Are the Olympics too big for their own good?

[yoshi]

With referendum results in Munich, Bern, & Vienna, increasing apathy in France & the Netherlands, & the obvious problems in Spain & Italy, it is increasingly looking like Western Europe doesn't want the Olympics. Is this due to the massive size of the 21st century games, & what can the IOC do to make the Olympics more manageable, are the Olympics simply too big for all but a tiny handful of gigacities?

[baron-pierreIV]

THe Summer edition is ridiculous. And they keep adding sports and not tossing the deadweight (Boxing, Team Handball, Whitewater Rafting, Field Hockey, Taekwando, Weightlifting, Athletics) out!!

[StefanMUC]

Obviously, the Summer Games have grown so much that probably only such megacities can somehow justify to host them/create the numerous venues necessary and hopefully find a post-Games use for them.

Of course, you could always try and throw some sports out or reduce the number of events - but whenever the IOC has taken steps into such directions, extensive lobbying prevented it (hello, wrestling). Maybe the IOC should look at ways to limit the number of athletes further also - I know that they want to have every NOC represented, fair enough. But especially in team sports, they could certainly have, let's say 8 or 10 instead of 12, and a few hundred athletes/coaches/staff less would easily be achieved. Though that may still be a drop of water in the desert...

The IOC also should ask itself if it is really necessary to expect from each bidder to be ready to overturn a whole city/region. Most western cities have reached a grade of urban development that is not really leaving much room e.g. for a compact Olympic Park somewhere within their limits, they might be more ready to bid if they could e.g. put up a venue here and there in areas where there's space and/or need for a sports venue that could have a good after-use, e.g. for public training, clubs or schools. So far, it's all about the alledged "legacy" and the "most compact Olympics ever" - but I think the bar has been raised too high now, except for regions where there is still both the need and the political power to tear down and rebuild huge areas. Besides, it's of course undeniably a prestige matter for countries like Azerbaijan or the Gulf emirates to get international recognition. This kind of drive behind bidding is (thankfully!!!) missing in bids from other parts of the world.

I think there are ways to get this back into a more reasonable shape, but it would need a lot of will power within the IOC to make thorough reforms. Rogge perhaps intended it, but in the end didn't get anywhere, he even made things worse by creating these silly YOGs too. And I have my doubts that Bach is interested to tone down the Olympics, to be honest.

[yoshi]

What about awarding the games to countries rather than cities, take Netherlands as an example, Amsterdam is probably too small, but hold events all around that part of the country, so Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague etc, they are all close together, it may need more, smaller villages, but that would benefit the whole area after the games. As for winter, all we need is another Lillehammer style games to prove that smaller, traditional towns are capable.

[Quaker2001]

What about awarding the games to countries rather than cities, take Netherlands as an example, Amsterdam is probably too small, but hold events all around that part of the country, so Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague etc, they are all close together, it may need more, smaller villages, but that would benefit the whole area after the games. As for winter, all we need is another Lillehammer style games to prove that smaller, traditional towns are capable.

An Olympic held in various cities within a country though isn't really an Olympics. Plus, it creates all sorts of logistical issues if instead of having everything spread out (think housing, media operations, etc.) rather than in 1 or 2 central locations. And the Olympics Lillehammer hosted had only 1 hockey tournament instead of 2, no curling tournament and no snowboarding. Different size and scale of the Olympics that they would have a tougher time handling now.

[Tatsh]

Don't forget that the negative perception of OG in Western Europe is involved in a scenario of economic crisis. So the wish of don't spend money in "non important" things is strong (and the OG are part of "this" today).

[olympikfan]

The rise of the Anti-Olympic Movement will be a force to be dealt with in the future. I post before ' the cost will be the cancer of the olympics" I have posted many time in the past about the future of International sporting events and taken heat for it. Take note that their was three cities that made a bid for the 2020 games. Two never had a chance the IOC just drag on with it. With the adding of the YOG( which no one cares) The IOC has to address the elephant in the room 'the cost of the olympic games"

[baron-pierreIV]

I changed my mind. I think they're not big enough. They have to be made BIGGER and more bombastic!!

[Alexjc]

I changed my mind. I think they're not big enough. They have to be made BIGGER and more bombastic!!

Dick!