We are only a few days away from the important IOC vote on the 2016 Olympic Games host. Based on the events of the past 12 months, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the scale, scope and legacy of future Games, by looking backward.
I was fortunate to witness the Beijing Games up close, and can tell you that TV could not properly convey the physical scale of the events and venues. China must be experienced in person, to fully appreciate the enormity of anything that goes on there. It dwarfs almost all other countries and is huge in every way – land mass, people and ambition.
So it was no surprise that a mere 19 years after Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government and people were very eager, proud and anxious to show the world that they had arrived as an equal. And they delivered – venues that any nation would be proud of; an athletic performance that every host country dreams of; a television spectacle of unmatched beauty viewership, with much drama, color and entertainment; and for visitors a very inviting host city and people, virtually free of smog and traffic.
Of course, only the organizers know the true costs and impact of hosting the 2008 Games, because it does not appear that any budget was ever created, as virtually no expense was spared. Chinese citizens already endured displacement of their homes, jobs and endless construction and disruption. Most assuredly, they will be paying for the opportunity for many decades. But can anyone judge whether it was a shrewd investment? No doubt the people of Beijing will utilize many of the athletic facilities far into the future, and China may assume a broader global role, with further economic and social growth. But, already the Bird’s Nest is bit of a white elephant. Too large for C League football, economic times have slowed down international tours of major European football teams and the NFL has yet to sign up for a game. It sits promise unfulfilled, longing to the throngs of fans from August 2008.
It is my firm belief that Beijing will be the last of its kind Olympic Games. First, the sheer expense and investment made was astronomical. Few if any countries will be willing or able to take that on. Second, the economic meltdown we experienced in Fall 2008 has made us all realize how far out of touch things had grown, on all fronts. Spending untold billions on a sporting event now seems so out of proportion. Third, China was the last of the large economies remaining to join the ‘world stage’ through the affirmation of hosting an Olympic Games. The pattern was set decades ago as Japan (Toyo 1964) and Seoul (1988) were used as coming out parties for those countries. And just like China, they made sure it was a suitable event, regardless of cost or economic sense. Lastly, the IOC and popular opinion will force a more reasonable, affordable and sustainable approach to future Games. They have too or risk alienating the audience they hope to retain.
The IOC has hinted that the selection process will favor host city bids and proposals that have a core principle of reuse of current facilities and only building with a plan for use AFTER the Games. We will see in the 2016 selection if they hold to these principles. If not now, will they ever?
A modest venue plan can and will work. Atlanta 1996 is such an example. They used primarily the ample supply of existing venues – Georgia World Congress Center, Omni, Fulton County Stadium and Georgia State University. Those built new had a clear path for the future – Athlete’s Village became dorms for Georgia Tech; the aquatic venues also became part of Tech’s facility; the Olympic Stadium was resized to become Turner Field, etc.
The new Olympic Legacy will be one of affordability, reasonableness and suitability for the future. So I hope you enjoyed Beijing, it will not be repeated anywhere, anytime.
What are your thoughts?
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