Essay Undergraduate 1,414 words

Should the Olympic Games Have a Permanent Home?

~8 min read 5 sections Sports · Olympic Games

Abstract

This essay examines the growing debate over whether the Summer and Winter Olympic Games should be moved to a permanent host location. Beginning with a brief history of the Games from ancient Greece through the modern era, the paper analyzes the International Olympic Committee's host-city selection process and its financial and political consequences. Drawing on multiple sources, the essay argues that the current system imposes unsustainable economic burdens on host cities—particularly in developing nations—while enriching the IOC at the expense of local residents. A permanent venue, the paper concludes, would reduce corruption, lower costs, and better serve the Games' founding humanitarian mission.

Key Takeaways

Introduction: Frames the debate over Olympic host-city selection
A Brief History of the Modern Olympic Games: Traces the Games from ancient Greece to 1896
The Role of the International Olympic Committee: Examines IOC selection rules and commercialization
Rationale in Support of a Permanent Home for the Olympic Games: Arguments for a fixed permanent Olympic venue
Conclusion: Synthesizes findings and calls for reform

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What makes this paper effective

The essay grounds its argument in concrete financial figures—the $50 billion cost estimate and the IOC's $6 billion in revenues—giving abstract policy claims measurable weight.
It uses a well-organized logical progression: historical context, institutional critique, and then a reform proposal, making the argument easy to follow for a general academic audience.
Direct quotations from both critics and IOC sources are integrated smoothly, adding authoritative support without overwhelming the writer's own voice.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates effective use of literature synthesis to build a policy argument. Rather than simply summarizing individual sources, the writer weaves together historical scholarship, journalistic reporting, and academic commentary to construct a coherent case. The contrast between the IOC's stated nonprofit mission and its documented financial practices is a particularly effective rhetorical move, using the organization's own stated values to critique its behavior.

Structure breakdown

The essay follows a classic five-part academic structure: an abstract previewing the argument, an introduction framing the problem, two body sections providing historical and institutional context, a third body section presenting the reform argument, and a conclusion synthesizing the findings. Each section flows logically into the next, and the conclusion returns directly to the concerns raised in the introduction, giving the essay satisfying structural closure.

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Essay 1,414 words

Introduction

On the one hand, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro can be regarded as an enormous success—at least for the International Olympic Committee, which reaps a multi-billion-dollar fortune every two years. On the other hand, the politicized manner in which host cities are currently selected, and the enormously onerous financial commitments that must be made to secure a winning bid, have attracted criticism from all quarters. Many observers argue in support of establishing permanent homes for the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

To determine the viability and rationale behind this proposal, this paper reviews the relevant literature to provide a brief history of the modern Olympic Games, followed by a description of the current strategy used by the International Olympic Committee to select host cities. An analysis of the arguments in support of establishing a permanent home for the Games is then followed by a summary and synthesis of the research, together with important findings on these issues, in the conclusion.

A Brief History of the Modern Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were first staged in Olympia, Greece in 776 BCE and were intended primarily as a religious festival honoring Zeus (The real story of the Olympic Games, 2016). The ancient Greeks continued to stage the Olympic Games for more than a millennium, until 393 CE, but it required another 1,500 years for the Games to return to Greece. The first modern international games were held in Athens in 1896 (The real story of the Olympic Games, 2016).

Founded two years previously, in 1894, by Pierre de Coubertin (Lubin & Delevigne, 2010), the purportedly non-profit International Olympic Committee (IOC) became the Games' highest authority. It coordinated the Athens Games and established the Olympics' stated goal: "to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind, in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." The overarching mission of the IOC is to "promote Olympism throughout the world and to lead the Olympic Movement." Notwithstanding these lofty aims, the IOC has been increasingly criticized in recent years for its executives' profligacy and money-fueled favoritism, as discussed below.

3 Sections Hidden · 610 words

The Role of the International Olympic Committee280 words

Since their resurrection over a century ago, the Olympic Games have been marred by national and international politics and by the manner in which host cities are selected by the IOC (Johnson & Johnson, 2003). In sharp contrast to the original version—where there were no corporate…

Rationale in Support of a Permanent Home for the Olympic Games230 words

Because many of the venues constructed for just two weeks of Olympic competition have little or no further application for host cities, the investments involved—currently estimated at more than $50 billion per host city—would be better spent on a permanent home. For example, based on their analysis of the impact of the…

Conclusion100 words

The research clearly showed that the arguments in support of a permanent home for the modern international Olympic Games make good business sense. Furthermore, this alternative strategy would also eliminate the hardships currently experienced…

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Works Cited / References

Chad, N. (2016, July 18). Couch slouch: Time to give the Olympic Games a permanent home. Charleston Gazette Mail, 4B.

Cole, S. G. (2014, Spring). Olympic pain and glory. Herizons, 27(4), 15.

Johnson, C. D., & Johnson, V. (2003). Understanding the Odyssey: A student casebook to issues, sources, and historic documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Lubin, G., & Delevigne, L. (2010, February 17). Olympics, Inc.: Inside the secretive, $6 billion world of the International Olympic Committee. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/olympics-inc-inside-the-business-of-the-ioc

Short, J. R., & Barney, R. K. (2016, August 17). Should the Olympic Games have a permanent venue? CBC Radio. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-august-17-2016-1.3724261/should-the-olympic-games-have-a-permanent-venue-1.3724289

The real story of the Olympic Games. (2016). Penn Museum. Retrieved from http://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicorigins.shtml

Wassong, S. (2008, Annual). Clean sport: A twofold challenge in the contemporary history of the modern Olympic Games. Proceedings: International Symposium for Olympic Research, 84–90.

Key Concepts in This Paper

Permanent Olympic Venue IOC Reform Host City Costs Olympic Charter Commercialization Developing Nations Olympic History Sports Economics Abandoned Infrastructure Nonprofit Accountability