Winter Olympics 2022 will be held in Beijing – it was announced at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
For the first time in more than a century of history of the Olympic movement the same will be the capital city and the summer and winter Olympic Games. In Beijing there was only one competitor – Alma-Ata.
Oslo, Norway voluntarily dropped out of the race early in the autumn of last year.
But on the eve of today’s announcement of its decision to Beijing to retire from the struggle for the right to host the Summer Olympics in 2024 announced Boston. What caused the wave of failures?
Using sports columnist Dmitry Fyodorov, a professor at the University of Tremse in Norway Andrei Rogachev and Boston reporter Anush Elbekyan “Fifth floor,” trying to understand all changing before our eyes aspects of the fight for the right to become an Olympic capital .
Download the podcast program “Fifth floor” here.
Alexander Kahn: Good evening! In the studio, the Air Force Alexander Kan. As always Friday Fifth floor advanced, is not the usual 15 min., And the whole half hour, and the guest does not have one, as usual, but two. For a discussion of the situation in which sport is closely intertwined with politics, we invited two interlocutors: Dmitry Fyodorov – sports writer and commentator from Moscow, Andrei Rogachev – university professor Tremse Norwegian town where, in the case if Oslo did not give up race and got the game, had to go through some of the competitions of the Winter Olympics in 2022.
So, Beijing. Dmitri, as the choice is predictable? Speaking to the program, I allowed myself to assume that the only remained to date competitor in Beijing – the former capital of Kazakhstan, Alma-Ata – was a weak competitor. You disagree with me and objected competently. It would be interesting to hear your opinion about the two main contenders.
Dmitry Fyodorov: First of all, it seems to me that the Alma-Ata was a geographical advantage over Beijing. The hour difference is not as serious as in the Chinese capital, making it attractive Olympics in Almaty for the Europeans and the Americans, too, because between New York and Almaty time difference – 10 hours, and with Beijing – 12 hours. But America is big, it is clear that Los Angeles is another difference. Loss of a very serious audience because of the difference in time for the media of the 21st century – it is a serious shortcoming. But those who voted decided differently.
The vote was very tight, in fact, two people decide the fate of Beijing and Alma-Ata. Yet it seemed to me that Kazakhstan can benefit from the fact that in Beijing recently held Olympics. One ugly assign the same city for holding and for winter and summer Olympic Games, the more so that the interval is quite small and you need to expand the geography. But, in my opinion, voted reinsured.
The fact that Beijing held a successful Olympics. With the holding of major events linked very serious risks, and, probably, a former republic of the Soviet Union there was a certain distrust. This is due to the fact that Kazakhstan is considered to be in Europe and America, a corrupt state. He received a negative public relations when released film “Borat”, which many estimate Kazakhstan.
I visited in Almaty last year. It is a modern city, and it seemed to me that he has a very good chance to get the Winter Olympics. Moreover, the natural snow in Kazakhstan, and in Beijing are going to make artificial snow. It is nonsense for the Winter Olympics to hold competitions on artificial snow.
AK .: Not to mention that from Beijing to the nearest ski resort … Still mountain ski Sport – one of the most significant and spectacular winter Olympic sports. This is also a certain kind of nonsense.
DF.: Therefore, I think that present a certain element of reassurance when choosing Beijing. In Alma-Ata was a very good application. This city is added at the last moment in the public eye, but decided to have voted differently. A serious disadvantage for Beijing and is in the following. Hockey discipline is very important for the Winter Olympics. I am confident that the NHL will not send its best sons to Beijing. Hourly difference is very big, fly to China far and I 95% sure that the NHL will not release their players, and in Kazakhstan, can be released to.
AK. One of the reasons why Alma-Ata did not get the Olympic Games, – Kazakhstan’s reputation as a corrupt state. China, too, is not a beacon of democracy. In 2008, when the Beijing Olympic Games were held, it could be heard a lot of criticism of China in relation to human rights. Since then, China has further strengthened economically and politically, but human rights are not a lot of progress there. It can close your eyes?
Andrei Rogachev: The political and economic dimensions are very important for the Olympic Games, but do not forget about sports. Initially, the sports component was the main. Of course, the right thing to respect human rights, expand the geography, varied and give some cities and states financially develop as a result of the Olympic Games. But what about sports?
