Melbourne 2024

[binary]

Assuming an average daytime temperature of 59/15... what sports would be seriously impacted?

The beach volleyballers would have to dress.

The boat sports might have to wear suits.

???

It might not feel all that summer-y, but would any sports be majorly impacted?

marathon swimmers could run a risk of hypothermia, but that could always be moved somewhere else if the were too high

[runningrings]

Nobody is getting hypothermia in Melbourne in September. As I said, it'll be cooler than most host cities - but certainly possible when you look at some of the weather around London 2012 and Glasgow 2014. Spring in Melbourne is mostly warm, with cooler evenings. The average high in September is 17.2c (63f) and an average low of 8c (46.4f). For October (which would possibly carry the last week of the Olympics and the Paralympics) the average high would be 19.7c (67.5f) and a low of 9.5c (49.1f).

[Sir Rols]

It might not feel all that summer-y, but would any sports be majorly impacted?

Sure, the sports could and would go on okay. But it would be a very compromised competitor and spectator experience. And likely not look as photogenic on TV.

[Nacre]

Assuming an average daytime temperature of 59/15... what sports would be seriously impacted?

The beach volleyballers would have to dress.

The boat sports might have to wear suits.

???

It might not feel all that summer-y, but would any sports be majorly impacted?

It likely wouldn't be the "welcome to Australia" event that the organizers would want if visitors are chilly. London is in the low 70's in the high of summer rather than the upper 50's. It's also very rainy in Melbourne in July and August.

It would be pretty amusing if it snowed during the summer games, though.

[mr.bernham]

It likely wouldn't be the "welcome to Australia" event that the organizers would want if visitors are chilly. London is in the low 70's in the high of summer rather than the upper 50's. It's also very rainy in Melbourne in July and August.

It would be pretty amusing if it snowed during the summer games, though.

[insert picture of Atlanta's Olympic rings during this years freeze]

[Lord David]

It likely wouldn't be the "welcome to Australia" event that the organizers would want if visitors are chilly. London is in the low 70's in the high of summer rather than the upper 50's. It's also very rainy in Melbourne in July and August.

It would be pretty amusing if it snowed during the summer games, though.

It rarely snows in Melbourne. Even during the deep winter. It can get cold, but we're nowhere near the mountains to get any significant snowfall. At any rate, A Melbourne Olympics bid would probably be solely during September, perhaps a week into that month, ending well before the month's end. This means the AFL season (and possibly NRL) would end by August, perhaps mid August by the latest. Whilst the A-League would have to start in late October, after the Paralympics.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Lord David

[ofan]

Wait, I'm confused. Why is weather an issue? I thought Australia was just one massive desert.

[Sir Rols]

I suppose it looks that way when you live in a tundra.

[JonnoInMelbourne]

The AOC have stated previously that their next preference is Brisbane,based on the climatic concerns of Melbourne.

Even looking at Melbournes weather back in September 2012 and looking at the period of 15th Sep to 1st Oct( same as Sydney 2000),you can understand the AOCs concerns.

Out of the 15 days,it wouldve rained on 11 days.

Ave max high wouldve been only 16.9 deg C

And only 7.8 deg C minimum.

Melbourne in Sep is too cold and wet for a summer olympics

[Alexjc]

Refresh my memory...Why can we not go in early March again, still pleasant to move around in at that time.

Personally, I think it's Brizzy's turn, but then come what may at the moment the way the IOC is behaving lately.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Alexjc#TeamKey

[runningrings]

The AOC have stated previously that their next preference is Brisbane,based on the climatic concerns of Melbourne.

John Coates has said this - show me where this is explicit policy. He is a dinosaur that is known for his rampant opposition to Melbourne stemming back to the 1996 bid. He wont be an problem for much longer. Brisbane has credibility in its weather - but the AOC would be stupid to write off Melbourne and not push for a mid-to late Sept/early Oct window. Its probably the best shot Australia has this side of 2040 - moreso than Brisbane and a late August/early Sept offering.

Even looking at Melbournes weather back in September 2012 and looking at the period of 15th Sep to 1st Oct( same as Sydney 2000),you can understand the AOCs concerns.

Out of the 15 days,it wouldve rained on 11 days.

Ave max high wouldve been only 16.9 deg C

And only 7.8 deg C minimum.

Sydney 2000 wasn't exactly balmy either. You're being selective.

Melbourne in Sep is too cold and wet for a summer olympics

Says you. I agree it is a big nugget to Brisbane (or even Sydney - heck the time comes Sydney would be an option) but there is far more at play here - and nobody has even said anything about Melbourne doing the Sydney Sept15-Oct 1 timeframe. I'd push it back a week. Usually warms up considerably by the end of September.

Cooler Olympics the usual - but with a smart and honest bid this could be a smaller issue.

[zekekelso]

Cooler Olympics the usual - but with a smart and honest bid this could be a smaller issue.

London 2012 was one of the colder and weter SOG's ever. You know what? Nobody cared.

[JonnoInMelbourne]

Sydney 2000 wasn't exactly balmy either..

Actually,it was.

http://www.tutiempo.net/en/Climate/HOMEBUSH_OLYMPIC_S/09-2000/957650.htm

Ave max temp over 25 deg c,with 4 days that had rained.

Nights were cool,but overall the weather was superb.

Ive been in Melbourne long enough to know that Melb in September is not the right time for an Olympics

[Sir Rols]

John Coates has said this - show me where this is explicit policy. He is a dinosaur that is known for his rampant opposition to Melbourne stemming back to the 1996 bid. He wont be an problem for much longer. Brisbane has credibility in its weather - but the AOC would be stupid to write off Melbourne and not push for a mid-to late Sept/early Oct window. Its probably the best shot Australia has this side of 2040 - moreso than Brisbane and a late August/early Sept offering.

