Do you think there should be permanent host cities for both the summer and winter Olympics?

We'd never hear the end of the arguing unless it was someplace neutral like Switzerland or Austria.

How about Greece? Surely nobody would complain about that (except maybe the Greeks)

I think it should rotate within a pre-selected set of countries

It would defeat the goal and purpose of the games

Definitely YES! Tons of reason and the first one, better for our planet!

Yeah. Build it on an island and a different city or country could host it every year. The countries that participate could contribute to initial and ongoing costs.

It would mean fewer abandoned stadiums in previous host cities (that couldn't really afford it in the first place), fewer homeless and low-income residents moved on in favor of roads, stadiums etc, fewer construction workers often working under slave conditions, killed or injured.

It may even present fewer opportunities for the rampant corruption that goes on through the whole process, from bid-rigging, vote-rigging, contract-rigging and so on.

Yes. Always thought this. Athens is the perfect place due to the history and I'm sure the Greeks would like that regular economic bump, and yes, maybe Winter Olympics in Canada.

I think the same with the football world cup. It should just be held in Europe. Rugby WC in UK, Cricket WC in Australia/NZ. Would make much more sense than the current globe trotting circuses, especially when it comes to the Olympics. The only other thing to fix is F1. I think they're really flogging a dead pony with F1. It'll have to end sooner or later

Greece for Summer and Norway for Winter as the Greek and Nordic gods intended.

I agree with DeanzaZZR

maybe with the correction of the winter games being shared by Norway, Sweden and Finland.

but how are the poor members of the IOC executive committee going to fill their pockets then ?

Greece for Summer and Norway for Winter as the Greek and Nordic gods intended.

Extremely unfair to the Greeks and Norwegians.

The facilities built for Athens '04 are in a wretched, disused state. Wild dogs have apparently taken over the stadium precinct. I doubt the Greek (or Norwegian) taxpayer want to fund permanent Olympics - nor have their capital cities overrun for a month every 4 years.

The facilities built for Athens '04 are in a wretched, disused state. Wild dogs have apparently taken over the stadium precinct. I doubt the Greek (or Norwegian) taxpayer want to fund permanent Olympics - nor have their capital cities overrun for a month every 4 years.

I disagree. One of the issues with the Olympics is the development of areas in cities that will often never use the facilities for anything other than the Olympics again. Having the Olympics permanently hosted in one place all but ensures the facilities continued usage. I think it’s a great idea.

Regarding having cities overrun every four years… I’d rather that than have thousands of people forcibly displaced like what has happened in some countries in order to host the Olympics.

in the lead up to Tokyo I was completely put off the Olympics by the organization itself, but if they’re going to insist on holding it, a single country doing it would solve at least some of the issues.

Sorry Hawk. I basically repeated a lot of what you said.

Yes.

The reason no-one's mentioned is that the location adds little to the spectacle. I bet most people couldn't correctly name the city hosting the games where Usain Bolt was so far ahead he started celebrating 30m from the line. I mention that because its the most famous moment in recent Olympics. Lots of the facilities are for minor sports and will be white elephants as soon as the games ends.

Unless its a super corrupt host like the last time, its okay for the football World Cup to move, because football facilities are more generic and can be put to lots of different uses. Ideally though, the world cup would be held in countries with 60000 seaters already in place. The same goes for rugby and cricket for the countries that play them.

Sorry Hawk. I basically repeated a lot of what you said.

No worries. You said it much better than I did.

Or better yet, don't hold them at all.

I don't know what cities would want to be permanently in debt? The Olympics are infamous for their cost overruns and bribery scandals. Who wants that as your major news story every 2 years?

Summer - Greece (naturally)

Winter - DPRK (why not? 2 birds with 1 stone...)

The whole Olympics should go back to the basics. With events that can be measured by time, length, weight, height and score. Events in which judges give the points/scores should be excluded.

I think it should rotate within a pre-selected set of countries

While I agree with everybody, that the same city every year would save a lot of money and make a lot of sense, I also think, it might be unfair to have the whole world always having to travel to the same place. Maybe it could be decided on one location on each continent for rotation, and one country of that continent gets the bit to be responsible for it for one Olympics, when they may decorate, outfit etc. everything , introducing their culture to the world through cultural events, plan the opening and closing ceremony etc. That would give even poorer countries the possibility to shine, limit the burden on the host country and reward it with the business coming its way. In between, the facilities could be open to all international events on that continent, to make the best use of them.

How about a permanent cancellation of the out of control Olympics.

I think they should abandon the idea of trying to host it in just one city. It absolutely works for football to spread the venues out across a country (or countries!) and it means existing venues tend to be used rather than creating new ones. The national stadium is still the centerpiece, but the potential audience is bigger and more diverse because people can attend events closer to their homes rather than having to travel to the one city. This is surely easier on the infrastructure too- no one place has to deal with the influx of people coming into the city for the games.

In 2012, when the Olympics were in London, the torch relay came through lots of smaller towns that were far removed from London itself, and even that generated support with people coming out to see the torch! Without that, it might have been seen as just a London thing, and the nation might not have been behind the games in the same way.

Just cancel it all and be done with it !!

It should be held in Athens every four years.

Hello Kitty 321May 13  08:13 am JST

How about Greece? Surely nobody would complain about that (except maybe the Greeks)

Only if they have to pay for it alone. Otherwise they'd be all for it.

Doing the Olympics in one place s fine, but summer in Greece (as with many other countries) can be brutal. The "Summer Olympics" should be held in the Spring or Fall.

The Olympics are a western cultural institution.

Greece should be the permanent host of the summer olympics.

Scandinavia should be the host of the winter olympics.

The Olympics are a western cultural institution.

Greece should be the permanent host of the summer olympics.

Scandinavia should be the host of the winter olympics.

You may need to ask the Greeks and Scandinavians about this. Not sure you'd get much agreement.

Olympics have so expensive for the host nations an idea to have permanent host nations is more acceptable.

The countries chosen must already have the stadiums and infrastructure.

Countries participating, should all pay an 'entrance fee' for each Olympics to help the host country with the costs.

So or later the Olympics will be run by corporations.

Good way to reduce costs. Reuse, recycle the cities instead of white elephants. Might not be a bad idea to reduce some of the sports they have. Dancing in water, dancing on horses, dancing on ice, but no ballroom dancing. I think some seem more like art than a true game or sport. But I can accept ice skating. Dancing in water,(seems just an excuse for men to see scantily dressed women, not unlike the beach volleyball) and dancing on a horse is too niche. I’m sure more people do kendo world wide than dancing on horses and water.

Or spread them out over the host country, like the World Cup, instead of only one city.

A great way to promote the whole nation and mitigate a lot of the traffic, lack of accommodations, etc.