Spreading the Wealth: Location of Host Cities

by: Andy Angelos

Selecting Olympic host cities is a complicated process of questionnaires, international visits, and IOC investigations.  Since the Games represent global unity, another integer that inevitably arises during the selection process is proximity to the previous host city.  Common questions include “Should the same continent host successive games?” and “Shouldn’t successive hosts represent different cultures and ethos?”  Below is a look at some historical examples explaining why any of the current candidate cities are viable options regardless of proximity to previous host cities.

Madrid and 2012 host London are both located in the EU and only separated by 784 miles (comparable to the distance between New York and Chicago).  However, selecting Madrid would not be the first time successive Western European cities hosted the Olympic Games. Beginning with the 1908 Olympics, seven consecutive host cities were located in Western Europe.  At a mere 460 miles apart (similar to driving from Atlanta to New Orleans), the 1924 Paris Games and the 1928 Amsterdam Games were the closest hosts. 

Close location does not prevent diversity as illustrated by European Olympic cities in the mid 20^th century, more distant culturally than physically.  This would also be the scenario if Tokyo is selected to host only 8 years after nearby Beijing.  The two cities are divided by 1300 miles of land and sea but celebrate different cultural, economic and sporting traditions.

Concerning Chicago, the city is near to Atlanta in both years and location but the cultural divide is significant.  South vs. North, Urban vs. Suburban, and 20^th century vs. 21^st century are only a few of differences between the cities.  Hosting the Olympic Games allows cities to introduce their unique identity, regardless of country, continent, hemisphere, or political system.        

This is a response to a concern of Kristi M. in the comment section of the Chicago 2016 Green blog.