AK.: Yes, really. Volunteer of the race for the right to host the Olympic Games in 2022 has left Oslo. Failure occurred in October 2014. This week, another event occurred that are not directly related to the Winter Olympics, but nevertheless very characteristic, symptomatic. The US city of Boston has announced its withdrawal from the struggle for the right to host the Olympic Games 2024. In 1996, Athens was forced to give up the struggle for the right to host the Olympic Games due to a catastrophic shortage of funds. Are there many other such failures in the history of the Olympic movement?
DF.: Yes, of course, were examples. I totally identify with Ecclesiastes that said there is nothing new in the world is going on. Another thing that has changed the scale. In 1996 Innsbruck hosted the Olympic Games because of the fact that the citizens of Denver voted against the Olympics. They thought that this costly and not worth the town included in a desperate struggle for the Olympics, which is not known what will bring dividends. Recently refuse to large cities: Boston, Rome – from the Olympic Games in 2020. Last categorically refused.
There were supporters, but those who thought that we should not harness oneself in this race, there were more of them, and most importantly, the prime minister. From Oslo the situation is also very characteristic: protests, which considered that the price tag for the Olympics, especially after Sochi, very high, and so the city does not need the Olympics.
The reason is very simple. Firstly, the very high price of the Olympics. Secondly, a lot of facilities being built for the Olympics later are not necessary. Third, the image component. If before the Winter Olympics took to recover it later due to the fact that the city gets known throughout the world, to go on a ski resort that brings the money after the Olympics, now – that’s no reason for major cities. How can change the image of Oslo after the city will take the Olympics? Nothing. Will no longer travel to Oslo to visit the location where the Olympic competition.
AK.: On the line with us from Boston reporter Anush Elbekyan. I would like you to tell what actually happened in Boston, why not a poor country, in quite prosperous city made this decision.
Anush Elbekyan: Many people forget that, that Boston – a very small conservative town. The opinion of the residents is very important for the leaders of the city. The low level of support influenced the decision not to continue the fight for the Olympics. One of the biggest factors was that there was no guarantee for the citizens that the cost of the game does not fall on their shoulders as a taxpayer. They could not prove that there are funds for the games and money from citizens asking not to be.
AK.: as a shared public opinion? Have there been any surveys, how to respond to the press what the feeling was in connection with this?
AE.: Most people are relieved. The percentage of people who supported the Olympic Games, was very small. There was talk of a referendum, but this is not reached. Home Boston newspaper last week held a debate in which the defenders tried to show what the pros and cons of any. But the debate could not change the opinion of the citizens. As for the image, the image of the Bostonians to Boston will always be the image. It is a city where there is always the tourists. It is a city with one of the most prestigious universities. Therefore, the image has not played any difference. Most importantly, no one was able to prove that there is money, and taxpayers will not pay for hosting these games.
AK.: It comes down to financial problems. Interestingly, Norway – a country with the highest per capita income in the world, with the highest level of life, the country, which for lack of funds does not suffer. And yet, and Norway took this decision. The guided city authorities, the government, the people? What is the mood of the inhabitants?
AR.: a variety of moods. Norwegians – very small, but the sports nation. They perform very well at the Winter Games. In 1952, when the Oslo Olympic Games were held, despite the fact that the average population of 5 million people, Norway was the leading country in the number of medals in the team competition. In Lillehammer, a small town 180 km from Oslo, which was included in the bid to host the Olympic Games in 2022 with the Oslo Games were held in 1994. There Norway ranked second after Russia, in Sochi and it ranked second in the number of medals in the team event. This is a very high figure if we compare how many millions of people live in Russia, and there may be a potential selection of athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics.
From an economic point of view, Norway is hardly needed the Olympic Games. Rather, it is love for the sport in the first place, the ability to carry out, the availability of the necessary infrastructure for the Winter Games. Lillehammer recently won the right to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2016. This – a usual thing. Nevertheless, it was decided not to file an application. Here the view of the city administration in Oslo, the government’s opinion, the opinion of political parties, people in some sense left. It has been known about how much will it cost the Winter Olympics in 2022. It was said that it would be 33 billion Norwegian kroner, of which about 24.5 billion was to lie on the shoulders of taxpayers. This is a fairly large sum for Norway, although it does not compare with the 51 billion dollars spent on the Games in Sochi. It was clear that it would take a political decision to withdraw it from the taxpayers budget.
