole thing has and always will be an exorbitant money drainer.

[@lanceschmidt3047]

A bit of trivia - it was also the first games where the host country didn’t win a gold medal.

[@genebohannon8820]

Champlain Islander here and the Big O has been a laughing stock my whole life. I saw an exposure game in 1980 and it wasn't finished then and the place was empty

[@123mathtutorabc4]

MONSTER SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!!

[@Kektor]

Keep the venue fixed, but allow different countries to take the responsibility of hosting. Like Keep the venues in Greece but let somewhere like Canada be the official sponsors. Find different ways to bring your country's flair without it being in your country.

[@Dnn411]

What financially responsible and sane country would disagree? Today, a city wanting to host the Olympics is just a politician’s Vanity Project. Overall, hosting is a huge security risk, financial RISK and environmental disaster.

[@indigocheetah4172]

Exactly, the politicians in Brisbane made the bid for 2032. We unfortunately won the bid.

[@chdreturns]

​@@indigocheetah4172Say what would happen if a city refuses to pay afterwards?

[@xituma]

@@indigocheetah4172exactly, and the construction, not just for the arenas and stadium but the road infrastructures have began everywhere and pretty much hired out 80% of all trades persons. Thus making the housing crisis even greater with rising interest rates and inflation. New home buyers and investors are having a hard time finding tradies to build houses or even renovate it to sell.

[@night6724]

If the world operated in your way there’d be no art or beauty and everything would be utilitarian

[@tournamentmaster2000]

@@indigocheetah4172 I believe there was only one bid, which is why it won.

[@derekh4511]

Munich Olympic Park still makes money, every year, and is a stunning place to visit. There's always something happening there, sports, concerts, carnivals, all kinds of stuff.

[@tk80mufa5]

@derekh4511 not really , both the Munich & Berlin Olympic Parks are costing taxpayers millions every year in maintenance , and that for decades now. the few events are nice , but don't bring in anywhere near the exorbitant costs. Munich alone is scheduled to undergo the third (?!) renovation of its super complicated roof structure , they are talking about the possibility of 280 Mio. € !!! -- just for a roof renovation !!!

[@howl_with_the_wolves]

That's because the Germans are great people that know what the hell they're doing. Where is the rest of the places that host the Olympics? They're all corrupt with politicians that are even more corrupt

[@jamaarbrundidge1395]

Atlanta has repurposed many facilities from the 1996 Olympics. My kids learned to swim in Olympic-size pools in the inner city of Atlanta.

[@williamwolf2844]

But almost always this reuse and repurposing of Olympic venues is horribly cost inefficient. Absolutely massive amounts of money are spent on making a small number of gold-plated venues. And then after the Olympics, they are used far below capacity for things like what you mentioned. A much better way to do this would be to have not had the Olympics and to take only 10% of the total money spent on the Olympics and actually invest that for sports facilities throughout the city, especially in low income areas.

[@donnyslader9025]

And the Atlanta games were bought - not won fair and square.

[@tk80mufa5]

@@williamwolf2844 agreed ! great comment !

[@j-lon3564]

Im from Rio and besides the public transportation improvement(only in very specific areas), the Olympics were more of a detriment than a benefit for the city. The Olympic venues are mostly left unused and are just a huge public cost. Of all the venues built(this means excluding the ones that were already there before, like the Olympic stadium Nilton Santos), only 1.5 are used nowadays. One of them being repurposed for shows and other events like the UFC, the Jeunesse Arena, and 0.5 being the actual Olympic city(where all the venues are located) that is used for the Rock in Rio events. The Olympic city used to be used for other shows, but because it’s located so close to residential areas, the government has made it illegal to host other events there. The other venues are all left unused. The tennis courts built for the Olympics aren’t even used for the Rio Open events. The cycling arena is abandoned and only serves the purpose of wasting electricity as it needs to be kept at a constant temperature. The Olympic pool is either empty or completely abandoned. I could go on and on. The only real benefits were the BRT(express bus system), that was expanded and improved, and the subway system.

[@Usercute-fx6uq]

This might be different for the winter games. I’m from Salt Lake and we still use every venue we built from our games for local sports, college teams, youth programs, and athlete olympic training.

[@fullmooney561]

Vancouver is very similar, everything is being used in all seasons.

