It’s time to rethink the way Games are played
One has to wonder, as we watch the wind-down of the Winter Olympics on television, how long the present format of the quadrennial event can last.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), not known for its foresight or even common sense, has now created two monstrosities of events, the Summer and Winter Games, that few countries are willing or able to host.
Also, their inability or disinterest in dealing with drugged athletes, cheating judges, officials taking bribes and kickbacks, the IOC has shown they no longer have the confidence or trust of countries to partner with them.
Fortunately, the Summer and Winter Games are still the ultimate aim for the many young athletes world-wide, especially in non-professional individual sports. And television viewers worldwide support the games financially.
Unfortunately, the cost of staging the Games in the form the IOC has now constituted them has become prohibitively expensive for most countries. The addition of events that require uniquely designed venues like snowboarding, along with venues with limited after-use by the public, like ski jumping, sliding and long-track skating tracks, has added considerably to the hosting costs.
No longer can host countries expect to put on the Games with most of their existing facilities meeting the requirements of the IOC.
Only two countries applied for the next Winter Games in 2022. Beijing, China was awarded them. Apparently, all the skiing, snowboarding and sliding venues they plan to use are up to 100 miles from Beijing and will rely on artificial snow. On the other hand, up to six venues from the 2008 Summer Olympics in the city proper will be converted to Winter Games requirements.
Calgary is currently considering a bid for the 2026 Olympics, following their hosting in 1988. Many of the ‘88 venues will need extensive refitting or complete replacements like the Saddledome, now home of the NHL Flames. There is talk that some of Whistler’s venues from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games might be included in their bid.
Even the Summer Games, which appeal to practically every nation in the world, have trouble finding viable hosts. The IOC is now finding the few countries able and willing to be considered have previously hosted the Games. Tokyo is hosting the 2020 Summer Games after having them in 1960. In 2024 the Games go to Paris after they hosted in 1924 and 1900 and Los Angeles gets them in 2028 after running them in 1984 and 1932. There is definitely a trend beginning of having previous venues reused. Beijing apparently plans to hold curling in the same building used for swimming in 2008 and will use the 80,000-seat main stadium, called the Bird’s Nest, for the opening and closing ceremonies.
With television rather than site ticket sales financing the bulk of the costs of the games, it may be time to spread the events among a number of countries. The IOC then could essentially hold events where athletes compete in their specific sports time zones away from other sports with television pulling them together. Opening and closing ceremonies would need to take on a new format with the athletes spread all over the globe.
This would allow the reuse of some unique and very expensive venues more than just one-time in a quadrennial event.
The 2026 World Cup of Soccer is coming to Mexico, the United States and Canada, a geographical area rather than a single country. That may be the way to be part of a large international event by spreading the costs and utilizing more existing facilities.
The Olympics are too important a unifying event in this troubled world to let it self-destruct by incompetent management.