Contextualizing Olympic Legacies

Abstract

This article examines the making of Olympic legacies. All cities bidding to host the Olympics after 2012 are now required to describe sports and non-sports legacies in their bid books, and this will become a consideration in awarding the Games. A review of the literature on the impacts of hosting the Games and on conceptualizing Olympic legacies shows that both have advanced in recent years. Yet an examination of the aftermath of hosting the Olympics in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City reveals that claiming Olympic legacies remains difficult given the political decisions made early in the bidding process and the local geography of locating Olympic facilities and venues outside the host city itself.

Keywords:

• Olympic legacies
• Los Angeles
• Salt Lake City