Even though the Beijing Olympics are practically upon us, the International Olympic Committee is always focused on the future. The IOC just recently announced the shortlist for the XXXI Summer Olympiad, to take place in 2016. Four hopeful cities, Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid, and Rio de Janeiro are now vying for the ultimate sports blazon: being an Olympic host. So we took a moment to handicap the contestants.
Rio is the only candidate in a country which hasn't yet hosted the event, but it is no stranger to big sports competitions, having successfully staged the XV Pan American Games last year. A winning bid for Rio would also mark the first time for the event to be held in South America. Chicago and Tokyo have both won previous bids—Chicago's bid, however, was transferred to St. Louis to coincide with the World's Fair that year (1904)—and the Japanese capital served as host to the Games in 1964. A Madrid win would come 24 years after Barcelona bore that torch for Spain's first Olympics in 1992.
If sports tourism is your thing, you'll be happy to know your destination choices will be narrowed down in October of 2009, when the winning city is announced. In the meantime, you can enjoy more statistics and catch up on bid standings here and here. And if 2016 is too far ahead, and your team-spirit cravings need more immediate satisfaction, you can start planning right away for any of these upcoming global sports events after the jump:
-XXIX Summer Olympics, hosted by Beijing, China, this August.
-XXI Winter Olympics, hosted by Vancouver, Canada, in February 2010.
-World Cup in Soccer, hosted by South Africa in June/July 2010.
-1st Youth Olympic Games, hosted by Singapore in August 2010.
-XVI Pan American Games, hosted by Guadalajara, Mexico, in October 2011.
-XXX Summer Olympics, hosted by London, England, in July/August 2012.
-XXII Winter Olympics, hosted by Sochi, Russia, in February 2014.
-World Cup in Soccer, hosted by Brazil in 2014.
Go Team, to anywhere but Chicago!
Chicago already receives 40 million visitors a year. It already boasts some fairly state of the art sports viewing facilities with a recently revamped Soldier Field and a slightly less new (but still new) United Center. Space along the waterfront is fairly well managed. Leading to the questions of: 1- where to put all the junk that goes with the Olympics and 2- where to put all the people that go with the Olympics.
As a future Chicagoan, I'm rooting for Rio. They could use the economic infusion the most, it would be historic, it would break the "north of the equator" history of the games. And South Americans are the greatest fans on earth of pretty much anything. Watch futbol games from South America. Watch U23D. Listen to Rush in Rio. Compare and contrast with crowds from other futbol games around the world, Rolling Stones "Shine a Light" and other, non-South American live concert records. Rio would be a great Olympics. Chicago would be a nightmare (speaking as a resident, from the start of next week).
Posted by: ML Harris | June 16, 2008 at 01:20 PM
Hello! I love Madrid, its a great place to go, and now there is lots of stuff to do there as a family. There are restaurants, parks, shops, cinemas and lots of other cool things. Bye. Adam
Posted by: Adam Winogrodzki | July 09, 2008 at 08:30 PM
I was at Madrid in 92. What an amazing experience. I hope to relive it in 2016!
Posted by: Hotels in Barcelona | July 15, 2008 at 11:28 AM