'Given the way that bids in the last few years, even the last decade, [have] attracted opposition in liberal democratic countries, the IOC is going to insist upon some clear measure of support — not just a council voting yes — but some demonstration of popular support...And to get that together in a few months is going to be a challenge,' said Bruce Kidd, [University of Toronto professor and member in two previous Olympic bid teams]. — cbc.ca
The president of the Canadian Olympic Committee confirmed this past Saturday that the office will support Toronto's bid for the 2024 Olympics. But given the outcomes of Toronto's last five attempts — plus a fast-approaching September deadline for cities to register their intent to host, prospects are hazy.
More on Archinect:
Zaha's Tokyo Olympic Stadium cancelled – Abe calls for a redesign from scratch
David Manfredi, the architect behind Boston’s 2024 Olympic bid
Boston wins U.S. Olympic Committee's bid for 2024 Games
9 Comments
Sure, their currency should recover by then...
While I personally feel that there should be stricter standards that a country should meet to be considered to host the Olympics (that isn't directed towards Canada), I can appreciate what being the hosting country means and why people are so willing to spend the money to prepare for it.
I see it happen a lot when marketing for a big architectural project. if you try to cut costs in your marketing and shave hours, you aren't going to get the job. Your presentation will look lack-luster and your design will not be well thought through. This doesn't only cost you that job but you loose face and can subsequently miss out on multiple future opportunities.
If applied to a country, sure they will undoubtedly overspend for the games but the hope is that it identifies them as a cultural entity and promotes longer term investment on a scale that may not be directly related to the games itself. This doesn't always work but when it does, it can provide a much brighter future for gdp growth and brand identity for the country.
Long story short, "you have to spend money to make money".
Does Hosting the Olympics Actually Pay Off?
Short answer: no.
Funny how Toronto has to host big events to bring sports entertainment into the city since they can't even get their own teams to succeed.
Miles,
without citing the whole thing, my line of thought more closely aligns with the 7th paragraph from the article you provided. Putting your best foot forward towards an Olympic bid (not necessarily winning) puts the country's name on the map and, to quote the article, "The benefit, in other words, came from the signal that a country was open for business".
Economically, there is no doubt that a direct re-couping of the money spent on Olympic games by cities isn't going to happen. But does getting your name on the map help promote the country and/or city to attract growth in other ways? I would say yes, particularly in emerging markets. Perhaps the country that comes in second is the biggest winner of all.
Yeah, those Athens Olympics sure promoted Greece and got their name on the map!
Actually, it did get their names on the map. Much in the same way that Germany and Japan benefited from their respective hosting events in the 60s and 70s. The fact that they turned around and squandered the opportunity has nothing to do with the games themselves.
I think that this is a "clever" move on the part of Toronto (Mississauga, Hamilton, etc.). It's obvious that they're trying to recoup financial losses accrued by hosting the Pan Am games by using the same sport infrastructure- or repair mistakes.
-Whether it's an appropriate move...
Ah, Munich. That certainly got them on the map.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.