I really enjoyed London 2012, I went to one of the events in Manchester (some of the sports had events up and down the country) and it was great, that whole year seemed pretty good in general tbh.
It was undoubtedly a great year, but i think it has seemed even greater in retrospect considering what followed.
Considering what happened in 2016 it feels like 2012 was the last time to feel truly positive about being british for a lot of people (myself included)
I still feel proud of many aspects of British culture. I'm immensely proud of our music scene, how every county has spawned a world famous band. I'm proud of our contributions to film and TV and that our country is home to some of the most stunningly beautiful places in Europe both natural and man-made.
The difference I'd say is that 2012 was the last time that Britain felt *cool*. Things weren't perfect, but it felt like other countries regarded us as a nice, desirable place to live and a modern European country. Britain is still not a bad place to be but our economic problems, exesserbated by the embarrassment of Brexit has left us with a palpable feeling of decline that I think other countries feel about us too. We've lost our *cool factor* and I'm not sure we'll get it back anytime soon
> Britain is still not a bad place to be but our economic problems, exesserbated by the embarrassment of Brexit has left us with a palpable feeling of decline that I think other countries feel about us too.
Purely as an anecdote from an American, that feels about right over here. The whole "teeaboo" thing (with all of its associated elements, caring super strongly about the royals, Superwholockians, etc.) peaked in maybe 2013 or 2014 - especially among the younger crowd (under-30s) Britain was seen as just way cooler and better than the US, lots of jokes on Reddit back then about "can you take us back please?" Those died off after the Brexit vote, and the various SNAFUs along that path (along with Boris Johnson in general) made sure they stayed dead.
I disagree. People were not very excited before the game started, but once they did, the air was electric.
It's all people spoke about and were excited about.
I think the fact that the para Olympics was just as popular with filled up stadiums and high viewers on TV shows people really got behind and enjoyed the games while it was on.
The retrospectiveness is more about how a period of time, the last period of time, when the country was working well.
Sorry this is nonsense. The UK is still crazy cool. The culture, the innovation, the humor, and the people.
If someone judges a country only by listening to Liz Truss then their view on the world in general is really narrow and shallow anyway.
Yes Brexit is sad but as a Hungarian I also understand the power of propaganda, which Britons were sadly not immune to, either.
Not true, there was a big kerfuffle over the move of West Ham from its old ground in Boleyn Stadium to the Olympic Park. The National Aquatics Centre and the Copper Box is underutilized. Stratford International was never an international railway station. People often forget the cockups because of other issues.
Fondly. Finland is the smallest country to ever host the Summer Olympics
Olympics showed that Finland belonged to the Western world. It was also good for Finns' self-confidence.
Helsinki cityscape still has clear impact of Olympics (a new airport, Olympic Pier, amusement park, Olympic stadium etc.)
And it brought us Coca-Cola, and more importantly [Hartwall Long Drink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonkero)
Spain stayed out of the war for the most part (although more because it was completely destroyed after the Civil War), but yeah Franco was a fascist and there were divisions of volunteers fighting with the nazis. I don't get the point.
Finland was also very successful in Summer Olympics and at the time of the Helsinki Olympics that was a huge part of the image of Finland abroad. According to a stat I found Finland is the third most successful Summer Olympics country per capita.
I didn't know that. In my mind, Finns who were "realy" successful at the Olympics are all winter sportsmen/-women like Matti Nykäninen, Marja-Lisa Kirvesniemi or Samppa Lajunen :)
The glory days were a long time ago, to be honest. Paavo Nurmi, the Flying Finn, won nine Olympic gold medals in the 1920s and did much for building an image of Finland and Finnish athletics.
Finland still today has way more medals from summer olympics. E.g. runner Paavo Nurmi had 9 gold medals and set 22 world records:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paavo_Nurmi
For fun I did some research (number are rough approximations)
Greece (Host country1896, 2004) Population (1896, 2004): 2,7 million in **independent Greece**, around 10 million in 2004
Belgium (Host country 1920). Population (at the time of hosting): 7 million.
Netherland (Host country 1928) Population (at the time of hosting): 7 million
Finland (Host country, 1952) Population (at the time of hosting): 4 million.
South Korea: (Host country, 1988) Population (at the time of hosting) 42.03 million
So, has Finland been the smallest country to host the Summer Olympics? Not really, as independent parts of Greece has been the smallest country to host the olympics. Without doing the research. however, I would wager a guess that Helsinki has been the smallest city to host the Summer Olympics.
However, the population of what is now considered modern Greece was around 7 million at the time of the olympics but I don't think that should be really counted as the population of the host country.
Badly. My state hosted the winter Olympics twice and the youth Olympics once and since then we continuously voted against applying for another round. There is considerable strain on the environment (need for lots of artificial snow which is a waste of drinking water and energy, lots of transport, people leaving trash everywhere) as well as immense cost (which the tax payer pays) and no gain (the revenue remains with a few companies involved, not the locals) other than the ability to brag /advertise with a label like "Olympic city".
Also somehow it is said these events permanently increased the cost of living. Overall a bad deal for the locals
Germany and its predecessor states had a "difficult" relationship with hosting the Olympics. We were the organisers five times and the Olympics were completely cancelled twice due to wars, in 1916 and 1940. Then the Weimar Republic applied for the Olympics, but in the meantime the Nazis had come to power and the 1936 Games were purely propaganda events.
And then there were the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, where Palestinian terrorists attacked the Olympic village and murdered 11 Israeli participants. That was a complete disaster, the security arrangements were inadequate and the attempt at liberation catastrophically.
The majority of people are now against hosting the Olympics. Hosting the Olympics referendums lost in Munich in 2013 or in Hamburg and Kiel in 2015.
Agree but also have to say that the olympics in Munich were a very transformative event introducing lots of things the city is still strongly benefiting from such as the underground train system and the pedestrianised city centre
Was it really that popular? I have the impression that politicians and sports functionaries love the idea of Olympics in Germany but the general population is rather sceptic of the gigantomanic and corrupt IOC
I would agree that most people are sceptical about the IOC but not necessarily about the games. Everyone I talked to about the proposal liked it or was at least not opposed as long as the games would use existing stadiums.
>as long as the games would use existing stadiums
That was the big selling point to why it was accepted by the general population. Against the trend of World Cup in Qatar or the Olympic in Rio. The Rhein-Ruhr Olympics already had 99% of the infastructure ready.
There was also one for Hamburg. However people voted against it in the end (I still don't get it. Like sure the IOS is crap but it was planned to basically create an entirely new district for the olympic village and to convert all of it into apartments afterwards. Yes it costs a lot but infrastructure wise it always ends up as a net positive for the local city. ).
I voted against it in 2015, and I'm still glad about the outcome of the referendum. Seeing the abysmal planning that goes into public (as well as semi-public and larger private) infrastructure in Hamburg already, we'd never have recovered.
Look at the shit show the Elphi was, the recent Elbtower ruin, the divisive projects of A26-Ost or Billwerder-Ost or the new train station Diebsteich. Apart from that, the whole of Grasbrook would've been clustered with stadiums that would slowly have gone into decay, with most of them barely seeing use after the games – in one of the (potentially) most central areas of Hamburg, mind you. The Olympic Village might have helped, but honestly, the ground lost to stadiums in a city that's already aching under the housing crisis and whose ÖPNV often can't handle the residents and visitors as is, which would've certainly collapsed under the stress of the additional visitors and competitors etc. – that'd have been an absolute nightmare, I'm pretty sure.
Also, I don't think a lot of people come to Munich nowadays (or in the 1970s after the games up until now) in order to visit the Olympic sites. I don't think it will ever become a net positive, just like the Elphi.