[@CD3MC]

Same with Calgary. It's legitimately only the bobsled track that's no longer in use (formerly the busiest such track globally), and that's only because the refrigeration system kicked the bucket a few years ago, and they can't find the funds to fix it. :(

[@JohnSonofSons]

They may be getting used. But Youth programs, local sports, and college teams aren't paying off billions of dollar of investment. They'll bring in a small fraction of revenue to actually pay it off.

[@glacialis3329]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@fullmooney561Vancouver is one of the rare scenarios where the host city broke even on the games with a profit of $1.9 million. And then there’s the economic benefit to the rest of the region in tourism during the games. I think it shows that you can run the games effectively and provide a massive benefit to the region both in infrastructure and economic growth without the need to spend billions and billions. Vancouver cost $6.4B to run (including transportation upgrades), while Korea in 2018 cost twice that (not to mention Russia at $51B)

[@nlpnt]

One of many problems was the draconian restrictions on local businesses the IOC insisted on to protect their sponsors (international corporations); one that was well-publicized in 2012 around the London games was that local chip shops within a certain radius of a venue were forbidden from selling...chips. Fries, that is, because McDonalds had exclusive rights. "Fish and chips" was allowed as a heritage food but no selling fried potatoes on their own or as a side to anything else. Apparently a lot of fried fish was thrown out...

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

Had not heard about those restrictions before. I don't think that would fly in the US, but maybe someone knows otherwise. I could see restrictions in the venues or on sidewalk vendors, of course, but the IOC has no authority to restrict the products sold by existing businesses. If the cities tried to make such restrictions, the businesses would tie them up in court until well-after the event.

[@tk80mufa5]

@@TheRealScooterGuy nah you should read up on these Swiss IOC FIFA UEFA contracts and the clauses they put in them , whichever country kneels down to their demands gets the games , countries that don't simply go empty handed. they even put something in regarding suspending lawsuits during the duration of the event , and guaranteeing legal "consistency" or something. don't forget , after the event is done , the money goes back to Switzerland , a non-signatory country to most US & EU contracts / supranational courts.

[@Hex4Trex]

I lived in the area where the London Olympics regenerated it, and I feel overall the legacy regeneration was successful and the area is thriving. The only thing it didn't really deliver well on was enough truly affordable housing for residents such as key workers, so there is an element of investors taking up property or 'gentrification'. But the public areas and green spaces that everyone can enjoy has done the area fantastic along with sporting, arts and entertainment facilities, restaurants, local shops, offices etc. But it did require commitments and ongoing investment to make the legacy work.

[@etienne8110]

The games were used as a convenient excuse for gentryfication.

[@smfreeze]

They done gentrified Stratford 😢

[@TemptressTeelia]

I live in Stratford, and I disagree to a certain extent. Due to the building of the stadium, they demolished many flats in that area. Which was were homeless and drug addicts squatted. Now I ain’t advocating squatting. But when the buildings left, the tent city that appeared in the Stratford mall was atrocious. Still now, as I live across the tracks, on the non Westfield side, we have so much drug addicts and homelessness around. We have homelessness living in bushes next to schools. I’ve have seen people streak in FRONT of schools, as they propped their tents right behind a playground. I’ve had people stab each other right on my doorstep before 8am! So whilst the olympics rejuvenated the area of E20, E15 has felt the negatives of it. I will say though, we have used the park unlike the other hosts. So that’s a good thing tbh.

[@keithhallam1155]

How is shipping the basketball stadium from London 2012 to Rio creating a legacy for east London? In an area of high unemployment an overwhelmingly white labour force was imported to build the Olympic venues, accompanied by white racist thugs wearing 'Olympic security' coats terrorising the local community. How does a community worker explain to young people that the biggest building site in Europe was within sight of their homes, yet minimal local people were employed in this site? Basketball is associated with black players (especially at the highest level) yet no basketball stadium remained in the Olympic site after the (money making) games had finished.

[@Hex4Trex]

@@TemptressTeelia Yes, it's a problem that has always needed to be addressed and this council has never managed to do so properly. I think it's better getting rid of those flats than hiding the problems in those flats which were a state. They were squatting nearby buildings where I lived (E15 too) but they were still out in the neighbourhood, it took an incident for them to finally knock them down, yes they are still about but the police have more visibility, in our area it started getting a little better. A few of my friends even came to live here. I think the most of the Olympic legacy very well utilised though, but yes, more should have been put back to E15.

