Thursday March 28th, 2024
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2020 Olympic Hosts

We examine the cities being considered to host the 2020 Olympics. Will it be Tokyo, Istanbul or Madrid?

Staff Writer

Though it seems like the last Olympics wasn't even that long ago, and there's still the 2016 games to come, the sports world is a-buzz with speculation on which city will be chosen to host the 2020 games. The leading candidates currently are Tokyo, Istanbul, and Madrid. It seems a little crazy that these three are in consideration, especially since each city is going through uncertain times. Let us explain...

Tokyo, Japan. Normally, Tokyo would be a prime choice, as the city is technologically and infrastructurally advanced, and would make for an amazingly futuristic-looking Olympics. The only problem is that they still haven't figured out how to stop the radiation leak in Fukushima. As many of the competitors already look like mutants, what with their obscene amounts of muscle mass, it is probably not the safest bet for any kind of event. Maybe they could be considered if their plan to build a ice wall around the Fukushima plant works, but until then Japan is a liability, especially when they are prone to natural disasters.

Istanbul, Turkey. This is the first time a Muslim nation is in the running to host the Olympics. This would be a milestone for the Islamic world, and would reinforce Turkey's position as a Middle Eastern super power. The only problem is that Turkey is still dealing with unhappy citizens who probably still have some protesting left in them. Hosting the Olympics or any major sporting event usually sparks protests, as it is; just look at Brazil on-going World Cup fiasco, where the protesters have their government caught trying to appease them to have peace by the opening kick-off.

Madrid, Spain. It seems like the Spaniards will be the most likely candidates. They have plenty of massive stadiums already built because of their love of football, as well as beautiful ancient stadiums that could provide for a culturally interesting Olympics. The only problem is that Spain's economy has been suffering, and the Olympics historically bankrupt cities, leaving them in debt for decades. For instance, it took Montreal over 30 years to pay off their Olympic debt for the games they hosted in the 70s. That being said, Madrid will be in a unique position as they estimate they will only need to invest only 4 billion Euros to get Olympic-ready. Though this is a fraction of the usual investment made, they will still have to expend significant resources to make this happen.