The Olympics are a very exciting time for everyone around the world. I work at sports bar and I can tell you that every Olympic event is amazing in some type of way. After doing some recent research I’ve came to the realization that there are so many aspects of the creation of the Olympics that have left me speechless.
It is an awful thought to think about how millions and millions of dollars goes to complete waste as soon as the torch goes out for the Olympics. The arenas become deserted and so d the towns. It is an awful concept.
The creation of an Olympic arena isn’t just a simple task. It takes a lot of strategic planning and financial stability. In a Scholastic article about how the Olympics are chosen, it says there are numerous factors. Cities bid for the Olympics because it shows pride in the city along with the country. Think about the spotlight they bring; it is international fame for a solid few weeks straight. The opportunity brings out many options for the cities; such as new jobs and a whole bunch of tourism. Is two weeks of international fame worth the aftermath? That answer is unknown. A TODAY news article by Scott Stump and Eun Kyung Kim talks about what happens to the venues after that torch goes out. After the Olympic games in Athens, Greece fell into a very harsh economic recession which caused an outburst; it was such a waste of a creation. All over the internet you can access numerous articles and photos of many Olympic towns which are deserted, and full of graffiti. A place where magic was made has gone to complete waste. Why doesn’t the government make something out of it? A monument, a museum, something with worth. All the arenas are a dead land full of memories in which nobody really cares to remember.
Furthermore, the Salt Lake City Games which were hosted in 2002 have remained in regular use. The venues are only in use due to over an $70 million fund called The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. The founder of the foundation, Sandy Chio reached out to TODAY.com and said, “You have this three-week event, the biggest event in the world, but what’s next? From an organizing committee standpoint, that process what put in place as the games were being planned, and the result is what we see today.” Just because Salt Lake City was smart enough to create something out of something remarkable, not everyone is. Here are a few pictures of what Olympic arenas look like afterwards. It’ll make you think twice.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics volleyball area covered in graffiti.
A spectator stand from the 2004 Olympics overlooking the canoe-kayak water park that's abandoned.
These are just two examples out of numerous out there about how millions of dollars and a ton of fame goes to nothing but waste. There is talk about how the 2016 Olympics are going to be turned into public swimming pools, and are going to be turned into something that’ll be of use to people and not just Olympic athletes. Will all of this talk really turn into something remarkable? Hopefully. Our world should not have to waste a ton of money for nothing. Utilities used for Olympic arenas can either be turned into something incredibly useful, could be donated, or a little bit of both. I hope our world is smart enough to not turn something remarkable into something non-useful.
