As we cheer on our athletes in Rio from our couches, or just read the headlines of the games, it’s worth thinking about Detroit’s bid for the Olympic Games. While we are the city with the most bids without landing the games, it’s fun to think about what could have been, what we possibly dodged, and the possible future of the Olympics in Detroit.
While some cities can handle an Olympic games (London, Atlanta), many really can’t, with large stadiums sitting abandoned long after the athletes leave. Our readers commented on the possibility of hosting the games here last week.
Our closest bid was 1968, which went to Mexico City instead. Detroit lost by one vote. Also, Mexico City said they’d feed the athletes for $2.80 a day, while Detroit said they’d feed them for $3. Oh well.
Here’s a recap from WDIV Local 4 from 2008 on that failed bid. Imagine Wayne State as the Olympic Village, a new giant stadium at the State Fairgrounds? Hmm.
Below is the video that accompanied our 1968 Olympic bid. "Detroit, City on the Move" is 18 minutes of an unenthusiastic narrator, sitting behind a desk, talking about how great Detroit is. Some of it is quite sad now.
This much flashier video was produced about four years ago to try to raise interest in hosting in 2024, since Detroit is/was going through (of course) "a renaissance decades in the making."
Well, we’re not hosting the games in 2024. Possibly in the future? Could a Detroit-Windsor partnership work? Join the discussion below or here to voice your opinion.
- Should Detroit host the Olympics? [Curbed Detroit]
The '68 Games: Detroit's Unrealized Olympic Dreams [Curbed Detroit]