Remember when bidding to host an Olympic Games was considered to be such a huge deal and several countries would wait to hear if they made the final cut before a host country was finally selected? There would be buzz years in advance about what countries might bid and excited speculation on whether or not the U.S. would throw its hat into the proverbial ring. That is how it used to be, but fast forward to the Winter Games for 2022, and instead of countries fighting for the honor, they are withdrawing their bids. Only Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, are interested are interested despite many who think the International Olympic Committee is corrupt.
After Russia spent $51 billion to host the Sochi Games only to be shredded for having accommodations half constructed when the press and athletes arrived in the Olympic Village — not to mention the increased fears of a terrorist attack that put a damper on the start of the games — Oslo, Norway, a city that loves its athletes and winter sports, had placed a bid for the 2022 games that, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, was confirmed withdrawn.
Apparently, the Norwegian government refuses to fund the bid after learning that 58 percent of its residents do not want their funds being wasted on the Olympics.
Stockholm and Krakow, Poland, also recently withdrew bids and one of the biggest reasons is because of the organization in charge of the games. The IOC is thought to be extremely corrupt in a multitude of ways, from mishandling funds to crooked judging. Anyway you look at it, smart countries no longer want to affiliate themselves with this group.
As it stands now, only Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, are the only cities left vying for the 2022 games, and insiders say they are lousy choices for a multitude of reasons. It is more than 100 miles to the nearest ski mountain from China's capital, and oil-rich Kazakhstan has been ruled since 1991 by the same president, who many believe is corrupt.
Do you think cleaning up the IOC once and for all so it is a respectable organization that follows its own rules and guidelines is a possibility? Are the Olympic Games permanently ruined by overspending and corruption from the inner circle? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
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