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The Inquiry: Why Don’t Cities Want The Olympics?

Why Don’t Cities Want The Olympics?

16/08/2016 GMT

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, Why Don’t Cities Want The Olympics?

The number of cities bidding to host the Olympic Games is falling

The number of cities bidding to host the Olympics is falling. Ruth Alexander finds out why, and asks what organisers could do about it.

The Olympic Games has a problem. In recent years the number of cities entering bids to host either the Winter or Summer Olympics has dropped dramatically. For the 2004 Summer Olympics, 12 cities bid. For the 2024 summer Games, there are only four cities running. 

The 2022 Winter Olympics bidding cycle saw just two cities compete - winners Beijing, China and Almaty, Kazakhstan - after the other five cities that expressed an interest pulled out due to public and political opposition. And in cities that are hosting, the Olympics has been met with hostility. 

Protesters tried to put out the Olympic torch in Rio, and in Tokyo public outcry at the cost of the stadium for 2020 has led to a complete redesign. Four expert witnesses pin-point exactly what is putting off potential host cities and discuss radical solutions.

(Image 'No Boston Olympics' permission from Liam Kerr and Chris Dempsey)

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