Like everyone, I was stunned when Chicago was voted out first. Then Tokyo. It came down to Rio de Janeiro and Madrid. My Spanish coworkers and I watched the final decision live online, holding our collective breath and thinking that maybe, just maybe, Madrid would host the Summer Olympics in 2016.
Sadly for all the madrileños who had a corazonada, it was not meant to be.
I know I sound like a big jerk here, but I kind of figured this would happen.
Problem #1: Madrid is broke. Seriously. We have no money. According to the Banco de España, the capital’s debts have increased by about EUR 6 million over the past five years. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) just announced that all the economies in Europe will begin to recover in 2010, except Spain. Unemployment is currently at 18.5 percent, and some experts have predicted that it could reach 25 percent – a quarter of the population – by the end of 2010.
Problem #2: While loads of good things come from hosting the Olympic Games – national pride, improved infrastructure, a boost in tourism – hosting the Olympics is incredibly expensive.
In a city still reeling from a burst housing bubble, the Olympic Games coming to Madrid could mean that thousands of residents would be displaced from their homes to make way for new roads and venues.
People react in the centre of Madrid on October 2, 2009 after it was announced that Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic Games following a vote by the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen
The Swiss-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) recently studied the past seven cities to host the Summer Olympics (which includes Barcelona in 1992) and released some interesting findings. When it comes to displacing residents, they found that city officials often shut off utilities if residents aren’t willing to ‘get out of the way.’ Most recently, Beijing displaced 1.5 million people to host the 2008 Summer Games.
The repercussions of Olympic planning don’t end once the athletes arrive. “Barcelona, touted as the most successful recent games, registered a 240 per cent increase in new house prices in the run-up to the Olympics,” the study revealed.
Then there’s the aftermath. Athens was left EUR 8 billion in debt after it hosted, and the most famous example of Olympics-induced financial burden is Montreal’s ‘Big Owe’ stadium, which took 30 years to pay off.
Problem #3: Obras – Mayor Gallardón’s perpetual road works. Anyone who spent time in the centre of Madrid this summer knows that the Puerta del Sol looked more like Dresden in ‘45 than the bustling commercial heart of the city. Plaza de Colón is still a shambles.
A few days before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) arrived, a gutted building near Callao was simply covered with a giant tarpaulin with the ‘Madrid 2016’ hand-shaped logo emblazoned on it. It was the equivalent of sweeping the junk that clutters your flat into a closet and shutting the door before company arrives.
Problem #4: A blemish in our Olympic history precedes us. In February 2005, just as the IOC was assessing the capital’s preparedness to host the 2012 Olympic Games, the Windsor Building burned to the ground in one of the worst fires in the city’s history. There are still conspiracy theories of arson and Olympic sabotage, which are no doubt still fresh in the minds of the IOC.
No matter what the cause of the fire, I recall standing in the middle of the Paseo de la Castellana with a crowd of people the night of the fire, watching the building burn until the wee hours of the morning, and everyone seemed to know that Madrid’s first Olympic aspirations had gone up in smoke right along with it.
It was a major bummer then, and it was a bummer two weeks ago when we came so close, only to lose again.
I know I’m harshing on everyone’s Olympic buzz here, and I’m sorry. Despite all the statistics of the Games leaving cities in financial ruin and Madrid’s crippled budget – despite knowing that it wouldn’t have been the best thing for Madrid right now, of course I would have been proud if Madrid had won.
I’m proud any time the city that I love is in the spotlight. I love it when Madrid makes Top-10 lists in the press or is featured on a Travel Channel TV series. Hell, I’ve even got a Madrid-themed tattoo. You’d be hard pressed to find a guiri who loves this town as much as I do, which is why I just want what’s best for it. It’s why I’m glad we didn’t get the Games.
And hey – we’re not down for the count. We’re far from a lost cause. Madrid has got a low violent-crime rate, one of the best subway systems in the world, a few giant sports stadiums already – and God knows madrileños know how to throw a party better than anyone, even those wild Brazilians.
It just wasn’t our time. Maybe we’ll be more financially stable and better prepared for the 2020 Games. Or maybe we’re just better suited to other things. World Cup 2018, anyone?
22 October 2009
Kristen Bernardi / Expatica
Kristen Bernardi is an American journalist living in Madrid. She has contributed to various travel publications including Fodor's, TimeOut, The Insider's Guide, Spain Magazine and InMadrid, and most recently assisted in 2008 Spanish presidential election coverage for CNN International. She is on a constant search for the perfect tortilla española, and will consider returning to US soil once the Pittsburgh Pirates make the World Series. Kristen writes a blog, Oye, rubia, on a wide range of topics for Expatica on fortnightly Fridays.
Text size
Blogger Kristen Bernardi voices an unpopular opinion on why she is okay with Madrid not hosting the 2016 Olympics.
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Flickr
0
