Brief Update

Bid for 2020

So the shortlist for 2020 has been announced, and it's down to Madrid (ESP), perennial bidder Istanbul (TUR), and 1964 host Tokyo (JAP).

Doha (QAT) has already stated that it will bid a third time, but it seems that the IOC will not consider a Summer Games in the fall - despite its stated open-mindedness. Baku (AZE) will also probably bid again, as I don't suppose delusions of grandeur fade away over night; I'm not saying Azerbaijan won't ever host the Summer Olympic Games, I'm just saying that they have a long way to go before that would happen.

My money is still on Istanbul because I really do believe that the current trend in athletic megaevents is to go where no megaevent has gone before (the World Cup in Qatar?).  Tokyo is still in this race, but Madrid would have to pull a major rabbit out of its hat to get the Games.

Future US Bids


The USOC recently announced that they would not put forward a bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, instead choosing to focus on summer 2024 or winter 2026. This is probably a smart decision, but I think the USOC should simply focus on summer bids, period.  They should also try to enlist a few cities to put together a bid for a future Youth Olympic Games, which might demonstrate to the IOC the United States's commitment to the Olympic Movement versus lucrative television broadcasting rights.

However, I think good cities like Chicago and New York have been scared away from the bid process by their past experiences. My prediction? Los Angeles or Dallas will be the US choice in 2024, which means another US loss. If the USOC can regain Chicago's trust and interest, then we might have a shot.

London 2012


The Games of the XXXth Olympiad are less than a month away and my excitement is building! The Opening Ceremonies will be broadcast by NBC on Friday, July 27 at 7:30 pm (on taped delay).

The Race for 2020

Only five cities have decided to throw their proverbial hats into the Olympic ring for the chance to host the Games of the XXXII Olympiad:  Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkey), Madrid (Spain), and Tokyo (Japan).  

Rome was planning on joining the race and many considered it a front-runner.  At the last minute, however, Italian officials decided it would not be in the country's best interests, given the recent debt crisis which resulted in the resignation of playboy (or old man, rather) prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

On a bizarre note, Las Vegas decided that it would side-step the United States Olympic Committee and submit an unsanctioned Application Letter to the International Olympic Committee back in August of last year.  The USOC, in its infinite wisdom, decided that it would not pursue a bid due to the status of its ongoing negotiations with the IOC regarding television revenue sharing - an issue of contention that most likely derailed the bids of both New York 2012 and Chicago 2016.  On top of the fact that Las Vegas has nothing to offer as an Olympic city, this aggressive and disrespectful move won't exactly earn it a spot in the hearts of the USOC and IOC members (whom I'm pretty sure decide - and decide alone - which city eventually hosts the Games).  Sorry, Las Vegas, an Olympic cauldron on the top of the Stratosphere is not in your future.

South Africa was also considering a bid, probably from Cape Town or Durban, given its successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup.  Recognizing that the two events are very different in size and scope, the government decided that it wasn't quite ready for the Olympic Games.  But keep a look out for a 2024 bid:  IOC President Jacques Rogge recently said that the IOC is very interested in sending the Games to the African continent.

Baku, with a population of just over 2 million, is the capital and largest city of the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan.  It previously bid for the 2016 Games, but failed to make the short list as a Candidate City.  While the city currently lacks the infrastructure necessary to host an event of such a grand scale, the country's vast oil wealth and slightly authoritarian government would allow it to quickly build glittering new arenas, roads, hotels and subway lines (Beijing, anyone?).  A few more drawbacks:  Baku is located in a particularly volatile region, cozily nestled between Iran and Chechnya and just a stone's throw from Abkhazia and South Ossetia... oh, and it hasn't exactly been getting along with its other neighbor, Armenia, regarding the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (there was a war in the 1990s that sort-of remains unsettled... no big deal).

Doha, fresh off its country's (Qatar) big win as the host of the 2022 World Cup, is also a repeat bidder from the 2016 race.  Like Baku, Doha failed to make the cut for Candidate status, but unlike Baku, it was mainly due to its plan to host the Games in October to take advantage of slightly cooler temperatures.  Personally, I'm not quite sure why this was an issue, since Sydney 2000 took place in late September and ended in early October.  Doha is one of the world's fastest growing cities and Qatar has the highest per capita GDP of any nation, made possible by - again - vast oil wealth and an economically forward-thinking Emir, who has positioned his kingdom as the region's center for education, commerce, sports and culture.  If the IOC elevates it to Candidate status this time, Doha will certainly be a strong contender.

