Can London challenge Saudi Arabia and India for Olympic Games?
Mayor Sadiq Khan wants the 2040 Olympic Games in London but up against Saudi Arabia, India and other new global powers, can Great Britain compete?
Picture the scene: the year is 2040, the Olympic Games are back in London; Danny Boyle – at the age of 83 – has been persuaded out of retirement to direct the opening ceremony and royal kids George, Louis and Charlotte are fighting over who gets to jump out of a helicopter as James Bond’s “M”.
No, it is not some monarchist’s fever dream, but a realisation of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s wish to see the quadrennial event, hosted in the Big Smoke on three previous occasions, return to the capital.
But in a changing economical, cultural and geopolitical world does London even stand a chance at being in the conversation, let alone picked?
Britain in line?
Professor Simon Chadwick says Khan’s hopes for London are nothing more than “fanciful” given its recent hosting status and shifting global trends.
“Britain may well position itself as being a reliable host with a proven track record and established infrastructure,” he adds, “but we’re still 15 years away from the event; 15 years ago nobody could have imagined that the country would now be in such a dire economic state.
“Unless there is considerable state backing for a 2040 bid then it is hard to imagine London being a serious contender – especially when some local stakeholders in Manchester are pushing for it to receive state funding for new sports infrastructure.”
The biggest problem with the London Stadium – used to host the 2012 Olympics – is that it was built for a fortnight of athletics then converted into a football stadium. Manchester City’s Etihad, on the other hand, was built for football and converted into a Commonwealth Games arena for two weeks.
Could, then, Manchester United do the same as their city rivals when they build their 100,000 “New Trafford” stadium at the end of the decade, and steal London Mayor Khan’s thunder?
The Middle Eastern question
The debate doesn’t matter, sport finance consultant James Paul tells City AM, insisting any British Olympic bid simply must be in the capital.
“The infrastructure and reach of London is – rightly or wrongly – so much further developed than any other part of the country,” he says.
“London is also in a much better position for 2040 now than you’d have thought it was in 1997 for 2012 – when the first proposals were made.
“The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is clearly the most advanced and best stadium in the country, I’d imagine that could be part of any submission – but whether it could house athletics is another story.”
But it is not just Britain that is changing, the world is too. Chadwick points to a pivot from the Global North to the Global South, recognising India are likely to get the 2036 Games while Indonesia and Saudi Arabia will be keen too.
“The round of bidding for the 2036 Games will also cloud matters, these three countries as well as the likes of China, Egypt, and Qatar are also likely to be in the running,” he concludes. “Whichever of these six miss out on 2036, they are likely to reappear again and take a shot at 2040 hosting.”