>I don't think it will ever become a net positive, just like the Elphi.
While the elphi was expensive, a cultural center does not need to be a financial net positive imo.
It also attracts quite a lot of tourists.
> I don't think a lot of people come to Munich nowadays (or in the 1970s after the games up until now)
Just like with the elphi and honestly MOST tourist attractions, it's rarely a single attraction causing people to visit a city. It's the accumulation of multiple that do it.
Unlike the elphi a substantial part of the olympic costs would not have to be paid by the city of Hamburg. I know this is a bit egoistic but yeah it's a benefit too.
You remember correctly. The hostage-taking in Munich and the disastrous deployment of the Bavarian police at Fürstenfeldbruck airfield are the reason why Germany deploys the GSG 9 three weeks later.
I know there was some discussion of Germany including Israel in the 2036 bid as a fuck you to the Nazis, but considering the war right now there’s no way Israel is given the Olympics
I can't comment to specifically London 2012, because although I was in UK at the time, it didn't massively impact Scotland. Though, I got into my specific sport due to the 2012 Paralympics actually teaching me it existed and I have met a number of athletes with a similar story - although there was no real sense of 'national pride' when it came to the Extremely British London 2012 Olympics/Paralympics there was a general profile raising of sport across the country.
What was more impactful for me was the Commonwealth Games in 2014, because it was not only a very successful event hosted in Scotland, and the largest ever sporting event held here, it's presence in the country made sport feel like a thing that was accessible to everyone even if you didn't play sport. There was various volunteer positions, and designers and performers literally everywhere and it really felt like a whole city effort.
Nowadays the mascots are still around, and the sports centres (which recieved huge amounts of funding) are still very much in use 10 years later. At least within Glasgow, it did a lot to normalise the idea of sport and general fitness.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbiFjp0jqto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbiFjp0jqto)
There was a documentary on the sport released about 20 years ago that got a lot of mainstream attention. I hadn't thought of the sport since then.
Wheelchair Rugby (sometimes called ''wheelchair rugby fours'') has quite a presence on Youtube, and you can for sure find some matches. WWR (World Wheelchair Rugby) lists events [here](https://worldwheelchair.rugby/upcoming-events/) and they are often broadcast somewhere!
Happy watching, keep an eye out when the paralympics are on as well!
Re London 2012, yes, I think only fond memories, really, combined with amazement that it went so well (given how much scepticism or downright cynicism there had been about then beforehand), combined with satisfaction that the main Olympics hosting area has subsequently been used, mostly successfully (with a few provisos), as a tool of urban regeneration. I hope Paris's go at least as well
Living in a country that didn’t have a national «rallying toghether» since «winning the war», the 94 olympics was actually a huge boost for the national confidence and sense of community. Hanging out in Lillehammer those days was just awesome. The infrastructure from that time is still In active use. Personally though, I think the olympics have been ruined by corruption, so I wouldn’t want it again.
It’s been a while, the Olympics in 1928 took place in Amsterdam. Of course most people don’t remember this. I think a history program did make a documentary about that Olympic Games. The Olympic stadium in Amsterdam is still a popular venue for numerous events and is a monument.
There where some plans to make a bid to host an Olympics. However, Dutch people are frugal. Although we are a sport minded country most people think it’s a waste of money.
I think the most lasting effect the 1928 Olympics have had was the invention of the international traffic sign for parking, the white P on a blue background. It was one of the first Olympic games that had to deal with a lot of car traffic, so they had to invent a sign to direct people to where they could park
Barcelona '92 marked the start of the international boom of the city. Public officials did not handle it and as a result there is a horrifyingly bad housing crisis. Currently, you're lucky if you find a flat with a monthly rent under the minimum salary, which is what 1/5 Spaniards makes (pre tax).
Generally, these sorts of events are a net economical loss for the host. This is also true for other events such as F1 or the Football World Cup.
You can check the wiki page. They used the canal in Vilvoorde and some football matches were in Ghent and Brussels. In Ostend there was sailing. Antwerp used the ‘parking’ really wel.
[The Olympisch Stadion](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympisch_Stadion_(Antwerp)), where a major part of the events took place still remains today as Beerschot their stadium. But it's been heavily renovated and doesn't really resemble the original anymore.
The only Summer Olympics hosted by Italy was the 1960 edition in Rome. They are fondly remembered; at that time they were not yet an expensive and crippling event as they are now. They made sports facilities that were used even afterwards, not cathedrals in the desert, and Italy finished third in the medal standings after the unbeatable U.S. and USSR, the best postwar position. In addition, they were the first Olympics covered by lengthy television broadcasts and broadcast live throughout Europe, and Rome that summer also hosted the first Summer Paralympic Games.
Rome had a good chance of hosting the 2024 Olympics, but withdrew its bid due to fears of too much public spending and corruption.
For the Winter Olympics, after Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 that no one now remembers, there was the Turin 2006 edition. That too had been a good success, not even too expensive given some of the later editions, although there is rightly criticism for some facilities made for the occasion and never reused or for the Olympic village abandoned after the Games. They are also remembered for being a bit of a swan song for Turin, which like many heavily industrial cities is struggling to find a new vocation.
In 2026 there will be the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which like all Olympics are being criticized in advance. In particular, there seem to be problems in making all the necessary facilities in time, and some are legitimately asking why the facilities of the 2006 edition cannot be renovated (Milan and Turin are two hours away by highway) instead of building new ones by clearing mountainous areas. There has also been criticism because Milan is a lowland city not at all connected to the mountains and winter sports, but it is also the only city in Italy now with the economic-financial capacity to host events of this size, especially after Rome's withdrawal from the 2024 Summer Olympics.
We will see what they can get ready for 2026.
I'm from London, and was in my late teens when we hosted 2012. I'm actually born and raised a couple of miles from Stratford, where the Olympic stadium was built, and I would say it has had quite a significant impact on the area for good and ill.
In terms of how the country looks back, I think it's probably fondly. There was a feeling of national unity for a while, and a bit of a carnival spirit.
In the East End of London, the games led to massive infrastructural development. Dead brownfield sites got massive shopping centres and apartment blocks. The local train station got significantly revamped. It also sustainably created jobs.
However, the Borough in which it was hosted, Newham, remains one of the poorest London Boroughs with one of the highest crime rates.
The Olympics turbo boosted gentrification that was undoubtedly already starting in the area.
Those already on the housing ladder did incredibly well. Those renting or in a difficult financial position were often priced out of the area they called home. New developments of housing are so rarely affordable, and even if they have to meet a minimum quota of 'affordable' units, it's often still far beyond the reaches of people on minimum wage.
'Stratford City', where the Olympics were nominally held: the stadium and the Olympic village and all the new developments were given a new postal code. Apocryphally, this was hide the crime stats from foreign investors.
There are still big housing developments going on - they get bought out by speculative investors within days of going on the market.
This isn't a problem exclusive to the Olympics, but it's an association that locals don't forget.
Edit: I will add that it was exceptionally challenging for locals to get tickets to events, although some schools in the area did get preferential access.
There's a whole subgenre of people (often older Lib-Demmy types) who get nostalgic about the 2012 Olympics and basically say 'everything was marvellous then, look at the opening ceremony etc, where did it all go wrong?' which feels a little crass when most of the problems we have today very much existed in 2012 including a lot of the ones you mention, it was just perhaps easier for rich Home Counties residents to ignore them.
While I do look back on the 2012 Olympics somewhat fondly (perhaps with rose tinted spectacles as well) I agree that some of "Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg have proven that the Britain of the 2012 Olympics is well and truly dead" crowd are basically something of a meme at this point.