[@frankspurs]

Agree with all you said, and the IOC are not helping matters by adding new unappreciated so-called sports which add to the hosts costs in providing venues and accommodations. Did anyone watch "Breaking" in Paris ? or who wants to watch women's American flag football in LA ?? Next you may want to take a look at the World Cup. While the USA, Mexico and Canada have the stadiums for the next one, what has happened to the stadiums built in Qatar with slave labour or the ones built in Brazil, a football mad country but desperatly poor and not able to sustane new stadia. I understand the one built in the Amazon jungle is now a prison?? 🥵

[@jackbarham]

London has done well, in the long term, since the Olympics. Maybe not in the cold, hard $$$ value returns on what was spent, but entire areas in East London (mainly Stratford and Hackney Wick) have developed considerably as great places to live and visit. All the facilities are still there, with the main arena now a football team stadium, and the original athletes' villages have expanded into more homes morphed into small towns. However, the regeneration of the entire area has been significant, and it is still developing 14 years later.

[@WarioSaysSo]

Actually, does each Olympic Games ACTUALLY need to cost so much? It really don't need to have so much extra costs, incl. luxuary hotels, luxuary built stadiums etc-etc. Its about the competitions, NOT luxuary things. In the old past it was never these insane prices because they kept things more modest.

[@jakovcu]

Well the number of Olympic sports is increasing so number of facilities has to grow and so the cost.

[@dty1207]

@@jakovcuthat’s irrelevant to what they posted.

[@oriena_]

@@jakovcu This doesn't explain the need for hotels that cost $500/per night per person

[@jakovcu]

@oriena_ I don't think that some hotels are built for Olympics, in grand scheme of things I don't think that increased price for some hotels for few people (athletes will stay in Olympic village) makes huge difference.

[@Wfalen]

They cost a lot per night because there's so much demand. No one is building new hotels for a two week sports event. Actually when you look at the athletes rooms they are usually pretty spartan. The venues themselves and transportation are the ones that cost.

[@Rverma30]

You didnt touch on the $1Bn question - will cities still want to bid anymore given the ratings for Olympics are dropping like a rock. No viewers = less tv revenue = why are we putting on such a big show at all?

[@bernardpolicarpio651]

If The world market in general would still be interested. Same reason why hotdog eating contests and jerks playing computer games have their own olympics. Only a few percent of humanity wants to still be fit..

[@setlerking]

The IOC has also overlooked a bunch of cities that would’ve worked great who did bid while picking exotic, flashy cities with little to no infrastructure to actually host like Rio

[@Erik_The_Viking]

Denver CO has originally won the 1976 Olympics but they decided to withdraw in 1972, so it went to Innsbruck Austria. Smart move on their part. The costs have skyrocketed out of control, IOC demands, politics, financial issues, and much more. LA in 1984 was one of the best Olympics ever and the fact they pulled a profit was incredible at the time.

[@nicko5945]

SLC proved it can be done and turn a profit. It’s why Denver actually tried to bid on the Olympics again but they lost to a second bid from SLC. SLC will now be hosting again in 2034 and will turn yet another profit.

[@InTeCredo]

Same with Munich that lucked out with all of its facilities still in use to this day, including Olympic Village that had been converted to the private residential homes and student housing.

[@Erik_The_Viking]

@@InTeCredo Munich definitely lucked out, which is more than you can say about other locations.

[@MJCLAXDEN]

@@nicko5945 Actually, that's not true. Denver had some (very Left leaning) business leaders and politicians who wanted it. LITERALLY, nobody else wanted it.

[@nicko5945]

@@MJCLAXDEN actually it is true. Never said the people wanted it, only that Denver put in a bid with the USOC against SLC and SLC won the vote.

[@MikeBenko]

I think having Greece as a permanent venue makes the most sense historically, economically, environmentally. It's the birthplace of the idea, it is a country that is accustomed to handling large volumes of visitors, it has a diverse cultural and environmental offer, it can invest into building out the necessary infrastructure knowing it will be a recurring event etc.

[@falconeshield]

Imagine if the games took place in Greece for the past 20 years. The venues would've become legendary.

[@turtlefrog369]

greece does not have a diverse culture, its a white country, period.

[@tankeater]

The Olympics need to just be in 1 location... With the amount of venues needed, it would just make sense to have a premier location.

[@davestang5454]

Don't really agree but I would like to see the games rotated among a short list of locations.

