London memperuntukkan sejumlah besar untuk menjalankan games 2012 untuk nampak gah dengan mencantikkan bandarayanya tambah kemudahannya. Bukan London sahaja tetapi terjadi juga kepada negara penganjur sukan terbesar ini, dimana sukan merubah bandar mereka.
1. Beijing; hosted 2008
Four years ago the Chinese capital wowed the world as 31 stunning new venues were unveiled for the Olympic Games. It inspired the country’s sportsmen and women, as they helped China top the medals table, winning 51 golds. Further, there were 38 world and 120 Olympic records set. The National Stadium – also known as the Bird’s Nest – now stands as a monument to the Chinese efforts and, alongside the other venues, provides a benchmark for all other Olympic Games to be measured against.
2. Greek ; hosted 2004
The Greeks spent £10 billion on their capital hosting the Games but were not so forward thinking about the event’s legacy. Many of the 22 venues they built were abandoned once the 2004 Games were over and brand new stadia are now mothballed and derelict, strewn with litter and graffiti. However, there were some improvements – an updated metro, a tram along the waterfront, improved roads and a new airport.
3. Australia ; hosted 2000
Former wastelands, ugly industrial estates and abattoirs were converted into functional sporting facilities for the Olympic Games 12 years ago. Australia’s medal total went up from 41 to 58 when Sydney hosted the event, and stayed beyond its pre-Sydney level at Athens with 49 medals. The image of Australia was hugely enhanced by the Games and in 2009 the city hosted the World Masters Games, where 28,000 mature athletes competed in 28 sports at 72 venues over the course of two weeks.
4. Atlanta, America ; hosted 1996
Though 1996’s event, held in Atlanta, the ‘capital’ of the southern states of America, is often thought of as an oppressively commercial Games, its legacy is tangible. Atlanta revels in its Olympic City status and the famous Olympic rings are ubiquitous. Centennial Olympic Park plays host to millions of visitors every year as well as several events, including a popular music concert series in the summer and an annual Independence Day concert and fireworks display.
5. Barcelona, Sepanyol ; hosted 1992
The Spanish city’s coastal area was transformed for the 1992 event and the nation’s athletes secured more medals (22) than it had achieved in all previous Olympic Games combined. As part of the huge regeneration programme the Olympic Village was built and two miles of beach installed. Barcelona’s makeover allowed Spain’s trade and tourism to boom.
6. Seoul, South Korea ; hosted 1988
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The South Korean city may have been a controversial choice but the Games made a huge profit of £185 million. Four years earlier South Korea’s medal total had been 19; in Seoul, it moved up to 33. There is little doubt that the Seoul event was successful on almost every count, including trade and tourism for this previously isolated country. In addition, one of Seoul’s legacies to the Olympic Movement was a new Olympic flag.
7. Los Angeles ; hosted 1984
The LA Olympic Games produced a massive £136 million profit and, while part of this went to local youth programmes, the bulk of it went to the United States Olympic Committee, to be deployed to the advantage of the US’s Olympic interests to the present day. Also, it allowed the LA84 Foundation to commit more than £125 million to help an estimated two million boys and girls, and over 1,000 youth sports organisations throughout Southern California.
8. Moscow, Rusia ; hosted 1980
For the one and only time in the history of the Olympic Games, an Eastern European city was granted the honour of hosting the Games. It had a positive effect: the Russian capital’s redevelopment thawed Western feeling towards the country. The venues that were built are still used today and the city’s unsuccessful bid to host the 2012 Games centred on using many of the same buildings.
9. Montreal ; hosted 1976
The Olympic Games were a financial disaster for Montreal and the city faced debts for 30 years after the Games had finished. In December 2006 the Olympic Stadium's costs were finally paid in full – the total expenditure (including repairs, renovations, construction, interest and inflation) amounted to £1 billion. Also, despite its huge cost, the stadium is devoid of a major tenant.
10. Munich ; hosted 1972
Following Munich’s event in 1972, the city’s Olympic Stadium became the home of football team FC Bayern Munich, with their rival TSV 1860 Munich moving in during the 1990s. These two teams coexisted in the Olympiastadion until 2005, and since then it has been the host of a yearly air and style snowboard event.