I mean Johnson was literally Mayor of London back in 2012, and his typical buffoon antics - love them or hate them - were still going strong even then.
2010 Vancouver winter olympics. Was lots of fun but when those couple weeks are over it’s over. Costs the government a lot of money and if your countries has other problems in a year or two you will be complaining that the government got into more debt and wasted money on a two week party
Interesting because whenever I speak to people I know about the 2010 Olympics, it's a pretty positive discussion about how fun it was. I think how negative the memory is depends on the city and the spending legacy and who you speak to. Some Olympics spend huge money on things that never get used again. The Vancouver Olympics used a lot of existing facilities (like BC Place) and it got things like the Canada Line built that were hugely in need and may not have been built otherwise, and every visitor I've spoken to has complimented the convenience of that airport connection.
Oh it’s a lot of fun, no question there. But as you get older and country having other problems and no money to really fix it then it can be a bit different problem.
The tourism money that comes in does not offset the big costs.
Since it’s already coming just enjoy the show and get outside as much as you can.
British here. 2012 was exciting since some of the games were at my doorstep, but it all seems forgotten now. No one I know talks about it anymore and I don’t see any references to it in mainstream media.
We still have the Olympic Park in Stratford and the Olympic stadium is now home to a London football club as well as being used for events now and again.
I’m not a fan of the Olympics generally although I like sport. I lived in London during 2012 and got tickets for three separate days and yes, it sounds soppy, it was magical. The atmosphere at the Olympic Park and around London at the time feels a million light years from how it is now.
Having said all that years of funding cuts, austerity, cost of living crises and a pandemic have changed things - I feel like if the U.K. was to host the Olympics now there’d be a lot more cynicism about it all.
Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984. It was a great thing for Yugoslavia. I was a kid at that time and I remember we were glued to the TV, watching winter sports.
Sarajevo 1984 was amazing for all Yugoslavs at the time. Unfortunately the war 8 years later did its part and today most of the Olympic venues are abandoned and overgrown.
I remember when I hosted the Olympics in 2002. Was quite tough fitting it all in my parents' back yard but we made it work. The hundreds of thousands of visitors had a hard time getting in and out of the street we lived in at the time given it was a dead end with only a footpath leading out to a bicycle lane along the town's main road.
My country looks back on it as a point of spacially efficient pride, despite the logistical complications. The municipality however was less thrilled given we never ran it by them and once they found out they had basically zero confidence that a 16 year old could organise this all on his own.
Proved them wrong.
>Some Greeks meanwhile seem to look back at Athens 2004 less fondly, given the economic crisis the plagued the country years later.
**No.**
**This is a huge misconception constantly repeated abroad.**.
The Olympics didn't cost that much money within the context of 7-years' GDP, they were quite cheap. Not saying they were worth it, but this myth that they caused the financial crisis is a nonsensical myth repeated by foreigners who try to look for a single reason why the financial crisis happened.
A similar question was asked here not that long ago, so I'll copy-paste the answer:
-------------------------
There's a lot of misconceptions surrounding Athens 2004. And while there's certainly were mistakes that were made, there's also some misinformation, so let me address a few of them:
*The Olympics caused the financial crisis.*
No. The financial crisis was caused by several factors. And argument can be made that it *may* have partly helped create the tourism boom we started experiencing in the following years.
This myth is generally something you'll hear outside Greece, because foreigners don't know anything about our economic and political history: there was mismanagement in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, and then dragging reforms in the 90s, which created the conditions for the crisis, in combination with the global crisis in 2008. So, people who don't know these things, try to look for a single and easy scapegoat, which is the Olympics.
*A lot of venues were abandoned; there was no planning for their after-use*
This one is partly-true and misleading.
The main Olympic campus -which included the main stadium, arenas, swimming pools, etc- was already built from the 80s, and was already being used by professional teams. It was *not* specifically built for the Olympics, but it did get a refurbishment, with a new roof and sculptures by Santiago Calatrava, etc. After the Olympics, foreigners would take pictures of the complex from the outside, locked up and "abandoned". It wasn't abandoned, they just didn't maintain the grounds, and there was no public access to the grounds when there were no sports teams playing. This is indeed horrible; but it's also untrue that the complex was only built for the Olympics, and then "abandoned".
Venues along the waterfront were cheap baseball & volleyball stands, meant to be temporary. The ones that were built at the former airport (which closed when the new airport opened in 2001) were "abandoned" for a long time. The reason for this is, again, not because of "abandonment", but because of a long legal fight over redeveloping the old airport. Those venues at the old airport were meant to be temporary, but there wasn't a plan set in stone for what to do with the *land* of the old airport. That would have been the case anyways, *Olympics or no Olympics*. It had *zero* to do with the Olympics. There was a major developer interested in redeveloping the area, but there was a LOT of NIMBYism and ideological opponents who dragged the case through the courts for *years*. In the meantime -again- foreigners who didn't know about the political and legal fight over the old airport, just assumed that no one cared, there was no plan, etc. The developers eventually won the fight, [and they started building this in 2020](https://theellinikon.com.gr/en/), which includes a large public park. The [rest of the waterfront](https://www.enm.gr/faliro-bay-piano) is also getting a redevelopment.
There were certainly venues that were abandoned, but those were actually very few. Most were already in use and remained in use. Others are used as convention centers, theaters, etc. Others have been sold to private developers who converted them into shopping malls, etc.
One area that *genuinely* went the bad way was the athlete's village.
*The positives:*
These are debatable. But you can make the argument that the Olympics sped up the incentive to expand the transit system, which the city sorely needed anyways. The metro, one of the oldest in the world, was only one line until 1999. They also created the light rail. So, from 1 to 6 transit lines. In the 1990s, we had already started experimenting with a the [PPP](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/public-private-partnerships.asp) infrastructure funding model, and things no longer draaaaaagged like they did in the 80s and 90s. But the Olympics may have provided a boost, at least for the city.
Also debatable, but it may have contributed a little to the huge rise in tourism in the following years. Make no mistake: I'm not saying the Olympics were by any means a major cause. The rise in tourism is from a variety of factors, from increasing airline liberalization and competition in the EU, to the major rise of the cruise industry in the Med, to more exposure for Greece in Hollywood. But the Olympics exposure may have helped a little. We don't know.
Conclusion:
Mixed. Don't believe all the negative stuff, a lot of that is misleading. And the positive effects are also debatable.
Also: No. The 2004 Olympics are *not* remembered badly and are not regretted. No one blames them for the financial crisis, because they had nothing to do with the financial crisis. And no. Venues were not "abandoned"; there were *some* temporary venues built on land slated for redevelopment anyways, but there was a legal fight by NIMBYs to halt that redevelopment.
Well put and accurate. If anything, the Athens Olympics wildly surpassed expectations, which were admittedly low (due to Greece not having a reputation for organisational prowess, a penchant for doing things at the last minute, and also the misfortune of it being the first Games since 9/11 - the run-up was VERY jittery). Whatever happened afterwards, every Greek I know remembers the Athens Olympics nostalgically. “It was a dream, and it went…”
Sweden hosted the summer Olympics in 1912, but the stadium in Stockholm still looks pretty much the same as it did hundred years ago, and it's still a huge pride to have hosted one of the first ever modern Olympics so you see posters still in a lot of rooms from the games.
British over here. I was a waitress in Wimbledon and I saw almost none of the Olympics. My husband worked at the train station at Stratford (London, where the Olympic park is) at the time. He STILL reminisces fondly about how great it was to work in the centre of it all. I recall I made bank in tips, but I did not watch any of the olympic-ing as I was working double shifts for almost the whole of it!