[@tankeater]

@@davestang5454 I could see that, but any more than 3 locations would be at least 16 year gaps and the cost to keep those buildings up wouldn't be a liable option... 1, 2, or 3 locations with premium venues is what the Olympics needs.

[@dfuher968]

That was the original idea, why its a city hosting, not a country. But practically it was impossible. No 1 city could have all the facilities for all sports events, fx, that would mean, that no landlocked city could ever be considered, coz what about the sailing events? Plus, financially its so insanely expensive, it has to be a countrywide effort. Tho I had to admit, I did a double take, when I found out, that the 2024 Paris (read: French) Olympics would be holding the surfing contests on Tahiti on the other side of the world. It does seem insane to be so far away, tho I see their argument, that they wanted all French territories involved, and Tahiti does have some of the best wave. And considering how here just a few days in most of the sailing events have had to be cancelled due to a lack of wind, maybe they shouldve held all ocean involved event over there!

[@tankeater]

@@dfuher968 you need to think about the amount of events they've added along with the entire world represented having more rounds/heats. Along with the video presentation needed 2 centuries later and the simple logistics needed 128 years later. Los Angeles better do good in 2028, because I honestly think that's one of the best spots to do it. With LA and OC, there's so much infrastructure to house the tourists and an enormous International Airport. California just needs to stop going so far to the left, it's crippling this state with their policies. O yah, in SoCal, we have The Wedge in Newport Beach. They usually start to get big this time of year, but they're only 2 feet today, so, I can't blame them for that choice... Honestly, surfers are uh different breed. Doesn't it sound rad to have the top of the top contest with nothing but your fans, friends, comp, and like minded people. 🤷‍♂️🤘

[@solehsolehsoleh]

They can build a new city in Greece only for the Olympics.

[@MostlyInteresting]

Pick the best existing former Olympic venue or venues, and reuse them. You are welcome.... The locations that keep them up deserve the preference.

[@aj1218]

Bill Schmidt was a bronze medal olymian during the Munich Olympics. After his Olympic glory he became an early adopter of sports marketing. He was one of the planners for the Worlds Fair that was in Knoxville Tennessee. That event was profitable and he was invited to become a lead planner for the LA games in 1984. He helped make it profitable. Then became one of the lead marketers for Gatorade and transformed that company. He is a fantastic man that is always behind the scenes in these discussions

[@checkanr138]

oh he made kids drink sugary drinks that lead to diabetes, by suggesting that athletes (they just use a gatorade labeled bottle with non sugary drinks inside) drink gatorade. well done. diabetes for the win.

[@PC-tan]

​@@checkanr138I remember hearing just how many cavities these Olympians seem to have as well. Because of that stuff. Also I just watched Idiocracy and in that word Gatorade is an evil company that basically made everyone get rid of water. So I'm sure that years after him that people were finally able to put two and two together.

[@RalstigRacing]

@@checkanr138Older Gatorade was different than the sugary water we have now.

[@checkanr138]

@@RalstigRacing i am fully aware how gatorade came to be what it is today. the actual formula developed at florida university that was not tasting good is what is still what athletes use (they dont use the sugary bs that is sold by gatorade or other "sport drink" companies, simply put just some minerals and electrolytes. but the stuff you get in stores is full of sugar and not healthy at all. There are 34 g of sugar (8 teaspoons) in one 20 US fluid ounces (590 ml) bottle of regular Gatorade.

[@JB-yb4wn]

No, the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee was not profitable: Profit. The fair made a profit of $57, which was far less than the $5 million surplus that organizers had projected. Debt The city of Knoxville was left with a $46 million debt that was paid off in full in May 2007. Legacy The fair left the city with a legacy of empty buildings, public debt, and dashed expectations. Vancouver learned how NOT to do a trade fair from the Knoxville disaster. The Vancouver fair brought 22 million visitors, and $3.7 billion into the economy. Our legacy projects of Sky Train are still in use today along with BC Place.

[@NationalParksArtist]

Just rotate between, like, LA, Beijing or Tokyo, London/Paris, and Sydney/Brisbane. Pick 4-5 cities that have everything in place and each city hosts every 20-24 years.

[@SenileOtaku]

Exactly what I've thought. Although you probably wouldn't want the rotation more than 20 years. But a rotation schedule would let the games have diverse locations, and the intervening time allows the hosting cities do whatever maintenance & upgrades needed. They would have the expectation of recouping costs, which the current system doesn't. It's like Worldcon (World Science Fiction Convention). You'd be amazed at how many times Boston (NESFA primarily) has hosted Worldcon. Meanwhile NYC hasn't had a Worlcon since I think the 1960's (I had been on a bid committee for a NYC-centric Worldcon, which we had to drop when one of the hotels we would have used sold off it's function space).

