Another location says no to Olympic bid

[Tricia]

People of Tirol reject Olympic bid

Voters in the Austrian province rejected it by a margin of 53%.

In the city itself the vote was even higher: 67%.

The people have said 'No' to hosting the Games in a city that many saw as an 'Olympic City'.

The Innsbruck bid followed the guidelines of Agenda 2020 - an Olympic reform programme that allowed greater flexibility in any bid and was designed to get the backing of local people.

It was drawn up to reassure people that the Olympics could bring benefits to all and that costs would be reduced.

It seems to have failed.

313,681 votes were cast in the referendum across 279 municipalities - 166,594 people voted No and 145,643 voted Yes.

The turnout was 58.43% with 1,444 invalid votes cast.

Innsbruck hosted the Games in 1964 & 1976 and held the Youth Olympic Games in 2012.

 

[Jacob]

When a place like Innsbruck doesn't want to host the Olympics, then you know something's wrong.

 

[Started at 53]

The quest to be bigger and better than before has brought the potential hosts to the reality of.... The Olympic Games are not a way to bolster infrastructure and get a boost in the economy. Quite the opposite in fact. Beijing set the bar so high that no one will be able to top it. Remember, they essentially had unlimited labor and virtually no rules to adhere to in the building of the games.

The Games (which I stopped having interest in when the professional basketball players began to play) need to get back to it’s roots, the competition and only the competition! This idea would cut the costs of hosting the games, and bring back the spirit of the games.

And.... IF they got rid of the entire current IOC committee and started over that would be a huge step in the right direction. The corruption is of EPIC (see how I got a ski related term in there) proportions. DRAIN the OLYMPIC SWAMP!

But, those things are not going to happen, so the games will continue to go to 3rd world(ish) destinations most likely.

 

[KevinF]

Frankly, the corruption of the IOC, the insane costs, the dubious locations and the terrible (at least in the USA) coverage of the actual competition has led me to not give two 's about the Olympics.

 

[LKLA]

The quest to be bigger and better than before has brought the potential hosts to the reality of.... The Olympic Games are not a way to bolster infrastructure and get a boost in the economy. Quite the opposite in fact. Beijing set the bar so high that no one will be able to top it. Remember, they essentially had unlimited labor and virtually no rules to adhere to in the building of the games.

The Games (which I stopped having interest in when the professional basketball players began to play) need to get back to it’s roots, the competition and only the competition! This idea would cut the costs of hosting the games, and bring back the spirit of the games.

And.... IF they got rid of the entire current IOC committee and started over that would be a huge step in the right direction. The corruption is of EPIC (see how I got a ski related term in there) proportions. DRAIN the OLYMPIC SWAMP!

But, those things are not going to happen, so the games will continue to go to 3rd world(ish) destinations most likely.

The Olympics seem to reflect the all or nothing mentality that has permeated so much of our society. Wealthy countries use it as a means to flex their muscles to the world, while countries that are not economically healthy use them to improve national moral (and enrich politicians). Countries that have money spend too much and countries that do not have much money also spend too much!

England's economy is relatively healthy but it does not warrant/support the expense they tallied up for the 2012 Olympics. The same goes for China and Australia before them. Brazil had no business hosting the Olympics in 2016, and neither did Greece or Seoul prior to them. The only two Olympics that seem to have worked out relatively well were LA in 1984 and Barcelona in 1992. To this day many of the venues continue to be used and enjoyed by athletes and spectators and both cities seem to have benefited from their investment.

While unfortunate, given the economic state of many countries today and the cost of hosting the games, the Olympics need to be held in countries that can afford to host them and the costs need to be controlled. The IOC needs to take more control of the situation instead of flying around being wooed by the flashiest proposal. The IOC basically created the situation the Olympics find themselves in today.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

that too bad I've always have great memories of attending the 1976 Olympics and thought that site was a natural to be one of fixed locations for the winter games going forward - if that proposal ever flies.
biggest problem with the games is most countries get caught up in trying to match or top previous events,
ongoing poor television coverage also results in TV revenues falling as just fast as the ratings.
you could combine this with "what does it take to grow the sport of skiing"

 

[jzmtl]

All these events are just money making tool for the governing body and ego boosting for the politician in charge. There's literally nothing regular citizen will gain other than a higher tax bill and pain to deal with the construction.

