If you grew up in Sydney in the early 2000s, chances are recollections of the 2000 Sydney Olympics coloured your childhood. Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic torch and went on to become the second Indigenous-Australian Olympic champion ever. Then 17-year-old swimmer and now household name Ian Thorpe made his Olympic debut, breaking records and winning a total of five medals. Ollie, Syd, and Millie became icons as the official Olympic mascots. Fatso the fat-arsed wombat stole their spotlight in return. This was all before my time, but I can recall these facts as if I were there to witness their glory in the flesh. There is still something special about trips to Sydney Olympic Park. For Sydneysiders, some of our best memories and late nights continue to be tied up with the venue; concerts, sports, and exhibitions. The slick of summer sweat enhanced by electric flood lights: magic. Anyone who has ever attended any medium to large-scale event in this city has likely made the journey to the venue before. In truth, I feel robbed of attending the Olympics in Sydney, and I long for the day the Olympics returns once again to my home, where Sydney is lit up and ablaze with a frenzied and fun energy that has been missing from the city over the past decade.
With London, Paris, and Los Angeles each hosting 3 Olympics in the past, Beijing set to host its second Olympics within a 16-year period, and Salt Lake City hosting 2 Olympic Games within the span of 32 years, the question must be asked: What, if anything, is stopping Sydney from hosting the Olympic Games again soon? Why aren’t we bidding to host the next Olympic Games?
Of course, it must be noted that Brisbane is set to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games. Estimates for total cost range anywhere between $5 and $11 billion dollars, which are needless to say not insignificant numbers. Notably in March 2024 The Gabba, that is Brisbane Cricket Ground and a major sports stadium for the city, was found to be “not worth rebuilding” and recommended to be demolished, according to the Brisbane Times. This consequently places a higher financial burden on Brisbane than expected, as discourse builds surrounding the existing sporting infrastructure. There is no shortage of articles that delve into the unexpected financial costs placed on Queensland, with calls to even reconsider the event entirely (there is, perhaps unfortunately, a no-escape clause in Olympic contracts). The Guardian noted a 2020 Oxford Study that found every Olympic City since 1960 has blown their budget. This seems to ring true of every commitment to host large sporting events, with Victoria’s withdrawal from the 2026 Commonwealth Games sending shockwaves across Australia as the city cited excessive costs.
It must be said, however, that compared to its domestic and international counterparts, Sydney’s Olympic infrastructure is in a great state. The Olympic Park is in daily use, with over 5000 events held annually at the venue. Of course, hosting an Olympics would necessitate repair and refurbishment, and in some cases investment into building entirely new infrastructure. Since 2000, several sports have been added to the Olympics; karate, skateboarding, surfing, BMX freestyle, and sports climbing to name a few. On top of this, the city would have to factor in the refurbishment of the notoriously dire public transport system, and potentially utilities and broadcasting infrastructure too. Still, as recently as 2016, it has been reported that Sydney is reaping continuous benefits from the 2000 Summer Olympics, notably in the economic sphere but also from the refurbishment of public infrastructure. There are also existing plans to renovate much of the venue before 2050. I’d argue Sydney is in a much better place to host in future than many other global cities.
There is, however, an international decline in the desire to host the Olympic Games, with fewer cities than ever bidding to host. This is a separate conversation about the advantage of richer, often Western, cities and the inequity of the Olympics generally. In the context of this global decline, we should really be grateful Brisbane is hosting at all. Maybe I’m being selfish and petulant but I just really want to see the Olympics in my country in my lifetime. I guess I’ll hike up my boots and trek to Brisbane in 2032.