[@lanapapas]

I lime that😊

[@74_pelicans]

Melbourne is better than both Sydney and Brisbane with its infrastructure, although why it needs to be one city. Melbourne hosted events in 2000 so why cant it be shared.

[@sharpasacueball]

Tokyo was a disaster

[@jorgeortega6806]

​@@sharpasacueball but because of covid

[@davidbrown386]

The reality is most Olympics are not cost effective. LA with Sofi and the Clippers Arena, to go to with the LA Coliseum and the rest will be fine. But most Cities cannot afford them.

[@ATLIEN333]

You left out this great example the ATLANTA 1996 in total, these Games turned a profit of $19 million. The cost for Atlanta 1996 compares with costs of $4.6 billion for Rio 2016, $40-44 billion for Beijing 2008, and $51 billion for Sochi 2014 (the most expensive Olympics in history). The average cost for the Summer Games since 1960 is $5.2 billion.

[@SteveGaudi1976]

Atlanta were the most commercialised games in the games' history- marked by a terrorist act and the fact that they bought the games instead of letting them held in Athens for the 100 years commemoration

[@marcr7583]

the corruption part has been left out: these events are excellent for money laundry - that's why they're so incredible expensive. there's a ski jump in a more recent winter games event that cost about the same as the complete games in Montreal.

[@SauROnmiKE]

As a Greek, the lasting effects of our corrupt Games are still felt to this day. It was awesome to be a part of them, but it hurt the country a lot.

[@timxu4268]

Having lived in Beijing, most venues constructed in 2008 have not been sitting idle. In fact, the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) is being used for various high-capacity events each year, while the National Aquatic Center (Water Cube) was turned into a massively popular water park in 2010 and repurposed for the 2022 olympics. The original Olympic Village has also been completely sold to residents as well.

[@fishmonger5341]

propaganda

[@呱呱呱-s1l]

@@fishmonger5341u r pathetic

[@sunnyblossom_711]

unfortunately the example of China is not replicated in other countries. Brazil is a prime example of stadiums sitting idle or being used for horrible reasons like open air prisons.

[@maiq_6821]

​@fishmonger5341 are you fuckung insane or what? I really wonder how some of you mfs were able to survive this long

[@deib3325]

​@@fishmonger5341Of course the American had to say: pRoPaGaNdA

[@inodesnet]

As a Sydney resident who attended the games, it is well known that the economic benefits were strongely felt for over 20 years. The stadium still holds the record for the largest Olympic stadium (Melbourne 1956 was the second largest). But it was reconfigured to be smaller after the games. Sydney gained a new airport train line and an Olympics line that is regularly are from well before to now. The Olympic village was designed to be converted to homes after the Oympics and is a thriving suburb today. The venues are very frequently used today. The Olympic area was a derelict wasteland but it and surrounding areas are among the most densily populated areas of Sydney today. The economic benefits included a change to have Sydney still be today, the primary city for UHNWI (ultra high net worth individiual) migration. If there was anything that the city gained that it may not have wanted, it was a massive increase in population and wealth leading it to become one of the most overpriced real estate markets in the world. Sydney's success is why Brisbane has been desperate to host the Olympics for so long. It's following LA in 2034.

[@tk80mufa5]

and yet the recent news out of Brisbane have not been great regarding 2032

[@daleviker5884]

I lived in Sydney in 2000 and still fondly remember those Games. The only people who vilify the event are the joyless types that vilify everybody and everything.

[@MegaKaitouKID1412]

Honestly the Olympics imo should be hosted in the style of LA as much as possible (using existing facilities)... but I think a rotating location might make more sense than a permanent one. A permanent location would likely necessitate permanent facilities, and I don't know if it's necessarily safe for the athletes for the Olympic facilities to be treated as something that are only used every four years-- maintenance of the facilities while they are unused for four years only for them to be used for the games gives a lot of opportunity for things to fall into dangerous disrepair in ways that might remain unnoticed while unoccupied. And when existing facilities aren't all owned by the city, negotiating permanent agreements with those private groups isn't necessarily a good idea. Rotating between major cities that have existing facilities for large amounts of the sports to keep the costs down would keep some of the benefit of excitement of hosting and moving the games (especially if the host countries are ones that are particularly invested in the games) but the promise of the games returning every X number of years would encourage the cities to invest in building truly reusable venues when they do have to build something, because the city will know that while it will carry the cost of maintaining the venue, building it to last and finding a use for it means it will be there to save them money next time they host.