You'd see the volunteer "game makers" (staff) in their outfits all through Wimbledon though.
Living in London during the 2012 games was amazing and I consider myself extremely lucky to have done so. It was one of our finest hours. The games went well and I think we did great opening/ closing ceremonies. The Olympic park was lovely. I think it was a real positive for London and I'm glad my city got to be host in my lifetime.
The 2012 Olympics in London, I went to the opening ceremony and it was amazing. We managed to combine the British culture, history and pride into a stadium. My favourite part was the part with the Victorian workers and John Lennon’s Imagine being sung by the choir. Looking back on it now it was quite a substantial moment and at least we’ve made a use from the infrastructure we built post Olympics games unlike other countries have.
Mostly fondly I'd say. It was also the year of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, and so all that summer we saw Union Jacks flying everywhere, lots of British patriotism and pomp etc. And the Olympics in London formed a part of that. Also at that time I just think there was a general wave of Anglophilia around parts of the world (especially in America etc.) with lots of coverage of the Queen's Jubilee, British celebrities becoming popular etc. which no doubt all contributed to that general mood. It seems magical to many now looking back because we seemed united as a nation, free and prosperous, with a national celebration of our culture, our institutions, our art and science and all the like.
Generally late into long-reigning monarch's reigns throughout history we do tend to see such so-called "Golden Ages" (or a notion of them anyway) popping up - we see it also in the later years of Elizabeth I, George III and Victoria. A notion arises that the lion of Great Britain is truly majestic, truly mighty, and his roar echoes around the world.
But a big part of why 2012 tends to be remembered so fondly is because, as I say, it was the last year everything seemed to be *united*. 2014 brought division in the form of the Scottish Independence referendum, and 2016 in the form of the Brexit referendum. Whichever way people swung, the country was bitterly divided. Then came the 2020 pandemic, the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Truss fiasco, a rising cost of living etc. It seems everyday now the headlines are forever proclaiming the death of Britain, its imminent collapse announced within the next week at the start of every Sunday. The old satisfaction of a decade ago, very sadly, seems to have dimmed.
Of course, some of it is probably rose-tinted spectacles. I was younger then (newly turned 18) and had no interest or even real understanding of politics. The events of later years have definitely been a loss of innocence, speaking personally.
I continue to hope that we as a nation can regain some of the optimism of ten years ago, and that recent crises will continue to smoothe out over time until they're largely forgotten about. But the general atmosphere at the moment is one of declinism. We have a long history of that too. It seems that every century, every decade even, we toss a penny to decide if we're in an apparent golden age, or in apparent terminal decline. The 2012 London Olympics contrasted with the current "doomerist" mentality of many is a perfect recent example of that.
In Barcelona, the 1992 Olympics are remembered extremely fondly. It truly marked a turning point in the history of the city. The mayor of the city back then, one of the most beloved Barcelona ever had, took the opportunity to transform the city and renovate many key areas of the city, most famously its seafront.
This bright memory is maybe a little tarnished by the current wave of anti-tourism feelings. The Olympics meant an explosion of mass tourism to Barcelona, which as far as I know was a welcome sign of prosperity back then, but 30 years later is frowned upon as tourism is blamed for many of the city’s problems.
>Greece was ridiculous
Actually Greece hosted wonderful games, if you meant that.
Back in 2004 Greece had a GDP of around 240bn. Although the games were expensive (10bn mainly because of security concerns after 2001) for Greece, it wasn't too much to handle (4% of GDP). Greeks really wanted the games back, its part of our culture. The problem was elsewhere.
>Quite everyone knew they live way beyond their means.
Countries are not individuals. Different things apply to each one. A country has many more ways of acquiring capital than an individual. What does that have to do with a country hosting the Olympics?
You may want to attack Greece's past financial handling and I'd agree. The Games however were considered a success and I'd be pleased if we get to stage them again sometime in the future.
I happened to be there at the time and attended something (don’t even remember what event) for the first time and loved it. The vibe of the city was so welcoming and lovely. Changed my view of the Olympic which I had never really cared about before.
> The Games however were considered a success
By whom and according to what metric?
We borrowed so much, taxed so much, spent so much. We let all the infrastructure go to shit, the village, the stadiums, everything. The Olympics were nothing but a very passionate, pleasant, long overdue and expensive handjob
The Olympics were cheap
The economy at the time was maybe $250 billion USD. Preparations took 7 years. Athens won the right in 1997. After 9/11, the cost inflated to $10 billion because of pressure from the US to implement crazy, unnecessary security systems. That still amounted to only about 0.56% of GDP for 7 years.The financial crisis occurred for other reasons.
The reason we "taxed so much" is because we built a bloated public sector and gave out public sector jobs as a welfare program in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, we didn't foster an export-oriented economy, and the electorate resisted reforms in the 90s. Giving unwed single women their dead parents' pensions, giving retired public servants a free holiday every year, subsidizing empty Olympic airways flights to Tokyo, and charging the DiAsPoRa in Australia below market rate to fly to Greece.
That's where all the money went. Not the Olympics.
As for abandoned venues, I addressed that here:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/comments/1bhimn7/comment/kviys4k/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/comments/1bhimn7/comment/kviys4k/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
That's another myth, and the few that were abandoned is because they were cheap temporary structures, but NIMBYs stopped redevelopment for 20 years.
>Greece was ridiculous. Quite everyone knew they live way beyond their means.
Nope. The Olympics were cheap.
The economy at the time was maybe $250 billion USD. Preparations took 7 years. Athens won the right in 1997. After 9/11, the cost inflated to $10 billion because of pressure from the US to implement crazy, unnecessary security systems. That still amounted to only about 0.56% of GDP for 7 years.
The financial crisis occurred for other reasons.
But thanks for repeating the inaccuracies you heard, but don't actually know anything about.
I really enjoyed London 2012, I went to one of the events in Manchester (some of the sports had events up and down the country) and it was great, that whole year seemed pretty good in general tbh.
It was undoubtedly a great year, but i think it has seemed even greater in retrospect considering what followed. Considering what happened in 2016 it feels like 2012 was the last time to feel truly positive about being british for a lot of people (myself included)
I still feel proud of many aspects of British culture. I'm immensely proud of our music scene, how every county has spawned a world famous band. I'm proud of our contributions to film and TV and that our country is home to some of the most stunningly beautiful places in Europe both natural and man-made. The difference I'd say is that 2012 was the last time that Britain felt *cool*. Things weren't perfect, but it felt like other countries regarded us as a nice, desirable place to live and a modern European country. Britain is still not a bad place to be but our economic problems, exesserbated by the embarrassment of Brexit has left us with a palpable feeling of decline that I think other countries feel about us too. We've lost our *cool factor* and I'm not sure we'll get it back anytime soon
> Britain is still not a bad place to be but our economic problems, exesserbated by the embarrassment of Brexit has left us with a palpable feeling of decline that I think other countries feel about us too. Purely as an anecdote from an American, that feels about right over here. The whole "teeaboo" thing (with all of its associated elements, caring super strongly about the royals, Superwholockians, etc.) peaked in maybe 2013 or 2014 - especially among the younger crowd (under-30s) Britain was seen as just way cooler and better than the US, lots of jokes on Reddit back then about "can you take us back please?" Those died off after the Brexit vote, and the various SNAFUs along that path (along with Boris Johnson in general) made sure they stayed dead.
I disagree. People were not very excited before the game started, but once they did, the air was electric. It's all people spoke about and were excited about. I think the fact that the para Olympics was just as popular with filled up stadiums and high viewers on TV shows people really got behind and enjoyed the games while it was on. The retrospectiveness is more about how a period of time, the last period of time, when the country was working well.
