The Paris Olympics reminded us why we love the Olympics

It’s fair to say that in the run-up to the Summer Olympics, Parisians are feeling a little, shall we say, jaded.

If they not yet Parisians are putting their apartments on Airbnb and preparing to escape the city On social media Complain about the Olympics and plead with tourists not to come.

Guess what? They came with Record 9.7 million tickets sold for Olympics Sold before the Olympics started.

Guess what? Many of the Parisians who remain are passionate about the Olympics, cheering on the French team’s sporting achievements, from swimmer Leon Marchand (who dominated the pool in the 2009 Games) to Michael Phelps style) to the pole vaulter (Not so successful).

But it wasn’t just Parisians who benefited from the Olympics, which concluded on Sunday. All of us saw through these wonderful Games how exciting, awe-inspiring and heart-wrenching international sporting events can be when they take place in the right city.

GOAT Simone Biles and her teammate Jordan Chiles bowed before floor exercise gold medalist Rebecca Andrade. First All Blacks podium In gymnastics. American Cole Hocker, channeling Steve Prefontaine’s legacy, pulled off a brilliant comeback win in the 1500m. And Arisa Trew, 14, who won a gold medal in skateboarding. And Snoop Dogg everywhere. And Many viewers.

Paris’s unmatched backdrop—beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower! Equestrian events at Versailles!—and undeniable wit may have helped save the Olympics. At least for now.

It’s easy to forget amid the euphoria over the Paris Olympics, but the past few years have been tough ones for major international sporting events.

The last Summer Olympics—postponed to 2021 in Tokyo—were severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. First, the Games were postponed for a year. Among other restrictions, spectators had to Basically bannedOlympic athletes are forced to perform in empty stadiums and arenas. Those barred from entering include family and friends of athletes, depriving Olympians of their support system and hometown fans of the Olympic experience. Watching parents go crazy when their kids win medals.

I think the result gave the average sports fan a glimpse of what a track and field event or a ski race would look like outside of the Olympics, but the overall atmosphere was severely affected. This may have been a major factor in the apparent drop in ratings, which fell for the Tokyo Olympics because The least watched match in history — At least until 2022 Winter Olympics In Beijing.

As the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are held, China is still implementing a strict “zero COVID-19” policy, which means restrictions Even more serious Even worse than Tokyo, the Winter Olympics are being held in Beijing, which better reflects the increasingly serious problems in international sporting events.

Of the six cities that initially submitted bids to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, Four people eventually withdrew Due to cost considerations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to choose between the bidding cities of Beijing, China and Almaty, Kazakhstan, both of which have serious human rights issues.

Although Beijing only receives an average of 2.5 inches of snow per season, Fill the venue Artificial snowflakes Huge environmental costUltimately, the IOC chose China, mainly because it was willing to spend big. Business Insider’s investigationChina may have spent The Olympics cost $38.5 billion.

This figure is not surprising. The cost of hosting the Olympics Through the stratosphere In recent years, the final price tag is On average, almost three times What was the initial bid? This is important because if a major international sporting event costs that much, Decline in democracies Countries that need to bear the associated costs for their citizens will be willing to host meetings, thereby tilting the negotiating table toward authoritarian states that care less about public opinion.

Such was the case with the 2022 World Cup, which was controversially held in the repressive emirate of Qatar. The tournament (usually held in the summer) was moved to November and December to accommodate Qatar’s sweltering heat, disrupting the international club football season. Bribery and corruption allegations The host country, Dozens of migrant workers Died of Poor working conditions. Captain of several European football teams Get ready to wear the rainbow armband During the game, protests Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar — until FIFA, the international soccer body, threatened sanctions against the national team.

Just like the Beijing Winter Olympics, Diplomatic boycotts Choosing Qatar to host the World Cup was bound to be controversial due to the Chinese government’s human rights record. But Qatar was ultimately willing to spend money to host the World Cup. About $220 billion The cost of the World Cup — nearly 15 times that of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil — has clearly outweighed these concerns. Considering that the last host of the 2018 World Cup was Russia, it has its own set of Diplomatic and political issuesInternational football has already made it clear that a little controversy will not stop this.

Oh, and while the host country for the 2034 World Cup has yet to be officially confirmed, we know it will be Saudi Arabia, as it has Accompanying political issuesThat’s because the Middle Eastern kingdom — among other plans — has pledged Building a 92,000-seat stadium from scratch — is the only sponsor to submit a bid.

We should therefore enjoy the Paris Olympics while we still have the chance, with their vibrant sports culture, gorgeous architecture and (largely) lack of major political or diplomatic controversy. Given international sports’ increasing reliance on deep-pocketed authoritarian governments, the Paris Olympics may well prove to be an exception in the future.

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