Istanbul (not Constantinople) has been bidding for the Olympic Games since the early 1990s, losing out four times to Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), and London (2012).  If the Turkish city loses for a fifth time, it would be tied with Budapest (Hungary) for the second-most failed bids without ever hosting the Games; but no one holds a candle (or torch, for that matter) to Detroit, Michigan.  However, Istanbul has a lot going for it:  It already has an Olympic stadium, the Turkish economy is fairly strong (9% GDP growth in 2010), its mass transit is well developed and modern(-izing), and its society blends both liberal European and traditional Middle Eastern sensibilities. Perhaps fifth time's the charm?

Poor Madrid, always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  Silver medalist in the bids for 1972 and 2016, and bronze in 2012 (they don't actually award medals to the losers), the Spanish capital is ignoring its current economic woes and bidding for 2020 anyway.  I suppose when one is so close to winning, one keeps trying - plus, the Olympic Village could be used as housing for some of the four million unemployed Spaniards... perfect, right?  With the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2014 winter edition being hosted by Sochi (Russia), along with its obvious economic issues, Madrid should have followed Rome's lead and sat-out this round.  I believe Madrid would make an excellent host, but not in 2020.

Rounding out the 2020 list is the Japanese capital and 1964 Summer Olympic host, Tokyo.  Like the other cities (except Istanbul), it, too, tried for 2016, where it was rated as the technically best bid but ultimately lost to Madrid and Rio in the second round of voting.  This time around, Tokyo will be drawing much inspiration from the country's tragic earthquake and tsunami and impressive subsequent rebuilding. I don't have much to say about it - Tokyo is a world-class city that is certainly capable of hosting the Olympics again.  However, Japan's economy, outside of the auto industry, hasn't been too great in recent decades, and the 2018 Winter Games were just awarded to Pyeongchang in nearby South Korea, so this bid is not without its drawbacks.

Overall, this is a very strong field of potential hosts and I foresee at least four of them (sorry, Baku) making the cut as Candidate Cities.  I'm putting my money on Istanbul given Turkey's robust economy, its recent investment in infrastructure, and the IOC's desire to go boldly where no Olympics has gone before.  However, it's a long time between now and September 7, 2013, when the IOC will decide the winner at its session in Buenos Aires (Argentina), and the horse-trading has only just begun.

The short list will be announced in a few months on May 23, so watch this space for an update.

It's PyeongChang!

The bid for the 23rd Olympic Winter Games has come to a close, and it seems many of the IOC members did not have a difficult time choosing the host city. With the voting over in the first round, PyeongChang (KOR) won with a whopping 63 votes (more than the 48 needed for a majority), and Munich and Annecy went home empty handed... well, except for their 25 and 7 votes, respectively.

For PyeongChang, this was more than a decade in the making. The small South Korean resort town had narrowly lost it's two previous bids -- to Vancouver for 2010 and Sochi, Russia for 2014 -- and their bid team was hoping that the third time would be the charm. But they had more than luck on their side: as part of their failed bids, the South Korean and provincial governments had invested heavily to ensure PyeongChang's spot on the list of world-class winter resorts. In fact, PyeongChang's new ski jumping stadium recently hosted the 2011 FIS Continental Cup with great success.

Annecy scored a devastatingly low vote of confidence from the IOC. Its 7 nods was the lowest for a Winter Olympic bid city since Quebec City's failed bid for 2002. And for good reason: France has already hosted the Winter Games three times, most recently in 1992... which was in the same exact region as Annecy.

Munich, on the other hand, was a real contender this year. Germany has not hosted an Olympics of any kind since 1972 -- also Munich -- and its last Winter Games were in 1936. Munich would have made history as the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. However, with Torino (ITA) hosting in 2006 and Sochi in 2014, it was unlikely the IOC would have chosen to go back to Europe so soon. PyeongChang's bid would have had to have been pretty awful and/or extremely risky, and that was just not the case.

History was still made today, though. PyeongChang will be the first Asian city outside of Japan to host the Olympic Winter Games, and that is certainly something for the Olympic Movement to celebrate.

축하드립니다 -- or congratulations -- PyeongChang!

