Something must be done about the way the Olympics are held. If the cost to host in Rio, Sochi and Beijing are any indication of the ramifications for hosting the spectacle, then the International Olympic Committee might just reconsider other alternatives, once again. The money spent to host the Games, particularly in developing countries, is shown to cause irreparable damage to the economies of not only the host cities, but in cases such as Athens in 2004, damage to an entire continent. Unfortunately, in doing so, host cities inevitably drive up the cost for future cities to host, as well, (Studebaker, 2014). While it makes sense that cities in developing countries would want to host the games as a means of improving their reputations on the world stage, (W.T., 2013), it is increasingly becoming more and more difficult to justify.
The suggestions to change are as plentiful as the justifications for doing so, but the two that stick out most as plausible solutions would be to rotate among five different cities with the infrastructure already in place to support such an initiative, (Howard, 2014), or return to Greece permanently, and create a new Olympia, (Friedman, 2016). And while the idea of returning to Greece for a permanent solution excites the senses in many ways, the disappointment in Athens in 2004 is not one of them. Should the financial aspect of such a decision be reconfigured appropriately, however, returning to the original home of the Olympic games could prove worthwhile – even if at times possibly rented from developing countries.
The more likely scenario would be to rotate the games between five developed cities, on five different continents, including Athens, representing the five interlocking Olympic rings, (Friedman, 2016). These cities could include Los Angeles, Athens, Beijing, South Africa, and Sydney, or some version that includes LA (one of the only host cities to actually turn a profit during the games in 1984, (Friedman, 2016), Athens, and representatives on the other three continents that are established in a way to positively host the games, without causing damage to its people. This is specifically regarding the summer Games, but the same could be done for the Winter.
Persons interested in supporting this cause could start a grass roots movement on social media through creative use of hashtags such as “5Rings” to begin being heard in unison about the possibility. Yes, there would likely be ramifications in making such a decision on all sides, but to return to a state of being able to focus on the games and the athletes themselves, as opposed to the financial situation of the host city could be just what the IOC and in fact the world need right now.
References
Studebaker, B. (2014, February 8). Developing Countries Shouldn’t Host the Olympics [Web log post]. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2014/02/08/developing-countries-shouldnt-host-the-olympics/
Howard, R. (2015, August 05). Let’s just pick one country to host the Olympics permanently. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/11779838/Lets-just-pick-one-country-to-host-the-Olympics-permanently.html
Friedman, U. (2016, August 05). What If the Olympics Were Always Held in the Same City? Retrieved July 13, 2017, from https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/08/rio-olympics-permanent-host/494264/
Rothschild, R. (2016, August 02). The worst Summer Olympic Games host cities. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from https://www.si.com/olympics/2016/08/02/worst-summer-olympic-games-host-cities
Summer Olympics: Should developing nations host the games? – Yes. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2017, from https://thetowerphs.com/2016/09/sports/summer-olympics-should-developing-nations-host-the-games-yes/
W, T. “Why would anyone want to host the Olympics?” The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 08 Sept. 2013. Web. 14 July 2017.
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