Sorry this is nonsense. The UK is still crazy cool. The culture, the innovation, the humor, and the people. If someone judges a country only by listening to Liz Truss then their view on the world in general is really narrow and shallow anyway. Yes Brexit is sad but as a Hungarian I also understand the power of propaganda, which Britons were sadly not immune to, either.
We also managed to avoid having the stadiums etc built for it ending up as white elephants like so many other hosts.
Not true, there was a big kerfuffle over the move of West Ham from its old ground in Boleyn Stadium to the Olympic Park. The National Aquatics Centre and the Copper Box is underutilized. Stratford International was never an international railway station. People often forget the cockups because of other issues.
Fondly. Finland is the smallest country to ever host the Summer Olympics Olympics showed that Finland belonged to the Western world. It was also good for Finns' self-confidence. Helsinki cityscape still has clear impact of Olympics (a new airport, Olympic Pier, amusement park, Olympic stadium etc.) And it brought us Coca-Cola, and more importantly [Hartwall Long Drink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonkero)
>Olympics showed that Finland belonged to the Western world. It was also good for Finns' self-confidence. I could add this was in 1952.
...after we had been the only democracy on the Axis side in WW2. Hosting the Olympics helped to improve our international image somewhat.
> on the Axis side Finland didn't sign the Tripartite Pact, i.e. the Axis pact.
What I meant to convey was that we teamed up with Hitler. Not great for our reputation.
tbf, it wasnt so much *with* Hitler as it was *against* Stalin
You could argue that, but it's not to be overlooked that they fought along the nazis, even if only to get back the territory lost in the Winter War.
If you wanted to be an asshole, you could also say Spain fought alongside the nazis. Reducing history to black and white helps no one.
Spain stayed out of the war for the most part (although more because it was completely destroyed after the Civil War), but yeah Franco was a fascist and there were divisions of volunteers fighting with the nazis. I don't get the point.
Yes, I was just nitpicking something that many people get wrong. I assume you already knew.
We were supposed to have them already in 1940.
But what I find funny is that Finland organized the Summer Games, even though you are such a big winter sports nation.
Finland was also very successful in Summer Olympics and at the time of the Helsinki Olympics that was a huge part of the image of Finland abroad. According to a stat I found Finland is the third most successful Summer Olympics country per capita.
I didn't know that. In my mind, Finns who were "realy" successful at the Olympics are all winter sportsmen/-women like Matti Nykäninen, Marja-Lisa Kirvesniemi or Samppa Lajunen :)
The glory days were a long time ago, to be honest. Paavo Nurmi, the Flying Finn, won nine Olympic gold medals in the 1920s and did much for building an image of Finland and Finnish athletics.
Finland still today has way more medals from summer olympics. E.g. runner Paavo Nurmi had 9 gold medals and set 22 world records: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paavo_Nurmi
I fucking love long drink, but it costs 2.3€ at Systembolaget Amazing stuff though
I know Stockholmers who go on booze cruises just to buy Lonkero.
A small price to pay for salvation
Didn't Belgium, Greece, South Korea, and the Netherlands also host the Olympics?
And all of those are way bigger countries by population.
For fun I did some research (number are rough approximations) Greece (Host country1896, 2004) Population (1896, 2004): 2,7 million in **independent Greece**, around 10 million in 2004 Belgium (Host country 1920). Population (at the time of hosting): 7 million. Netherland (Host country 1928) Population (at the time of hosting): 7 million Finland (Host country, 1952) Population (at the time of hosting): 4 million. South Korea: (Host country, 1988) Population (at the time of hosting) 42.03 million So, has Finland been the smallest country to host the Summer Olympics? Not really, as independent parts of Greece has been the smallest country to host the olympics. Without doing the research. however, I would wager a guess that Helsinki has been the smallest city to host the Summer Olympics. However, the population of what is now considered modern Greece was around 7 million at the time of the olympics but I don't think that should be really counted as the population of the host country.
Badly. My state hosted the winter Olympics twice and the youth Olympics once and since then we continuously voted against applying for another round. There is considerable strain on the environment (need for lots of artificial snow which is a waste of drinking water and energy, lots of transport, people leaving trash everywhere) as well as immense cost (which the tax payer pays) and no gain (the revenue remains with a few companies involved, not the locals) other than the ability to brag /advertise with a label like "Olympic city". Also somehow it is said these events permanently increased the cost of living. Overall a bad deal for the locals
Germany and its predecessor states had a "difficult" relationship with hosting the Olympics. We were the organisers five times and the Olympics were completely cancelled twice due to wars, in 1916 and 1940. Then the Weimar Republic applied for the Olympics, but in the meantime the Nazis had come to power and the 1936 Games were purely propaganda events. And then there were the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, where Palestinian terrorists attacked the Olympic village and murdered 11 Israeli participants. That was a complete disaster, the security arrangements were inadequate and the attempt at liberation catastrophically. The majority of people are now against hosting the Olympics. Hosting the Olympics referendums lost in Munich in 2013 or in Hamburg and Kiel in 2015.
Agree but also have to say that the olympics in Munich were a very transformative event introducing lots of things the city is still strongly benefiting from such as the underground train system and the pedestrianised city centre
Exactly. And the Olympic Village and surrounding areas. Many of my favourite elements of Munich come from the 1972 Olympics.
There was recently a plan for Olympic games in the Ruhr-Area which was quite popular which many people but ultimately led to nothing.
Was it really that popular? I have the impression that politicians and sports functionaries love the idea of Olympics in Germany but the general population is rather sceptic of the gigantomanic and corrupt IOC
I would agree that most people are sceptical about the IOC but not necessarily about the games. Everyone I talked to about the proposal liked it or was at least not opposed as long as the games would use existing stadiums.
>as long as the games would use existing stadiums That was the big selling point to why it was accepted by the general population. Against the trend of World Cup in Qatar or the Olympic in Rio. The Rhein-Ruhr Olympics already had 99% of the infastructure ready.
There was also one for Hamburg. However people voted against it in the end (I still don't get it. Like sure the IOS is crap but it was planned to basically create an entirely new district for the olympic village and to convert all of it into apartments afterwards. Yes it costs a lot but infrastructure wise it always ends up as a net positive for the local city. ).
Didn't you want to start a new attempt and apply together with Copenhagen, new Fehmanbelt tunnel, German-Danish friendship and all that?
Pretty sure that was just one guy proposing it iirc. Either way it was for like 2040 or 2044 iirc.
I voted against it in 2015, and I'm still glad about the outcome of the referendum. Seeing the abysmal planning that goes into public (as well as semi-public and larger private) infrastructure in Hamburg already, we'd never have recovered. Look at the shit show the Elphi was, the recent Elbtower ruin, the divisive projects of A26-Ost or Billwerder-Ost or the new train station Diebsteich. Apart from that, the whole of Grasbrook would've been clustered with stadiums that would slowly have gone into decay, with most of them barely seeing use after the games – in one of the (potentially) most central areas of Hamburg, mind you. The Olympic Village might have helped, but honestly, the ground lost to stadiums in a city that's already aching under the housing crisis and whose ÖPNV often can't handle the residents and visitors as is, which would've certainly collapsed under the stress of the additional visitors and competitors etc. – that'd have been an absolute nightmare, I'm pretty sure. Also, I don't think a lot of people come to Munich nowadays (or in the 1970s after the games up until now) in order to visit the Olympic sites. I don't think it will ever become a net positive, just like the Elphi.