It may not be explicit AOC policy. But it is a realistic position considering the IOC's explicit timing policy.

Sydney 2000 wasn't exactly balmy either. You're being selective.

No it wasn't. It was very pleasant in 2000, but we were very lucky. It was probably an 80-20 chance of a good time. Most times late September is simply gorgeous in Sydney. But when it's not, it can very much give us the tail-end of winter.

Melbourne in September is NOT conducive to a games. You could stage it, sure. But it would be a cold miserable experience for international visitors wanting to experience SUMMER games and not have to get around in thermals and overcoats. I travel regularly and often enough there to know September is bloody freezing in Melbourne. The earliest you could push it, perhaps, might be the second half of October - spring carnival time. Lovely days, still fairly chilly side at night, but do-able... just.

October shouldn't be impossible - Seoul by memory was about that time. But the IOC would scrutinise even that very request if out to them stringently, and whether that was allowed through would probably depend a lot of what opposition it faces and whether the IOC would need to bring it through to make up the shortlist numbers. I still think it would be a big handicap already for Melbourne to drag through a bid campaign against other better-scheduled cities.

It's a pity, of course. I can't think of better city otherwise suited for the games than Melbourne. But with the July-Aug window pretty immovable now because of NBC and the various sports federation calendars, it may well be lucky for Melbourne they at least got 1956 in and can call themselves an Olympic city before the IOC shut the scheduling door on them.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Sir Rols

[FYI]

October shouldn't be impossible - Seoul by memory was about that time.

Seoul's 1988 dates were virtually identical to Sydney 2000; Sept 16th-Oct 2nd.

[Sir Rols]

Seoul's 1988 dates were virtually identical to Sydney 2000; Sept 16th-Oct 2nd.

Fair enough. I was just going off memory without checking the dates. Still, it doesn't make melbourne's efforts to fit in halfway acceptable weather in an approved hosting window any easier.

[zekekelso]

Melbourne in September is NOT conducive to a games. You could stage it, sure. But it would be a cold miserable experience for international visitors wanting to experience SUMMER games and not have to get around in thermals and overcoats.

At this point, the Olympics are a made-for-teevee event. As long as you get scenic vistas to show the folks back home, who cares what the international visitors on site have to put up with.

That said, teevee can never get enough shots of Sydney harbor and the opera house. What does Melbourne have to counter that?

[zekekelso]

Hmm, poking around a bit, this seems to be the iconic shot from Melbourne

Nice, but hard to compete with

[runningrings]

Both those images are from the 90s.

Melbourne isn't a city like Sydney that you see, its a city that you do. Its character and image isn't defined by any particular vista. Sydney's image is one of the most famous and beautiful in the world, not many other places in the world (let alone Australia) can compete with that. On its own, Melbourne has a huge amount to offer. Its a cosmopolitan, big city with a great culture and beautiful streetscapes.

[Nacre]

It rarely snows in Melbourne. Even during the deep winter. It can get cold, but we're nowhere near the mountains to get any significant snowfall.

I know. But it would be hilarious if it happened.

[Sir Rols]

At this point, the Olympics are a made-for-teevee event. As long as you get scenic vistas to show the folks back home, who cares what the international visitors on site have to put up with.

That said, teevee can never get enough shots of Sydney harbor and the opera house. What does Melbourne have to counter that?

Yes, and because it's a made for TV event now, it's now locked into TV scheduling calendars far more than it ever was.

The IOC, and the MOCOG, the sponsors and the broadcasters would certainly care if the media buzz around the world during the games is from northerners travelling down from their northern summer to find themselves complaining they've found themselves in the middle of winter in one of the our few major cities that can give many major European cities a run for their money when it comes to winter climate. It's a gloomy vibe for the games before they even start.

As you keep saying, the sports could well be staged very well and, indoor events at least, would still look good on TV. Hell, you could stage the summer games in the middle of January in Madrid, Manchester, Moscow or even Minneapolis if you had to. But that doesn't make it an attractive option if you had even one competitor with a proposal within the optimum broadcasting time scheduling and offering a warm, attractive summer climate as the backdrop.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Sir Rols

[reindeer]

Seoul's 1988 dates were virtually identical to Sydney 2000; Sept 16th-Oct 2nd.

Nagoya proposed to begin a week later than Seoul finished, that is Oct 8th, but it was a different era and maybe the last time when it could have been still possible to have such late dates, even when it wasn't absolutely necessary.

[Lord David]

Hmm, poking around a bit, this seems to be the iconic shot from Melbourne

Nice, but hard to compete with

Wrong. For starters, our main bridge if you will would be the West Gate Bridge.

Not such an iconic view, so the real alternative would be the view looking towards the arts centre.

Of course the real proper view would be from the top of the Shire of Remembrance.

[JonnoInMelbourne]

Both those images are from the 90s.Melbourne isn't a city like Sydney that you see, its a city that you do. Its character and image isn't defined by any particular vista. Sydney's image is one of the most famous and beautiful in the world, not many other places in the world (let alone Australia) can compete with that. On its own, Melbourne has a huge amount to offer. Its a cosmopolitan, big city with a great culture and beautiful streetscapes.

You are right ,Melbourne is a great city,but you wouldnt host a summer games in September.

As you wouldnt host an Olympics in March in New York,London or Paris.

[TorchbearerSydney]

Melbourne is a spectacularly beautiful city of parks, Victorian architecture beaches and coastline.

It unfortunately is always compared Sydney, it's ridiculously gorgeous sister up North.