It’s true that in the run-up to the Summer Olympics, Parisians were feeling a bit of, how do you say, ennui.
if they Wasn’t already Parisians put up their apartments on Airbnb hoping to escape the city It took to social media Complaining about the Olympics and urging tourists not to come.
Well guess what? They came with one Olympic record 9.7 million tickets Sold out at the start of the Games.
And guess what? Swimmer Leon Marchand (who dominated the pool Michael Phelps-esque style) in the pole vaulter (Somewhat less successful)
But Parisians aren’t the only ones benefiting from these Olympics, which are set to end this Sunday We have all come through these fantastic games to see just how exciting, surprising, and heart-wrenching the international game is when it takes place in the right city.
There was gold medalist Rebecca Andrade as GOAT Simone Biles and her teammate Jordan Chiles bent over the floor exercise. First All-Black winners’ podium In gymnastics there American Cole Hawker carried on the spirit of Steve Prefontaine in the 1500m. There was Arisa True, bringing gold in skateboarding at just 14 years old. Snoop Dogg was here, there and everywhere. and was Lots of visitors.
Paris, its peerless backdrops—beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower! Cavalry events in the field of Versailles! — and undeniable savoir faire, helped save the Olympics. At least for now.
The Covid Olympics
It’s easy to forget in the excitement of the Paris Games, but it’s been quite a few years for major international sporting events.
The last Summer Olympics – the delayed 2021 Tokyo Games – were massively disrupted by Covid. For one, they were held a year late. And among other restrictions, there were visitors Widely prohibitedLeaving Olympians to perform in empty stadiums and arenas. Those banned included families and friends of athletes, robbing Olympians of their support systems and fans returning home from the Olympic experience. Watching parents lose their minds when their child wins a medal.
The result, I think, gave normie sports fans a glimpse of what a track and field meet or ski race might be like when it isn’t. But the overall atmosphere at the Olympics suffered terribly. This was probably a major factor in the significant drop in attendance at the Tokyo Olympics. The least viewed game – At least until 2022 Winter Games In Beijing
The 2022 Winter Games in Beijing were held while China was still following its strict “zero Covid” policy, which meant restrictions Even more serious than they were in Tokyo. But more representative of the growing problems with international sporting events is that the Winter Games were held in Beijing.
Of the six cities that initially submitted bids to host the 2022 Winter Games, Four eventually withdrew Their bids address cost concerns, including more obvious winter sports cities like Oslo and Stockholm. This left the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to choose between Beijing in China and Almaty in Kazakhstan – two authoritarian countries with serious human rights concerns.
Although Beijing averages only 2.5 inches of snow a season and will need it Fill in the blanks With artificial flex Significant environmental costsThe IOC went with the Chinese bid, largely because it was willing to spend big. According to a Investigation by Business InsiderChina may have spent Like $38.5 billion in games.
The future of international sport is dictatorial
This number is not an illusion. The cost of hosting the Olympics Passing through the stratosphere In recent years, and the final price tag is About three times the average What was the initial bid. And this is important because if major international sporting events are going to cost this a lot Less democratic countries Those who have to protect the costs of their citizens, are going to be willing to host, tilting the tables towards authoritarian countries that care less about public opinion.
It was the 2022 World Cup held without controversy in the autocratic emirate of Qatar. To accommodate the country’s brutally hot climate, the tournament (usually held in summer) was moved to November and December, disrupting the international club football season. was marred by the lead-up to the tournament Allegations of bribery and corruption By host country, when Dozens of migrant construction workers Died under harsh working conditions. Captained several European football squads Set to wear rainbow armbands During the tournament, protesting the fact that homosexuality is illegal in Qatar – until the international soccer body FIFA threatened the national teams with a ban.
Like the Beijing Winter Games, which is a feature Number of diplomatic boycotts On top of the Chinese government’s human rights record, the choice of Qatar to host the World Cup was inevitably controversial. But Qatar was ultimately willing to spend Some $220 billion of it — about 15 times the cost of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil — apparently outweighs this concern. And given that the previous host in 2018 was Russia, that came with its own suite Diplomatic and political issuesInternational football has already made it clear that a little controversy won’t stop it.
Oh, and while the host of the 2034 World Cup has yet to be officially chosen, we do know it will be Saudi Arabia, with all its The attendant political issue. The reason for this is the Middle Eastern kingdom – which has promised, among other plans Build a 92,000 seat stadium from scratch – Only host to submit bids.
So we should enjoy the Paris Olympics while we can, with its vibrant sporting culture, gorgeous architecture and (mostly) absence of major political or diplomatic controversies. Given the growing dependence of international sports on deep-pocketed authoritarian governments, this may be the exception in the future.
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