[@danvano9482]

I did a research paper when I was in University regarding a future economic plan for the Olympics to be successful. My plan was for a city to host 3-4 Olympic Cycles soa 12 Year contract with the IOC. This allows full utilization and maintenance of Olympic venues and actually would become a home for Olympic Athletes as a world renowned training facility.

[@astralpowerr]

What? So 1 city/country hoards the event for 12yrs??

[@danvano9482]

@@astralpowerr yeah essentially, really make use of the insfrastructure. A chance to for the city to make changes and improve on from previous years. Develop a world class olympic program for sports that could develop the next set of olympic athletes

[@houtansadeghi]

@@danvano9482interesting idea. At least you looked at the figures. Well done. It looks to me as if the Olympic committee wants to see new construction to take place whereas cities like as much existing facilities as possible. That was all to get the bid now the situation is different nobody wants to host.

[@AkitaMix]

Nice idea.

[@Mr.Verethron]

Why the heck dont they show the games in a worldwide olympics streaming platform where some of the revenue from ads, etc goes to the city that hosts the games?

[@Duncan_Campbell]

because then they can't sell the TV rights for us much. TV rights now, or maybe money in the future.

[@RaymondHng]

@@Duncan_Campbell ​Broadcasting revenue is a crucial source of funding for the Olympics and helps support the staging of future Games, as well as various programs under the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Allocation of Broadcasting Revenue The IOC redistributes the revenue generated from broadcasting rights to various stakeholders and programs to ensure the sustainable development of the Olympic Movement. Here’s how the breakdown typically works: Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs): A significant portion of the *revenue goes directly to the OCOGs to cover the costs of hosting the Games,* including infrastructure, operations, and security. For example, *the Tokyo 2020 Olympics received around 70% of its budget from broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales.* National Olympic Committees (NOCs): The IOC allocates funds to NOCs worldwide to support the development of athletes and sports programs in their respective countries. These funds help NOCs cover the costs of training, equipment, and participation in the Olympics. International Federations (IFs): IFs governing each Olympic sport receive funding to support the development of their respective sports globally. This includes organizing world championships, development programs, and promoting grassroots participation. Olympic Solidarity: The Olympic Solidarity program is designed to assist NOCs, particularly those from developing countries, in ensuring their athletes can participate in the Games. Funding from this program helps provide scholarships, coaching, and technical assistance. IOC Operational Costs: A portion of the revenue is used to cover the IOC’s operational costs, including administration, marketing, and promotional activities. The IOC also invests in its digital platforms and media operations to enhance the coverage and engagement of the Games. Example of Revenue Distribution For the period of the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle, the IOC generated approximately USD 5.7 billion in revenue, with a significant portion coming from broadcasting rights. Here’s a rough breakdown of how these funds were distributed: *Organizing Committees: USD 2.5 billion* NOCs and IFs: USD 1.5 billion Olympic Solidarity: USD 500 million IOC operations and reserves: USD 1.2 billion These allocations ensure that the benefits of the revenue are spread across the entire Olympic Movement, promoting the development of sports globally and supporting the successful staging of future Olympic Games.

[@trninfan]

Because no one will pay for another streaming service. I'm already paying about $60 for streaming services

[@e-moshe]

I’m in Brisbane and there’s already infighting going on around the 2032 Olympics. For example they wanted to demolish the Gabba stadium, which was still perfectly good for a white elephant. There is however already the world class Suncorp stadium relatively nearby. Thankfully, it seems that has been canned. Oh, and there was also the underhanded way they wanted to expand the Belmont shooting range by razing parts of the natural forest right next to it. Thankfully someone noticed and it was blocked.

[@kholdstare90]

Really doesn't help the blatantly corrupted John Coates gloating about getting another games under his tenure as president of the AOC by breaking rules and entirely behind closed doors. Then there were protests shortly after the announcement, then "don't use existing infrastructure, build new stuff", "if we go over budget a different city will pay" combined with "basically every single calculation says any point of benefit flew by $800 million ago and we're just barely 1/3 of the way into the budget". Hell, March there were talks about backing out of the whole ordeal and the subsequent federal inquiry really did not paint a good picture.

