Bad weather for major sporting events. The Commonwealth Games, especially. Awarded to Victoria, the 2026 edition no longer has a host city since the Australian state resigned. For 2030, Alberta seemed in an ideal position to win. But the Canadian province has also put its thumbs up. In both cases, no real plan B.
What do those primarily concerned, the athletes, think? Obviously, they regret it. The British Alistair Brownlee, double Olympic triathlon champion (London 2012 and Rio 2016), member of the IOC within the Athletes' Commission, goes further. He took up his pen to defend, in this very personal forum, the importance of hosting major sporting events, including the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.
“It was a day in July 2005. I was walking through the school corridors between classes. " Did you hear ? » “No, sir,” I replied. “London has been elected host city for the Olympic Games. » Fantastic, good for them, I said to myself. But that doesn't concern me. It's seven years from now and I'll never be good enough to be an Olympian.
These doubts had initially entered my mind, but this news had a profound and shattering effect on me. Triathlon was my hobby, my passion, my obsession. The Olympic Games have been nothing more than a dream since I learned about them in 1996. In the seven years since then, there has probably not been a day, or a training session, that has gone by without that the idea of this competition does not interfere in my thoughts. As a form of motivation and inspiration, but above all a way to make this dream come true.
Seven years and thousands of hours of training later. Blood, sweat and tears, literally. Will, determination. Dare to dream that my dreams can come true. Dreams that were shattered but carried me back. I was at the start line of the London Olympic triathlon.
I was running around Hyde Park in front of more people than I had seen at any other race I had done before. Old friends, family members, sports enthusiasts, triathlon fans and especially people who have never been to a triathlon before. And I won the race. My little brother crossed the finish line in third place while I was slumped on the blue carpet recovering.
I have participated in hundreds of races all over the world. But this was different. The impressive number of people, the passion, the noise. This race, the Olympics, had people crowding together to get a glimpse of the action. Not only action, but also joy and excitement. Maybe even humanity.
That day changed my life. Soon after, Jonny and I realized that we were in a position that was both incredibly privileged and fraught with responsibility. We received mountains of requests for visits and speaking engagements in local schools and sports clubs. We both believed in the importance of sport in people's lives and in society, and our responsibility to do something about it.
We could not fulfill these obligations alone and therefore decided to create a foundation to assume our responsibilities. Nearly a decade later, we've given more than 50 young people their first experience of triathlon, donated equipment and supported other organizations doing the same thing. I am also fortunate to work with the British Olympic Foundation, which has mobilized more than 000 schools since 30 and two million children last year. This is Olympism.
This is my Olympic story. The inspiration to give the best of myself and the motivation to pass on my experiences to others.
Like all generations before us, we can certainly find reasons why major sporting events, like the Olympic Games, are no longer necessary today. We can certainly say that there are better ways to use resources. That the Games are a relic of a bygone era.
But I do not agree. There have been 54 editions of the Olympic Games since 1896. Fifty-four opportunities for people from around the world to come together to compete in peace. Each of these editions left a legacy for the host region, presented the sport in its best light and inspired young people to be more active. Maybe even dreaming, like me. Each of these editions also experienced its own organizational challenges, which were overcome for the better.
Over these 127 years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the organizers of the Games have had to adapt. One of the priorities of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 reforms is to “foster sustainable Olympic Games”. Paris 2024 committed to halving carbon emissions compared to the average of London 2012 and Rio 2016 – a commitment in line with the Paris climate agreement. This also means building fewer new venues and infrastructure to reduce the resources needed to host future editions of the Games. I can already hear the protests of Olympic historians: “This is nothing new! The 1948 London Games took place without any new venues being built! »
No event of this magnitude can stand the test of time without, some would say, Olympic-level resilience and adaptability. In the world we live in today, the IOC must react quickly to the challenges it faces, and that is what it has been doing: since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it has is committed to providing $7,5 million to support Ukraine's athletes and Olympic community. By 2024, one million displaced young people will be able to play sport safely thanks to the Olympic Refuge Foundation. A few dozen of them will have the chance to participate in the Olympic Games as members of the Refugee Olympic Team formed by the IOC. The IOC supports athletes and gives them the means to make a difference within their community; it awards prizes for initiatives supporting climate action and grants grants to social causes that are close to its heart.
On these issues, innovation on a global scale is one thing. But it would be remiss of me not to point out that the Olympic Movement represents much more than a high-level sporting competition. Like most people, I respect the Olympic Games for their traditions and values. Every two years, thousands of athletes from the four corners of the planet live under the same roof and eat at the same table. They return home to their communities and take with them the values of excellence, respect and friendship. A balancing act like you see in the gym.
The model, so to speak, is that of a region and a nation which invest in an event, a hope, a dream. An event that inspires its citizens, young and old. A hope that, through sport, people from all corners of the world will come together to compete in peace. A dream, that of understanding that our similarities are much greater than our differences. Yes, the Games leave a special mark on all the cities, regions and nations that host them. But the real mark they leave is on humanity. If this model isn't important in today's world, then I don't know what is. »