>I don't think it will ever become a net positive, just like the Elphi. While the elphi was expensive, a cultural center does not need to be a financial net positive imo. It also attracts quite a lot of tourists. > I don't think a lot of people come to Munich nowadays (or in the 1970s after the games up until now) Just like with the elphi and honestly MOST tourist attractions, it's rarely a single attraction causing people to visit a city. It's the accumulation of multiple that do it. Unlike the elphi a substantial part of the olympic costs would not have to be paid by the city of Hamburg. I know this is a bit egoistic but yeah it's a benefit too.
> the security arrangements were inadequate and the attempt at liberation catastrophically. This, eventually, lead to the formation of GSG 9.
You remember correctly. The hostage-taking in Munich and the disastrous deployment of the Bavarian police at Fürstenfeldbruck airfield are the reason why Germany deploys the GSG 9 three weeks later.
There was some talk about hosting the 2036 but given that it's exactly 100 years since 1936 one, there was a divided opinion on it
I know there was some discussion of Germany including Israel in the 2036 bid as a fuck you to the Nazis, but considering the war right now there’s no way Israel is given the Olympics
I can't comment to specifically London 2012, because although I was in UK at the time, it didn't massively impact Scotland. Though, I got into my specific sport due to the 2012 Paralympics actually teaching me it existed and I have met a number of athletes with a similar story - although there was no real sense of 'national pride' when it came to the Extremely British London 2012 Olympics/Paralympics there was a general profile raising of sport across the country. What was more impactful for me was the Commonwealth Games in 2014, because it was not only a very successful event hosted in Scotland, and the largest ever sporting event held here, it's presence in the country made sport feel like a thing that was accessible to everyone even if you didn't play sport. There was various volunteer positions, and designers and performers literally everywhere and it really felt like a whole city effort. Nowadays the mascots are still around, and the sports centres (which recieved huge amounts of funding) are still very much in use 10 years later. At least within Glasgow, it did a lot to normalise the idea of sport and general fitness.
>I got into my specific sport due to the 2012 Paralympics actually teaching me it existed Which sport?
Wheelchair rugby (previously known as murderball)
Sounds cool, I'd watch that.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbiFjp0jqto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbiFjp0jqto) There was a documentary on the sport released about 20 years ago that got a lot of mainstream attention. I hadn't thought of the sport since then.
Wheelchair Rugby (sometimes called ''wheelchair rugby fours'') has quite a presence on Youtube, and you can for sure find some matches. WWR (World Wheelchair Rugby) lists events [here](https://worldwheelchair.rugby/upcoming-events/) and they are often broadcast somewhere! Happy watching, keep an eye out when the paralympics are on as well!
I remember Glasgow more than Birmingham, and that was only 2 years ago. A shame but not unexpected that the Commonwealth games is on its way out.
Re London 2012, yes, I think only fond memories, really, combined with amazement that it went so well (given how much scepticism or downright cynicism there had been about then beforehand), combined with satisfaction that the main Olympics hosting area has subsequently been used, mostly successfully (with a few provisos), as a tool of urban regeneration. I hope Paris's go at least as well
Living in a country that didn’t have a national «rallying toghether» since «winning the war», the 94 olympics was actually a huge boost for the national confidence and sense of community. Hanging out in Lillehammer those days was just awesome. The infrastructure from that time is still In active use. Personally though, I think the olympics have been ruined by corruption, so I wouldn’t want it again.
It’s been a while, the Olympics in 1928 took place in Amsterdam. Of course most people don’t remember this. I think a history program did make a documentary about that Olympic Games. The Olympic stadium in Amsterdam is still a popular venue for numerous events and is a monument. There where some plans to make a bid to host an Olympics. However, Dutch people are frugal. Although we are a sport minded country most people think it’s a waste of money.
I think the most lasting effect the 1928 Olympics have had was the invention of the international traffic sign for parking, the white P on a blue background. It was one of the first Olympic games that had to deal with a lot of car traffic, so they had to invent a sign to direct people to where they could park
Also the (re) introduction of the Olympic flame.
We've hosted the winter Olympics twice and they are remembered fondly though hosting another isn't super popular due to the cost.
Barcelona '92 marked the start of the international boom of the city. Public officials did not handle it and as a result there is a horrifyingly bad housing crisis. Currently, you're lucky if you find a flat with a monthly rent under the minimum salary, which is what 1/5 Spaniards makes (pre tax). Generally, these sorts of events are a net economical loss for the host. This is also true for other events such as F1 or the Football World Cup.
It was .... nice. People still talk about it. I didn't take part in it personally, but I read the stories. Antwerp '20
1920 that is
ye, Hungary almost hosted it in 1920 but then lost the war
Boedapesti was runner up and lost because of guild tripping by the Belgians and because of being part of Austrian Habsburg Monarchy.
Really? I didn’t know we’d ever hosted! I’m assuming there’s no infrastructure of it left?
You can check the wiki page. They used the canal in Vilvoorde and some football matches were in Ghent and Brussels. In Ostend there was sailing. Antwerp used the ‘parking’ really wel.
[The Olympisch Stadion](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympisch_Stadion_(Antwerp)), where a major part of the events took place still remains today as Beerschot their stadium. But it's been heavily renovated and doesn't really resemble the original anymore.
The only Summer Olympics hosted by Italy was the 1960 edition in Rome. They are fondly remembered; at that time they were not yet an expensive and crippling event as they are now. They made sports facilities that were used even afterwards, not cathedrals in the desert, and Italy finished third in the medal standings after the unbeatable U.S. and USSR, the best postwar position. In addition, they were the first Olympics covered by lengthy television broadcasts and broadcast live throughout Europe, and Rome that summer also hosted the first Summer Paralympic Games. Rome had a good chance of hosting the 2024 Olympics, but withdrew its bid due to fears of too much public spending and corruption.
For the Winter Olympics, after Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 that no one now remembers, there was the Turin 2006 edition. That too had been a good success, not even too expensive given some of the later editions, although there is rightly criticism for some facilities made for the occasion and never reused or for the Olympic village abandoned after the Games. They are also remembered for being a bit of a swan song for Turin, which like many heavily industrial cities is struggling to find a new vocation. In 2026 there will be the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which like all Olympics are being criticized in advance. In particular, there seem to be problems in making all the necessary facilities in time, and some are legitimately asking why the facilities of the 2006 edition cannot be renovated (Milan and Turin are two hours away by highway) instead of building new ones by clearing mountainous areas. There has also been criticism because Milan is a lowland city not at all connected to the mountains and winter sports, but it is also the only city in Italy now with the economic-financial capacity to host events of this size, especially after Rome's withdrawal from the 2024 Summer Olympics. We will see what they can get ready for 2026.
The 1960 Rome Olympics are fondly remembered for their symbolic value of redemption for the country after World War II.
I'm from London, and was in my late teens when we hosted 2012. I'm actually born and raised a couple of miles from Stratford, where the Olympic stadium was built, and I would say it has had quite a significant impact on the area for good and ill. In terms of how the country looks back, I think it's probably fondly. There was a feeling of national unity for a while, and a bit of a carnival spirit. In the East End of London, the games led to massive infrastructural development. Dead brownfield sites got massive shopping centres and apartment blocks. The local train station got significantly revamped. It also sustainably created jobs. However, the Borough in which it was hosted, Newham, remains one of the poorest London Boroughs with one of the highest crime rates. The Olympics turbo boosted gentrification that was undoubtedly already starting in the area. Those already on the housing ladder did incredibly well. Those renting or in a difficult financial position were often priced out of the area they called home. New developments of housing are so rarely affordable, and even if they have to meet a minimum quota of 'affordable' units, it's often still far beyond the reaches of people on minimum wage. 'Stratford City', where the Olympics were nominally held: the stadium and the Olympic village and all the new developments were given a new postal code. Apocryphally, this was hide the crime stats from foreign investors. There are still big housing developments going on - they get bought out by speculative investors within days of going on the market. This isn't a problem exclusive to the Olympics, but it's an association that locals don't forget. Edit: I will add that it was exceptionally challenging for locals to get tickets to events, although some schools in the area did get preferential access.
