Hosting the Olympics

Is it a good investment for cities?

  • By:Christopher Hack
  • Content Type: Report
  • Publisher: CQ Press
    • Publication year: 2012
    • Online pub date:
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/cqrglobal20120703

Introduction

At the end of this month, four billion people around the world will watch the televised opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. More than 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries will compete, all hoping to be the fastest, strongest and best in their fields. Britain will spend about $19 billion on the event at a time when a financial crisis is raging across Europe and governments are slashing spending. While the sports-loving British are mostly enthusiastic about hosting the event, some question whether so much money should have been spent on non-essential sports facilities during a time of austerity and whether the city will ever get a return on its massive investment. Athens, the last European capital to host the summer ...

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