Olympics could swing into Troon
Bid for torch burning in South Ayrshire
The thought of a hand-held naked flame being marched down Barassie Street and along the North Shore Road might still be a touch sensitive for the douce denizens of Troon.
Especially those around Morven Crescent and Harling Drive who still have the charred vestiges of the former Troon Railway Station clinging to their window ledges and wheelie bins.
But fear not Troonians, Troonsters . . . or whatever your collective title is.
The naked flame we’re talking about is the Olympic Torch. And I doubt it will be coming to a street near your before 2032 - or even 2028 at the earliest! A fanciful notion? Probably. Unlikely? Perhaps. But still a distinct possibility? Absolutely yes!
It’s been my privilege to be an Olympic correspondent at three Summer Games and on three continents. In Barcelona in 1992, arriving journalists were paired-up for a grand tour of the press facilities. My media buddy was the BBC’s Des Lynam who spent the whole day stroking his moustache and repeating the world “Really?”.
Four years later in Atlanta, I had tears in my eyes watching Mohammad Ali light the Olympic cauldron – his right arm bearing the flaming torch aloft while his left trembled with the onslaught of Parkinsons disease. On that hot July night, Ali moved the entire world.
But my gold medal for best Olympics would have to go to Sydney in 2000. What’s not to enjoy about rolling up to the reception desk of the Hotel Bondi and the honey coloured young receptionist telling you “Welcome to Bondi Beach Bob – I see you have a reservation for 28 nights”. And there’s the rub, folks.
The days of one city hosting one month of Olympic sport might soon be over.
In a decades’ time, it’s reckoned every town and city on the planet will be able to make a pitch for Olympic action. And for Olympic golf . . . why not Troon?
At £15 billion and rising – the bill for the current Tokyo games is off the scale. The Japanese capital’s BID alone cost as much as the city paid to host the games back in 1964.
Norway has already fired the first shot across the IOC’s bows by saying it cannot afford to host the
Winter Olympics. Paris in 2024 and perhaps Los Angles in 2028 will likely be the last Games in the single city venue format. I’ve heard of plans to have a main “host” city that will supply a stadium for the track and field action and an indoor venue for events like boxing, weightlifting and gymnastics. They will also host the opening and closing ceremonies.
But for everything else – it’s all up for grabs. One IOC visionary sees an ‘Olympic Month’ every four years with the eponymous flame burning simultaneously at dozens of venues across the planet to give them
Olympian status and credibility.
I like the idea that New York could bid for the baseball, Vienna for the equestrian events, Sydney for the sailing, Rio for the beach volleyball,
Manchester for the soccer and London for the tennis. So . . . why not Troon for the golf? What a fabulous boost for Ayrshire with a week for the men’s tournament and another week for the ladies. And why stop there?
Is there a more majestic venue for the archery and shooting events that the sweeping grounds of Culzean Castle? The only devil in this daydreaming is whether Team Great
Britain will still be around in 2024 or 2028.
If wee Nicola gets her way, we can look forward to the Saltire being marched out at the opening ceremony, somewhere between the flags of Saudi Arabia and Senegal!
I really don’t know which will come first – the Olympic torch burning in the South Ayrshire night sky . . . or an Olympic team in navy blue tracksuits with the letters SCO on their backs.
To be quite honest, given the right political and sporting circumstances – I’d be proud to see both!