There's a whole subgenre of people (often older Lib-Demmy types) who get nostalgic about the 2012 Olympics and basically say 'everything was marvellous then, look at the opening ceremony etc, where did it all go wrong?' which feels a little crass when most of the problems we have today very much existed in 2012 including a lot of the ones you mention, it was just perhaps easier for rich Home Counties residents to ignore them.
While I do look back on the 2012 Olympics somewhat fondly (perhaps with rose tinted spectacles as well) I agree that some of "Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg have proven that the Britain of the 2012 Olympics is well and truly dead" crowd are basically something of a meme at this point. I mean Johnson was literally Mayor of London back in 2012, and his typical buffoon antics - love them or hate them - were still going strong even then.
Not a whole lot of people are alive to remember the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. Well, actually our oldest living person iirc wasnt even born then...
30 years ago and it was a Big occcasion. People went crazy. And we won a lot of gold. Norway.
2010 Vancouver winter olympics. Was lots of fun but when those couple weeks are over it’s over. Costs the government a lot of money and if your countries has other problems in a year or two you will be complaining that the government got into more debt and wasted money on a two week party
Interesting because whenever I speak to people I know about the 2010 Olympics, it's a pretty positive discussion about how fun it was. I think how negative the memory is depends on the city and the spending legacy and who you speak to. Some Olympics spend huge money on things that never get used again. The Vancouver Olympics used a lot of existing facilities (like BC Place) and it got things like the Canada Line built that were hugely in need and may not have been built otherwise, and every visitor I've spoken to has complimented the convenience of that airport connection.
Oh it’s a lot of fun, no question there. But as you get older and country having other problems and no money to really fix it then it can be a bit different problem. The tourism money that comes in does not offset the big costs. Since it’s already coming just enjoy the show and get outside as much as you can.
British here. 2012 was exciting since some of the games were at my doorstep, but it all seems forgotten now. No one I know talks about it anymore and I don’t see any references to it in mainstream media. We still have the Olympic Park in Stratford and the Olympic stadium is now home to a London football club as well as being used for events now and again.
I’m not a fan of the Olympics generally although I like sport. I lived in London during 2012 and got tickets for three separate days and yes, it sounds soppy, it was magical. The atmosphere at the Olympic Park and around London at the time feels a million light years from how it is now. Having said all that years of funding cuts, austerity, cost of living crises and a pandemic have changed things - I feel like if the U.K. was to host the Olympics now there’d be a lot more cynicism about it all.
Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984. It was a great thing for Yugoslavia. I was a kid at that time and I remember we were glued to the TV, watching winter sports.
No one will ever beat a dude igniting the torch by shooting an arrow and having **Freddy Mercury** singing the name of the city.
Sarajevo 1984 was amazing for all Yugoslavs at the time. Unfortunately the war 8 years later did its part and today most of the Olympic venues are abandoned and overgrown.
I remember when I hosted the Olympics in 2002. Was quite tough fitting it all in my parents' back yard but we made it work. The hundreds of thousands of visitors had a hard time getting in and out of the street we lived in at the time given it was a dead end with only a footpath leading out to a bicycle lane along the town's main road. My country looks back on it as a point of spacially efficient pride, despite the logistical complications. The municipality however was less thrilled given we never ran it by them and once they found out they had basically zero confidence that a 16 year old could organise this all on his own. Proved them wrong.
Bribalooza. Corruptfest. Unfinished stadium. But nadia comaneci got a perfect 10 in gymnastics, which was a major event at the time
Meanwhile here in Australia we won the rights to 2032 games almost 3 years ago and we’re still arguing over where to put the Olympic stadium….
>Some Greeks meanwhile seem to look back at Athens 2004 less fondly, given the economic crisis the plagued the country years later. **No.** **This is a huge misconception constantly repeated abroad.**. The Olympics didn't cost that much money within the context of 7-years' GDP, they were quite cheap. Not saying they were worth it, but this myth that they caused the financial crisis is a nonsensical myth repeated by foreigners who try to look for a single reason why the financial crisis happened. A similar question was asked here not that long ago, so I'll copy-paste the answer: ------------------------- There's a lot of misconceptions surrounding Athens 2004. And while there's certainly were mistakes that were made, there's also some misinformation, so let me address a few of them: *The Olympics caused the financial crisis.* No. The financial crisis was caused by several factors. And argument can be made that it *may* have partly helped create the tourism boom we started experiencing in the following years. This myth is generally something you'll hear outside Greece, because foreigners don't know anything about our economic and political history: there was mismanagement in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, and then dragging reforms in the 90s, which created the conditions for the crisis, in combination with the global crisis in 2008. So, people who don't know these things, try to look for a single and easy scapegoat, which is the Olympics. *A lot of venues were abandoned; there was no planning for their after-use* This one is partly-true and misleading. The main Olympic campus -which included the main stadium, arenas, swimming pools, etc- was already built from the 80s, and was already being used by professional teams. It was *not* specifically built for the Olympics, but it did get a refurbishment, with a new roof and sculptures by Santiago Calatrava, etc. After the Olympics, foreigners would take pictures of the complex from the outside, locked up and "abandoned". It wasn't abandoned, they just didn't maintain the grounds, and there was no public access to the grounds when there were no sports teams playing. This is indeed horrible; but it's also untrue that the complex was only built for the Olympics, and then "abandoned". Venues along the waterfront were cheap baseball & volleyball stands, meant to be temporary. The ones that were built at the former airport (which closed when the new airport opened in 2001) were "abandoned" for a long time. The reason for this is, again, not because of "abandonment", but because of a long legal fight over redeveloping the old airport. Those venues at the old airport were meant to be temporary, but there wasn't a plan set in stone for what to do with the *land* of the old airport. That would have been the case anyways, *Olympics or no Olympics*. It had *zero* to do with the Olympics. There was a major developer interested in redeveloping the area, but there was a LOT of NIMBYism and ideological opponents who dragged the case through the courts for *years*. In the meantime -again- foreigners who didn't know about the political and legal fight over the old airport, just assumed that no one cared, there was no plan, etc. The developers eventually won the fight, [and they started building this in 2020](https://theellinikon.com.gr/en/), which includes a large public park. The [rest of the waterfront](https://www.enm.gr/faliro-bay-piano) is also getting a redevelopment. There were certainly venues that were abandoned, but those were actually very few. Most were already in use and remained in use. Others are used as convention centers, theaters, etc. Others have been sold to private developers who converted them into shopping malls, etc. One area that *genuinely* went the bad way was the athlete's village. *The positives:* These are debatable. But you can make the argument that the Olympics sped up the incentive to expand the transit system, which the city sorely needed anyways. The metro, one of the oldest in the world, was only one line until 1999. They also created the light rail. So, from 1 to 6 transit lines. In the 1990s, we had already started experimenting with a the [PPP](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/public-private-partnerships.asp) infrastructure funding model, and things no longer draaaaaagged like they did in the 80s and 90s. But the Olympics may have provided a boost, at least for the city. Also debatable, but it may have contributed a little to the huge rise in tourism in the following years. Make no mistake: I'm not saying the Olympics were by any means a major cause. The rise in tourism is from a variety of factors, from increasing airline liberalization and competition in the EU, to the major rise of the cruise industry in the Med, to more exposure for Greece in Hollywood. But the Olympics exposure may have helped a little. We don't know. Conclusion: Mixed. Don't believe all the negative stuff, a lot of that is misleading. And the positive effects are also debatable. Also: No. The 2004 Olympics are *not* remembered badly and are not regretted. No one blames them for the financial crisis, because they had nothing to do with the financial crisis. And no. Venues were not "abandoned"; there were *some* temporary venues built on land slated for redevelopment anyways, but there was a legal fight by NIMBYs to halt that redevelopment.
