stryker

How much longer can Paris pretend this idea for a city-centre, multiple site opening ceremony, a viable option, never mind the logistics and security challenges. https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1105892/paris-2024-estanguet-seine-ceremony

I wouldn't call a new Vancouver bid regional at all. Most of the venues from the 2010 Games will only need minor touch ups. Reconverting the Richmond Oval or Hillcrest Centre back into venues for speed skating and curling respectively is a non-starter. Both would have to be gutted and the costs would rise quickly. Fortunately, there are solutions and none involves Victoria. Both the Langley Events Centre or Abbotsford Centre can host curling. Speed skating could easily be held at the Calgary Olympic Oval Calgary had proposed using the Whistler ski jump for ski jumping and nordic combined in th

I think Europe's prospects for 2036 will hinge largely on how fast Europe emerges from the coronavirus recession. London seems the best bet at this point. Normally, I would agree 2036 is too soon after 2012 but given the IOC's targeted approach and the fact that London has much of the essential infrastructure already in place, it's a cost-feasible option. Many of the venues from 2012 would need minor touch up. The challenging ones would be a new Olympic Village and an aquatics center. For the OV, I would assume there will be a need for affordable housing somewhere. If not, perhaps London could

Any idea what the plan will be for the athletes in the parade of Nations? With the temporary aquatics stadium being scrapped, where will the athletes wait during the opening ceremony prior to the parade of nations?

I can't see Oslo bidding anytime soon and not just due to the public opinion factor. The IOC burned too many bridges following Oslo's withdrawal from the 2022 race. When the like of Munich and Krakow dropped out the IOC shrugged and just said how many quality bids were left. Then when Oslo dropped out, Bach and the IOC blew a gasket. I'd have hard time believing the bad blood between the two are over. While we are on the subject of back to backs, if the Sapporo bid fails to materialize, perhaps the IOC starts talking with SLC and Vancouver. One gets 2030 and the other gets 2034 unless a E

So any predictions on what the final number is going to be after the Tokyo Olympics post a massive financial loss?

This is either going to work out splendidly for the IOC or completely blow up in their faces. If it's the latter, then the SOGs are going to be facing the same crisis the WOGs have in terms of attracting hosts outside of nations ruled by despots. I am not surprised by the rush to name Brisbane in essentially a targeted move. I've said before that the IOC is likely only considering SOGs from nations considered to have safe bids (China, Japan, Australia, USA, Russia, Korea, or Western Europe. Outside of those, then it's a no go and likely will be for decades to come. As for Australia, I've

I expect the Sapporo bid to be scrapped following the Tokyo games. So much money has been spent and with these mega sized venues probably with only a handful of spectators, the Tokyo Olympics are headed for a major financial loss. Given that, I don't expect Japan to have much of an appetitie for spending more money on an Olympic bid so soon. I'd go as far to say the financial ramifications from Tokyo will keep Japan out of Olympic bidding for at least a decade if not more. If the IOC isn't serious about getting Salt Lake City on the phone, they need to be.

Vancouver and SLC are both proven hosts that have most of the existing infrastructure in place. While the pandemic will be over by then, the economic effects are going to be felt for years to come and I believe that's going to shelve many potential bidders especially in western Europe on top of concerns about the costs of the WOGs that were already present. I could absolutely see the IOC going back to back with SLC and Vancouver. As I stated previously, I don't expect Sapporo to go through with all the extra money being poured into Tokyo.

Further venue changes in the works though not all are approved yet. With swimming moving to La Defense Arena, gymnastics will move to the Bercy Arena which is still set to host basketball. A secondary venue for basketball will be needed, most likely one of the exhibition halls at Paris Expo. Volleyball moving to the Paris Expo as well. Handball is likely moving to the stadium in Lille. Rugby sevens moves to Stade de France and shooting from Le Bourget to Saint Denis. If this holds, Paris will have done away with all the temporary arenas to save costs. It's a good move and I suspect you wi

COVID19 is likely still going to be around come next summer, vaccine or not. If either the Tokyo Olympics get cancelled or go ahead with no fans in the stands, then I think you will see the Sapporo bid shelved. The Tokyo Olympics are costing billions of dollars and no one exactly knows what the final price tag will be if they are held even in a scaled down version next summer. A cancellation would not only doom Sapporo but it would probably take Japan out of bidding for decades to come (with all the money put into Tokyo 2020 if it was cancelled the financial fallout would be such that I would

A dry Asian Games (no booze). Can't wait to see how well that goes over.

Further venue changes to cut costs. It's not official yet but it looks like the temporary arena for volleyball in Le Bourget will be scrapped and volleyball moved to Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille. It makes sense given the economic recession. Frankly, no one has figured out how to repurpose a 10,000+ seat temporary arena anyway. Rio couldn't do it (they had one arena that was modular and was supposed to be converted into a school). Tokyo's gymnastics arena was supposed to be 100% temporary but it is being kept as a permanent venue. London came the closest. They just couldn't repurpose it (I thin

If the Tokyo Olympics get cancelled because COVID19 is still an issue in the summer of next year that will be an unprecedented financial loss with all the construction and logistics for Japan. IMO that would be more than enough for a Sapporo bid to be dead on arrival. Suddenly 2030 is wide open.