Games or Butter?

In an article from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's website, I read about research being done on the displacement of homeless youth during the Vancouver Olympics. Dr. Jacqueline Kennelly, from Carleton University in Ottawa, has been interviewing marginalized people about how the Olympics coming to town has affected their lives, and she wonders if the money spent on the Games couldn't have been better spent to address the city's maladies. Her research represents one of the biggest topics fueling opposition to hosting the Olympics: Games or butter?

According to her Carleton web page, Dr. Kennelly is currently exploring "the urban effects of the Olympic Games for low-income, homeless, and street-involved young people," which I think is terribly important to consider for the long-term sustainability of the Olympic Movement. I do not think that the IOC or respective organizing committees should see such research as an attack, but as an evaluation that could result in a more respectful, sustainable and harmonious event.

I firmly believe that the Games can be hosted without cities going bankrupt, or social issues being swept aside, or those in need falling deeper into poverty because the Olympics took a priority over them. The Olympic Movement, like cities, are nothing without people, and the IOC would be wise to stop awarding the Games to the city who promises to build the biggest stadiums, spend the most money, and marginalize its poorest citizens. The Olympics can only be a force for good when host cities develop a clear civic conscience.

The American Olympia

With Dallas's recent hosting of the Super Bowl, I had read that there was talk of a possible Dallas Olympic bid for 2020. However, if whoever was proposing this had actually done his or her homework, they should have heard that the United States Olympic Committee has decided to forgo bidding until it has repaired its strained relationship with Lausanne (the IOC). So, with that in mind, let's take a look at the American cities with Olympic dreams:




The Good.

Chicago  |  Sacrificial lamb of 2016

The last US city to bid for the Olympics, the Windy City presented a pretty good plan to the IOC for 2016. It featured an Olympic Village on the Lake Michigan coast and a temporary stadium for track and field (which I think is the only sustainable/responsible option for any North American Olympic host). Chicago's urban area has a population of 8.7 million spread over 2100 square miles, and it boasts one of the largest mass transit systems in the country - the "L" subway system is second in length (behind NYC) and third in ridership, behind NYC (shocking) and Boston (actually shocking).

While its 2016 bid was technically superior to eventual winner Rio de Janeiro, the USOC - a major player in the bid process - was in an embarrassing state and not in very good standing with the IOC... the people who ultimately decide which cities become Olympic hosts. With its infrastructure, resources, and vibrant sporting culture (more than just "da Bulls" and "da Bears"), I hope they try again when the time is right.

Boston  |  Don't you hate it when puzzles have one piece missing?

Now, I know what you're thinking: Boston is too small to host the Olympics! Actually, while the City of Boston is pretty small, the city's urban area has a population of 4 million spread over 1800 square miles - putting it on par with recent Olympic hosts Sydney and Athens. And as stated above, its "T" subway system has the second highest ridership in the country. Also good for Boston is its high density of colleges and universities - not only providing potential venues, but a cheering section of millions of alumni around the world who called Boston home for four or more of the best years of their young lives.

Beyond the Pats, Bruins and Red Sox, Boston enjoys a rich athletic tradition. The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon in the world and - I love this - the first gold medalist of the modern Olympic Games was James Connolly, a Boston native and student at Harvard. In fact, most of the American medalists from 1896 were from the Boston area. In my opinion, Boston would make a formidable candidate.

Unfortunately, public opinion might be difficult to persuade. Bostonians had to put up with cost overruns, annoying traffic delays and general mismanagement of the Big Dig - which has ultimately improved the city - and local politicians might not be willing to gamble their careers on something that many community groups see as "frivolous."

But stay tuned.

The Bad.

Los Angeles  |  Marathon runners are faster than LA commuters

I'm not going to go too in depth with this one: hosted twice, miserable public transportation and traffic, smog, wildfires...

Minneapolis/St. Paul  |  Five Cheerios could make the Olympic rings

With an metro population of just over 3 million, Minneapolis and St. Paul are a little on the small side for an Olympic host. It also lacks the experience and infrastructure for dealing with large influxes of visitors. I've never been to Minnesota, but I think I would like this area; it seems like a great place to live. However, that does not mean it would be a great Olympic host. While Americans are capable of great things, I do not believe any pleasant American city could host an event like the Olympic Games.