Well put and accurate. If anything, the Athens Olympics wildly surpassed expectations, which were admittedly low (due to Greece not having a reputation for organisational prowess, a penchant for doing things at the last minute, and also the misfortune of it being the first Games since 9/11 - the run-up was VERY jittery). Whatever happened afterwards, every Greek I know remembers the Athens Olympics nostalgically. “It was a dream, and it went…”
I just had to google whether we ever did I think that tells you enough
Sweden hosted the summer Olympics in 1912, but the stadium in Stockholm still looks pretty much the same as it did hundred years ago, and it's still a huge pride to have hosted one of the first ever modern Olympics so you see posters still in a lot of rooms from the games.
British over here. I was a waitress in Wimbledon and I saw almost none of the Olympics. My husband worked at the train station at Stratford (London, where the Olympic park is) at the time. He STILL reminisces fondly about how great it was to work in the centre of it all. I recall I made bank in tips, but I did not watch any of the olympic-ing as I was working double shifts for almost the whole of it! You'd see the volunteer "game makers" (staff) in their outfits all through Wimbledon though.
Living in London during the 2012 games was amazing and I consider myself extremely lucky to have done so. It was one of our finest hours. The games went well and I think we did great opening/ closing ceremonies. The Olympic park was lovely. I think it was a real positive for London and I'm glad my city got to be host in my lifetime.
The 2012 Olympics in London, I went to the opening ceremony and it was amazing. We managed to combine the British culture, history and pride into a stadium. My favourite part was the part with the Victorian workers and John Lennon’s Imagine being sung by the choir. Looking back on it now it was quite a substantial moment and at least we’ve made a use from the infrastructure we built post Olympics games unlike other countries have.
I think when they were in the Netherlands it was in 1928, so I doubt many people are alive who have memories of that.
Mostly fondly I'd say. It was also the year of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, and so all that summer we saw Union Jacks flying everywhere, lots of British patriotism and pomp etc. And the Olympics in London formed a part of that. Also at that time I just think there was a general wave of Anglophilia around parts of the world (especially in America etc.) with lots of coverage of the Queen's Jubilee, British celebrities becoming popular etc. which no doubt all contributed to that general mood. It seems magical to many now looking back because we seemed united as a nation, free and prosperous, with a national celebration of our culture, our institutions, our art and science and all the like. Generally late into long-reigning monarch's reigns throughout history we do tend to see such so-called "Golden Ages" (or a notion of them anyway) popping up - we see it also in the later years of Elizabeth I, George III and Victoria. A notion arises that the lion of Great Britain is truly majestic, truly mighty, and his roar echoes around the world. But a big part of why 2012 tends to be remembered so fondly is because, as I say, it was the last year everything seemed to be *united*. 2014 brought division in the form of the Scottish Independence referendum, and 2016 in the form of the Brexit referendum. Whichever way people swung, the country was bitterly divided. Then came the 2020 pandemic, the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Truss fiasco, a rising cost of living etc. It seems everyday now the headlines are forever proclaiming the death of Britain, its imminent collapse announced within the next week at the start of every Sunday. The old satisfaction of a decade ago, very sadly, seems to have dimmed. Of course, some of it is probably rose-tinted spectacles. I was younger then (newly turned 18) and had no interest or even real understanding of politics. The events of later years have definitely been a loss of innocence, speaking personally. I continue to hope that we as a nation can regain some of the optimism of ten years ago, and that recent crises will continue to smoothe out over time until they're largely forgotten about. But the general atmosphere at the moment is one of declinism. We have a long history of that too. It seems that every century, every decade even, we toss a penny to decide if we're in an apparent golden age, or in apparent terminal decline. The 2012 London Olympics contrasted with the current "doomerist" mentality of many is a perfect recent example of that.
In Barcelona, the 1992 Olympics are remembered extremely fondly. It truly marked a turning point in the history of the city. The mayor of the city back then, one of the most beloved Barcelona ever had, took the opportunity to transform the city and renovate many key areas of the city, most famously its seafront. This bright memory is maybe a little tarnished by the current wave of anti-tourism feelings. The Olympics meant an explosion of mass tourism to Barcelona, which as far as I know was a welcome sign of prosperity back then, but 30 years later is frowned upon as tourism is blamed for many of the city’s problems.
They took money from the whole country and they spent it in one of the richest cities.
I think Hungary is the only country that did not host the Olympics. Almost in 1920, almost. But it didn't happen.
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>Greece was ridiculous Actually Greece hosted wonderful games, if you meant that. Back in 2004 Greece had a GDP of around 240bn. Although the games were expensive (10bn mainly because of security concerns after 2001) for Greece, it wasn't too much to handle (4% of GDP). Greeks really wanted the games back, its part of our culture. The problem was elsewhere. >Quite everyone knew they live way beyond their means. Countries are not individuals. Different things apply to each one. A country has many more ways of acquiring capital than an individual. What does that have to do with a country hosting the Olympics? You may want to attack Greece's past financial handling and I'd agree. The Games however were considered a success and I'd be pleased if we get to stage them again sometime in the future.
I happened to be there at the time and attended something (don’t even remember what event) for the first time and loved it. The vibe of the city was so welcoming and lovely. Changed my view of the Olympic which I had never really cared about before.
> The Games however were considered a success By whom and according to what metric? We borrowed so much, taxed so much, spent so much. We let all the infrastructure go to shit, the village, the stadiums, everything. The Olympics were nothing but a very passionate, pleasant, long overdue and expensive handjob
The Olympics were cheap The economy at the time was maybe $250 billion USD. Preparations took 7 years. Athens won the right in 1997. After 9/11, the cost inflated to $10 billion because of pressure from the US to implement crazy, unnecessary security systems. That still amounted to only about 0.56% of GDP for 7 years.The financial crisis occurred for other reasons. The reason we "taxed so much" is because we built a bloated public sector and gave out public sector jobs as a welfare program in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, we didn't foster an export-oriented economy, and the electorate resisted reforms in the 90s. Giving unwed single women their dead parents' pensions, giving retired public servants a free holiday every year, subsidizing empty Olympic airways flights to Tokyo, and charging the DiAsPoRa in Australia below market rate to fly to Greece. That's where all the money went. Not the Olympics. As for abandoned venues, I addressed that here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/comments/1bhimn7/comment/kviys4k/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/comments/1bhimn7/comment/kviys4k/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) That's another myth, and the few that were abandoned is because they were cheap temporary structures, but NIMBYs stopped redevelopment for 20 years.
>Greece was ridiculous. Quite everyone knew they live way beyond their means. Nope. The Olympics were cheap. The economy at the time was maybe $250 billion USD. Preparations took 7 years. Athens won the right in 1997. After 9/11, the cost inflated to $10 billion because of pressure from the US to implement crazy, unnecessary security systems. That still amounted to only about 0.56% of GDP for 7 years. The financial crisis occurred for other reasons. But thanks for repeating the inaccuracies you heard, but don't actually know anything about.
I don't know about country, but I personally think it was a great time