We just hosted Formula E and half the downtown core is paralyzed (more than usual lol) for half the summer while residents have no more place to park because of road construction and barriers for tracks. As for finance, take it however you will, but the current mayor refuse to release any data until after the election later this year.

Oh yeah, we have an official F1 track literally right next to downtown, but they refuse to use it and instead snaked it through already way too congested downtown core.

 

[JFB]

So does this mean that Reno has it locked up?

 

[Blue Streak]

Frankly, the corruption of the IOC, the insane costs, the dubious locations and the terrible (at least in the USA) coverage of the actual competition has led me to not give two 's about the Olympics.

What?
You're not worried about missing the synchronized skateboarding?
That's ok, because snowmobile ballet will be a new sport in the next olympics.

 

[Kyle]

I think Salt Lake would generally be happy to host another Olympics:

https://www.deseretnews.com/article...mmittee-for-2026-or-2030-winter-olympics.html

There would undoubtedly be opposition but I believe a fairly significant majority would favor it.

 

[hbear]

The only two Olympics that seem to have worked out relatively well were LA in 1984 and Barcelona in 1992. To this day many of the venues continue to be used and enjoyed by athletes and spectators and both cities seem to have benefited from their investment.

I’d throw in both Calgary in 1988 and Vancouver in 2010 in the mix. Calgary put is HUGE bump to our winter programs and still has legacy structures in use today.

Vancouver turned a profit overall and while they took down venues the athletes village was always intended to flip into housing (which it did).

 

[Started at 53]

I think Salt Lake would generally be happy to host another Olympics:

https://www.deseretnews.com/article...mmittee-for-2026-or-2030-winter-olympics.html

There would undoubtedly be opposition but I believe a fairly significant majority would favor it.

I’d throw in both Calgary in 1988 and Vancouver in 2010 in the mix. Calgary put is HUGE bump to our winter programs and still has legacy structures in use today.

Vancouver turned a profit overall and while they took down venues the athletes village was always intended to flip into housing (which it did).

Those locations actually make sense and they have infrastructure from previous events and it would not be a start from scratch endeavor costing $Billions to prepare.

 

[Philpug]

So does this mean that Reno has it locked up?

Word on the street is they have been printing the "All you can eat Sushi" coupons by the case.

 

[markojp]

... and neither did Greece or Seoul prior to them.

I'm going to beg to differ with Seoul. The Seoul Olympics mark a pretty specific turning point in the domestic politics of the country. Prior to the Olympics, The ROK was a military dictatorship. Seoul's infrastructure was transformed and rationalized. Many of the city's transit lines were built for the games and continue to carry thousands daily. For Korea, it also marked the country's arrival as an independent 'equal' to Tokyo after the legacy of a brutal 35 year Japanese occupation, and a stick in the eye to Kim Il Sung. Shortly after the games ended, the military dictatorship ended. The city felt and was palpably different at every level. I don't recall any unusual challenges regarding the completion of venues, etc... but the games were truly transformative.

The Nagano Olympics for me marked the point when the cost benefit equation came to a head. Yes, there was waste and bribery. The downhill start broke national environmental law. The opening ceremony venue was a one and done facility. On the positive side, road transit on the Sea of Japan side of the country improved drastically. 4 hour trips were halved, and became much safer. . All felt fine until the payoffs in the bidding process were uncovered. Vancouver seemed to avoid many of the pitfalls as the planning was well executed. Anyone who's done the drive to W/BC, or simply getting from the airport to downtown before and after knows what the games for regional infrastructure. Athlete housing was built for around $300 a $350 per sq FT and sold for double that, often more afterward. It was a cash cow for developers and sold pretty quickly if I recall correctly. the games came to Vancouver at a moment of convergence of a period of economic population growth and need. In the end, the cities that pull it off have already paddled down the wave and were standing up and riding what was already caught. . The IOC has all by itself stood on the shore, taken a giant crap, and dared us to close the beach.

