Phase 1:

We conducted semi-structured, face-to-face/telephone, interviews in London and Beijing at the end of 2019.

Phase 2

A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess changes in sport and PA over time and to explore whether the Games triggered any of the changes observed for both host cities.

After piloting, self-administrative surveys were distributed in Beijing in January 2020 and online surveys were used for London (due to COVID restriction) between Septemeber 2020 and January 2021.

• We reported a significant increase in regular active sport and PA participation by the host city residents for several years after the Olympics (for 12 years in Beijing and 8 years in London).

• Nearly half of respondents believed that the hosting of the Olympics had inspired them to increase their sport/PA participation and/or to try a new sport/PA (46% for Beijing, 47% for London).

• We found no significant differences between men’s and women’s long-term sport participation behaviour and perspectives on inspirational effects.

• However, compared with London, Beijing residents were ostensibly more positive about the inspirational effects of the Olympic Games, which can perhaps be explained by sociocultural contextual differences between the two cases.

• We found that, from the list of factors that potentially facilitated or inhibited sporting-mega-event-inspired behavioural changes, time, sport attitude, sport facility accessibility, sport competence, and sport confidence were significantly associated with behavioural changes.

The final report is available upon request. Please contact the project lead Dr Chen: s.chen.5@bham.ac.uk