Olympic Host Cities and the Hunt to Host the Games

(Last Updated On: July 26, 2021)

Hosting the Best of the Best – Which Cities Have Been Olympic Host Cities?

The event of all events… not only are the Olympics the battlefield for the best of the best from around the world, hosting the event itself is another competition altogether. Being awarded Olympic host city status is no small feat.

Did you know that the 2032 Olympic host city has already been chosen?

That’s right. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) takes their job as seriously as the athletes take the competition, and with just as much training and preparation. They rigorously review the potential cities for many factors well in advance to determine where the Olympics should be held and the decision has already been made.

What does it take to be an Olympic host city?

The first step to becoming an Olympic host city is to be considered as a candidate through being elected. Being elected means lobbying for the opportunity to be reviewed, going through an initial review to make sure the city has all the prerequisites, then being named a candidate, and finally the gold medal equivalent of being awarded the honor of hosting the Olympics.

Whew! That’s a lot of steps, but it’s worth it. Not only does the host city get notoriety and fame, they also get an economic boost from the TV rights, visitors, and merchandise, and Olympic legacy stadiums and sports venues that the city can enjoy for decades to come.

Due to the number of steps and hoops there are to jump through, the process generally begins whopping nine years in advance. And every two years cities are allowed to make a bid to host the Olympics.

But wait, hasn’t the 2032 host city been determined already?

Yes, it has. Recently, there have been some changes, and the city of Brisbane was awarded hosting status 11 years out. The whole process was updated in 2014. It is more complicated, and arguably a lot more fair than the historic methods. It is split into three distinct phases:

Phase 1 – Applicant

Cities have a year to apply for candidature which involves becoming aware of what it means to host the Olympics and having the opportunity to prove they are capable of doing so.

Phase 2 – Candidature

In this part of the process the IOC’s Executive Board narrows down the cities that will be reviewed more extensively. It takes about seven months for possible Olympic host cities to develop a more detailed plan to prove they deserve the honor.

Phase 3 – Evaluation Commission

The final phase entails presenting all the evaluations and making a decision. The reports and information are made available to the public and detail what could go right and how to deal with anything that could go wrong. The reports are the source for decision making.

At the end of the phases comes the podium moment where a host city is chosen.

How did They Choose Olympic Host Cities in the Past?

They just decided. There was no special process or committee on record. In fact, the very first Olympics was held in Athens because Pierre de Coubertin thought it would be a great nostalgic symbol to athletic history.

He proposed the site, raised the funds, and four years later made the first modern Olympics happen!

What cities have Hosted the Olympics?

Athens was the first, but there have been many more. It is no small feat to be awarded hosting status and these cities have had the honor to do so.