The Rio Olympics have come and gone, and the world is finally settling down after the Olympic craze. No longer will you turn on NBC at night and see Simone Biles performing larger than life gymnastic feats with her 4’9” frame, or see Michael Phelps decisively take home yet another Olympic gold. These images will slowly fade until four years pass, or maybe when the next World Championships come around, where these memories will resurface and we will be reminded once again of some of the best athletes the world has ever witnessed. These moments are what the Olympics should be. They should be an inspiration for children and adults alike, to achieve their personal goals, or at the very least strive to be more active. They should celebrate amazing athletic feats, and should be a time where countries from all over the world can come together and enjoy a time of peace and competition.
But there is another side to this Olympic story. The side where every four years, a country takes on massive amounts of debt to build new stadiums and arenas which will hopefully be used again, but quite often are just left as ruins like the Roman Coliseums. It has been shown that it is not profitable for a country to host the Olympics, and does not even boost tourism as previously believed. Countries compete in rivalries, that are meant to be friendly, but in the end just pit nations against one another in a time where they should be coming together in the spirit of sportsmanship. Steroid allegations and corrupt judges also bring into question the fairness of one of the world’s biggest sporting event.
In the case of the 2016 Olympics, it can also shine a light on the shortcomings of the host country. With the widespread fear of the Zika virus in Rio, some high profile athletes chose not to compete. Water pollution was a concern for sports such as sailing, rowing, canoeing and open water swimming due to what was called a “super bacteria.” Other problems included political unrest, and violence. These were brought to attention especially during the scandal surrounding the apparent robbery of four Olympic swimmers, including Ryan Lochte. Even though the previous story turned out to be largely fabricated and a real jerk move, real robberies did occur and it put a bad taste in the mouths of the Rio critics.
For a city like Rio, the Olympics may have caused more harm than good. But this article is not meant to be one that starts a petition to ban the Olympic Games. The Olympics are an established event that, despite rivalries, brings countries from around the globe together in a way that nothing else really can, and that is valuable in itself. However, often times the glamour of the Olympics overshadow the issues that plague it. Rio is an exaggerated example, but problems exist in some form no matter where the Olympics are held. These problems are hoisted onto a single country, while the benefits are spread around among the rest.
If the Olympics are truly about people coming together, then maybe the Olympics should be a team effort. Forcing non-host countries to help pay for the Olympics seems like a quick way to get countries to desert the Olympics entirely. While host countries take on the Olympics knowing the risks and the potential costs, that does not mean that other countries could not help them out voluntarily, while the host country just assumes a larger majority of the cost. However, support does not just have to be in the form of a monetary gift. A country could lend help in ways which they see fit, whether that be lending personnel or resources, even if sometimes the act is more symbolic than utilitarian.
It is hard to imagine the Olympics not taking place, but if the Olympics continue causing more problems than benefits, the issue may be finding a host instead of just choosing one.