In 2013, in Oslo was held a local referendum in which 55% voted for the Olympic Games in 2022. A year later, this relatively slight edge has changed and the results of the poll 55% were opposed to the games, because considered inadmissible to invest such large sums in the national budget of the Games. Also played a role the press, which found that the International Olympic Committee demanded some things as a condition of the games that the Norwegians seemed absurd, for example, free cocktails with the king, special equipment rooms for admission to the competition venues, the expansion of the highway Airport Oslo towards Lillehammer and the allocation for the period of the Olympic Games of additional lanes for cars VIPs, closing schools, institutions for the period of the Olympics to reduce traffic on the streets.
Norwegians thought that all this is not worth the money to be spent. Besides, if we talk about the economic side of things, it is known that those buildings and structures that are being built for the Winter Olympic Games in the future are stranded and cause damage, while the investment in the summer games is easier to learn after the elections.
AK.: In one of the comments in connection with what happened today in Kuala Lumpur, when Beijing and Almaty were the only cities, struggling for the right to host the Olympic Winter Games in 2022, said that this competition between the two non-democratic countries. Democratic countries that do have freedom of expression, a free press, are eliminated from the competition. Remain countries such as China, Kazakhstan, Russia, where the government’s decision has been allocated an astronomical sum of 51 billion dollars for the Games in Sochi. For what it may lead?
DF.: I would add that Norway – the “medaleemkaya” Power at the Winter Olympics, win more medals at the Winter Games. This means that the Norwegians as the owners would have predicted success and excitement around the Games in Norway itself would have been crazy. This applies to the sports component, which is very important. Olympics organizers have refused such a fantastic success the owners because it is clear that the Chinese and the people of Kazakhstan could hardly compete with all so as Norwegians.
In recent years, it is advisable to hold the Olympics in the states in which the opinion of taxpayers do not take into account, taxpayers themselves believe that their opinion absolutely nothing. They need we add to North America, where a powerful advertising market, where they like a sport where the Olympics, by definition, can provide big profits. Do not pay off later, and immediately give serious income. It turns out, North America and the countries where it is not considered to income, expenses, from the pockets of taxpayers where you can get the amount that will fit to host the Olympics, and taxpayers will be very happy.
AK .: I would like to draw attention to another aspect. In the struggle participated undemocratic countries – Kazakhstan and China. Last year, when the Olympic Games were held in Sochi, Russia against any claims not only expressed: and homophobia, and racism, and poor preparation, and the environment, etc. Against China and Kazakhstan we do not hear of such harsh criticism. As this situation is seen from Moscow? Is there no resentment on the part of Russia to these same undemocratic competitors?
DF.: At the time, Russia to some extent become a victim of politics. This painful reaction to the Sochi Olympics has explained the situation that has been in the international community. China has held the Olympic Games, which is probably why such a reaction on the Sochi Olympics will not. Kazakhstan in the eyes of the world, Europe, America – not the axis of evil. About Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan clan many critical words spoken in Europe, but still it is not an enemy.
I think that the atmosphere around the Beijing Olympics will be different from the atmosphere surrounding the Sochi Olympics, which was held splendidly . Speaking of the Olympics in non-democratic countries, I would say not a liberal democracy and rights, and that the people of these countries are willing to make a very serious concession power, go for any costs for the fashion preferences. The Russian people are really willing to suffer in order to show the world that our country is not so bad. Therefore, major protests against the Sochi Olympics and was not, though in the early teens protests in Russia there were many.
It is the same in China. Sporting nation willing to make serious spending, because the country and its citizens believe that if they hold the Olympics, the eyes of the world they will grow up and will look more favorably. We should probably not talk about democracy and about the readiness of the people, the taxpayers to sacrifice something for the sake of their own image and the image of the country as a whole.
AF.: Speak whether are any Norway regrets about the decision adopted six months ago, after the announcement of the capital of the Olympic Games in 2022? Is there some forces who believe that making the wrong decision?
AR.: I’m nothing about it heard.
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