The Olympics: The Consequences Nobody Talks About

By Marlena Kruman

February 19th, 2018

Every two years, the world comes together and celebrates the top international athletes. The Olympic Games were created to highlight and celebrate the differences between countries. Whether it is in the summer or the winter, the host country uses the opportunity to show off its culture and impress all of the viewers.

There is a darker side to these games, however, and only now are people bringing awareness to this issue. The most recent game in South Korea cost 13 billion dollars (The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games); despite this fact, many of the countries that host this event do not have the economic stability to support themselves and or host this competition. In fact, the highest overrun cost is approximately 720% (The Oxford Olympics Study 2016: Cost and Cost Overrun at the Games), and the effects of past games can be felt in nearly every host city, even to this day.

And beyond the economic degradation that generally takes place during the games, there is also an important environmental impact to consider. In the Sochi Games, for example, the games caused illegal wasting being dumped, the interference of migrations such as brown bears due to the construction, parts of their national park being utterly destroyed, increased landslides, and the general decrease of biodiversity. This is not a unique occurrence, and many of the games experience similar or more severe effects.

After the games, most counties attempt to earn money through tourist attractions, or sell their equipment to other companies or individuals. Despite this, many of the buildings used in the games are neglected and never touched again. The Rio Olympics venue, for example, was abandoned only months after the games concluded.

Generally, the counties that host these events waste millions of dollars and negatively affect the environment, yet we continue the games to be entranced by the grandeur of the people and the sense of “goodwill” and “unity.” But if we consider the actual effects, are the games really worth it?