The IOC's current ills are of it's own making. Money has corrupted it to the core. FIFA, NCAA, the IOC, UCI... In the past 25 years, they've all devolved into autocratic fiefdoms operating under the assumption that we can't live without them. The IOC seems to have won the race to the bottom. The hoi polloi has finally begun to say 'enough'. Only when the spigot slows to a trickle will any reform happen. If it disappears altogether and something more equitable and beneficial to all replaces it, fantastic!

 

[Goose]

just when did hosting the Olympics turn into such a negative? Just an honest question.
It use to be that places were proud to host and looked forward to it.

I mean I know I don't ever want it in my area cause I just don't want to be turned upside down for those weeks as for commuting to work and all would be a nightmare. As for economics? whatever happened to spending money simply because its a nice thing to do? I suppose we live in such a state now that anything that has a cost which is not a necessity is to be turned down because there is always something better money could be used for. I understand that but I also feel eventually we just wont have anything that's nice just for the sake of having it. Everything always comes down to ..."who is going to pay"

The whole thing is just strange that instead of places advocating for hosting , they instead hope it doesn't come. The logic turned 360.

On another note, Id rather see them go back to every 4 years without alternating 2 and 2. I know its still every 4th year individually sum/winter but something about splitting summer/winter every other 2 yrs that just makes it seem devalued as we can still view one or the other every 2 years. Waiting 4 yrs to view both just seems to me would made it more attractive simply due to the delay and anticipation.

But anyway ...as another mentioned . when a place like Austria would rather not host a winter games, something must be terribly wrong. Or life has simply changed and not always for the better.

 

[Jacob]

I don't think it's purely because it'll cost some money. I think it has to do with some of the crazy expectations that the IOC has.

For example, Innsbruck already has ski jump facilities. You can see the the jump itself from the train station, and they host WC events there every year. But the chances are, if Innsbruck was going to host the Olympics, the IOC would pressure them to build a new ski jump. The same goes for the hockey stadium, which Innsbruck already has for its pro hockey team, and most likely the stadium used for the ceremonies (the IOC would probably say that the pro soccer team's stadium isn't good enough).

Despite having all of the necessary facilities already, because of the legacy of recent Olympics, especially the ones in Sochi, people in Innsbruck probably think the IOC would expect them to tear most of their facilities down and build all new ones just for the sake of building something that's newer, more expensive, and probably with more capacity than they'll ever need again once the Olympics are over. And that just seems insane.

 

[Goose]

Fwiw I have been there and seen those back in the mid 80's.

But is what you speak of the actual case or are people just thinking this. There is a big difference between the two. Or are they concerned the Austrian government would want to build it on tax dollars even if the IOC may not necessarily require this.

 

[Started at 53]

whatever happened to spending money simply because its a nice thing to do?

Ummm, how about $20 Trillion in debt?

 

[Jacob]

Fwiw I have been there and seen those back in the mid 80's.

But is what you speak of the actual case or are people just thinking this. There is a big difference between the two. Or are they concerned the Austrian government would want to build it on tax dollars even if the IOC may not necessarily require this.

Well, public opinion is what influences voting. But given the recent past of the Olympics, you can understand why people have the opinions they do. It doesn't help the IOC that they recently had their list of demands for the winter games bid cities publicized. That was the in the bid cycle that saw Beijing awarded the games after just about every other city pulled out.

Between the $50 billion Olympics in Sochi and the ridiculous demands in the most recent bid cycle, it's going to take a lot of work for the IOC to clean up its image.

 

[river-z]

Earlier this week there was an article in the LA Times about the possibility of the winter olympics coming to the US due to the fact that "IOC President Thomas Bach has suggested that he would like to see the Winter Games return to a traditional location. American officials have taken that to mean a city in Europe or North America."

It also said there was speculation that the IOC could award two olympics at once, just as they did for the summer olympics (Paris, LA). One of the big selling points LA made in its bid was that the cost would be reasonable due to the fact that so many of the facilities are already built, and that athletes could be housed at UCLA.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-sp-2026-bid-20171013-story.html