[@LT-mc8vj]

The Olympics should be scrapped. It is a an event that is filled with animosity, bad sportsmanship, politicized, suspicion, jealousy, doping, double standards, accusations, racism, hatred, etc. Such a lousy event, no one should be hosting it.

[@tsitracommunications2884]

its also full of sexual immorality

[@Mystipaoniz]

8:31 "It puts your city on the map...." Yeah because nobody ever heard of Paris, Los Angeles, Beijing.... I wonder how does that makes an argument. It's not like the olympics are hosted in a small village, that actually needs to be put on the map.

[@CarlosD374]

That's more of a recent trend though. The Olympics did help some cities in becoming more prominent, such as Seoul which in 1988 wasn't the world leading metropoli it's today. Something similar happened to Barcelona in 1992, which of course was always well known and fairly important on a world scale, but it did help Spain get back on the world stage in the aftermath of its decades long dictatorship. Also, Atlanta isn't really a city that's known outside of the US; similar to Brisbane which will be the 2032 host. This is also a problem that mostly applies to the Summer Olympics, as many not-so-worldwide-popular cities have also hosted the Winter Olympics, such as: Pyeongchang, Sochi, Lillehammer, Nagano, Sarajevo, etc.

[@worawatli8952]

Imagine Sealand holding Olympic.

[@high-captain-BaLrog]

Typical KZbin intellectual

[@neilbiggs1353]

@@CarlosD374 I remember the discussion happening specifically around Birmingham or Manchester bids for the Olympics in England. UKA were told that they'd only consider bids from capital cities (which raises odd questions in the UK with technically 4 capitals, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh in addition to London)

[@Marcg-b4n]

😂 funny

[@dwayne5352]

I think rotating the Games among a list of 6 cities (one in each inhabitable continent) would be a good strategy. Every number of years, a new city might show its interest and contest a bid.

[@lilyrolyat6726]

This is a great idea imo

[@crashthevacuum]

Exactly. LA for North America, Rio for South America etc. Plus Athens every 7 cycles. Have a set number of sports (don't add one without getting rid of another) also.

[@dwayne5352]

@@crashthevacuum I agree. If the model that exists is threatening the very sustainability of the Games, then a more logical model must be embraced. I'm sure this stability would provide a lot of advantages as it relates to planning and preparation.

[@someguy-k2h]

A lot of talk about how to make your city more desirable to the IOC, but not one word of the bribery, bid-rigging, and kick-backs that have plagued the committee for decades.

[@cbarclay99]

Not really mentioned is the desire for status shown by just developed countries, who wish to make a statement that they are as modern as Europe and North America. Tokyo 1964, Seoul 1988 and Beijing 2008 highlighted that Japan, South Korea and China respectively had become economic powers. This motivation was also true for Mexico City 1968 and Rio 2016 though the 1968 Games turned out to be a PR disaster for Mexico. Then there are the intra-national rivalries, most notably Barcelona holding the Games in 1992 before Madrid had done so. Montreal 1976 also falls into this category with the desire of Quebec to show its prowess as the movement for independence from the rest of Canada was growing.

[@tatjana7008]

Japan was and still considered developed rich country (although reality is different). Its Korea and China who rather ignored and not favoured by Western POV

[@cbarclay99]

@@tatjana7008 In the 1950s Japan was known in the West for exporting cheap toys, bicycles and textiles. In the 1960s and 1970s Japan was known for exported cheap and poor quality versions of Western electrical goods. It was not until the 1980s that Japanese exports started to be seen as of comparable quality to Western made goods. There was another important aspect to Tokyo wanting the Olympics and that was the signal it gave that Japan had been accepted back into the international community after the atrocities committed in WWII.

[@WonkyWater-YT]

Okay, but like, cities wasting money and not reusing stadiums is kinda their fault. Anyone can pull a Los Angeles, and realistically with how much easier long distance travel is, they can pull a Fifa and share the Olympics between nearby cities either in the same country or share them between 2 nearby cities in different countries, like Manama and Doha.

[@Lutefisk_lover]

I’m proud to live in the one place that rejected an awarded Olympics. Colorado was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics. It was put to a citizen vote, and rejected. Due to the cost and the environmental impacts. Good for us.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

Lucky. I'm in Brisbane and the public opposition to the bid was overwhelming but 2032 it's coming here and the opposition has only intensified.