Dallas/Fort Worth  |  Don't mess with Texas

While it certainly has the size and population worthy of an Olympic host, Dallas and Fort Worth are lacking in other areas. International visitors need extensive public transportation to travel between hotels and venues, and these cities probably won't be able to correct their deficiency in this key area. Besides Texas's big attitude and financial clout, I don't see how Dallas could hold its own against a field of world-class cities.

The Ugly.

Tulsa  |  Um... what?

Where do I begin? Severely lacking public transportation, population, culture... but unless Luxembourgeoise duchesses crave baby back ribs (I want my baby back, baby back...) and love pushing Native Americans off the land we moved them to, I doubt anyone in Colorado Springs or Lausanne would take this bid seriously. I hope not, anyway.

On the Road to 2018

The next Olympic host to be decided is for the Winter Games of 2018. Vying for the honor are only three cities: Annecy (FRA), Munich (GER), and Pyeongchang (KOR).

A Little Background.

Annecy is in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, which has already produced three winter host cities: Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1968, and Albertville 1992. The city is the capital of the Haute-Savoie department and has a population of approximately 52,000.

Munich (population 1.3 million) is the capital and largest city in the German state of Bavaria. It has already hosted the Summer Games of 1972 (best known for Olga Korbut, Mark Spitz, and the murder of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches). Germany has only hosted one previous Winter Games: Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936 (used by the Nazis as propaganda fodder). If selected, Munich would be the first city to host both the summer and winter editions of the Olympics, and would enlist the help of Garmisch to host the Alpine and Nordic skiing events.

Pyeongchang -- always the bridesmaid, never the bride -- is on its third consecutive attempt to host the Olympics. It has a population of approximately 47,000 and is located in Gangwon province, in the northeast corner of the country. South Korea has never hosted the winter games and has only hosted once before -- Seoul 1988. The last Olympics in Asia were Beijing (CHN) 2008; the last Winter Olympics were in Nagano (JAP) 1998. If Pyeongchang were to be selected, it would be the first time the winter games were held in Asia outside of Japan.


And the Games go to...

My bet is on Pyeongchang. It lost by just 3 votes in the final round of voting to Vancouver (CAN) for 2010, and a similarly close 4 votes to Sochi (RUS) for 2014. Going into this bid, it is already constructing many venues it would need to host, such as a ski jumping facility and world-class ski resort (not to mention the necessary hotels for officials and spectators).

I wish Munich weren't bidding so close to two European games (Torino 2006 and Sochi 2014), because I firmly believe Germany should host the Games again -- they have one of the larger and more successful Olympic teams and one of the world's largest economies. I also like their bid, which incorporates the 1972 Olympic park, including the Olympic Stadium as the venue for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Unfortunately, public opinion in the area is not as high as the other candidate cities.

Annecy is also up against its own geography. However, France has hosted many Olympics (five total) and its bid is a little too spread out over a difficult terrain for recent trends in Olympic hosting, and it simply does not have the infrastructure to overcome that.

In the end, the IOC could choose any one of these cities and I would not be the least bit surprised. For example, Rio de Janiero's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics was not as technically strong as the other cities, yet it was selected anyway. FIFA, the governing body for international soccer, chose Russia and Qatar (not exactly known for their love of the sport) to host their 2018 and 2022 World Cups, despite stronger, more feasible bids from other countries. So I'd say it's still anyone's game.

The host city for 2018 will be chosen at the IOC Session in Durban, South Africa, on July 6.

Bienvenue! Welcome!

Mesdames et messieurs, ladies and gentlemen: Bienvenue, welcome to The Modern Olympia!

With this blog, I plan to share my thoughts on many topics dealing with the Olympic Movement -- the Games themselves, athletes, national committees, and -- most of all -- the host city bid process. I get a lot of my information from a great website called GamesBids.com, and you'll see it attributed often, along with the IOC, USOC and a slew of bid and organizing committees.

The bottom line is this: I love the Olympics, architecture, urban planning, and world politics, and I would like a medium to get some of my ideas out of my head and out into the world. Imagining how certain cities would host a large international sporting event is one of my few hobbies, so it's only natural it should manifest itself in a blog like this.

I hope whoever reads this (other than myself) finds it slightly thought-provoking and a tiny bit interesting. I know I'll enjoy sharing my thoughts, so I hope you'll enjoy reading them.