The best of the best in the world of sports is now gathered at the beautiful Rio de Janeiro to compete for this year’s Olympics. Over 200 countries are participating in the most prestigious sporting event. As of today, the Philippines already won a silver medal thanks to Zamboanga-born Hidilyn Diaz. Diaz made history as the first Filipina to ever win an Olympic medal.
Aside from the athletes, the world also has its eyes on Rio de Janeiro, this year’s host for the Olympics. Hosting the Olympics comes with great pride. The fact that your city is chosen as the arena for the most prestigious competition in the world is big – a factor that will transcend history.
During the Olympics athletes and their supporters will live in Olympic Villages – where both residential and sporting facilities are going to be built. Some Olympic Villages become popular tourist destinations. But some failed to see the spotlight again. We looked back at some of the most iconic Olympic Villages in history and see what happened to them.
1. Berlin 1936: The Nazi Olympics
Before: Known as one of the most controversial Olympics in history, the Berlin Olympics is used as propaganda by Nazi Germany. Controversy ensues as United States and Europe boycotted the sporting event that year. The Olympic Village managed to host 4,000 athletes all over the world. A huge sports complex was constructed and the facilities are known to be magnificent.
After: The Olympic Village in Berlin became a popular barracks for the German army. Today, it was left abandoned and rusty with no signs of glory that it got back in the day.
2. Sydney 2000: An Olympic Stadium for the New Millennium
Before: Sydney has built the largest Olympic village ever during the turn of the century. Located in Newport, the people of Sydney not only focused on bringing large and sustainable Olympic facilities but also built effective railways around the area.
After: What could have been a real estate nightmare became a success. Sydney successfully turned their Olympic village into a residential community called, Sydney Olympic Park. In 2011, there are reportedly 2,074 houses with 5,320 people occupying it.
3. Athens 2004: Forgotten history
Before: Because the Olympics started in this land, people have become very excited with the notion of the sporting event going back to its native country which is Greece. In preparation, the Greek government gave £7 billion to build state-of-the-art stadiums, residential units, and facilities. Greece catered to almost a million spectators all over the world.
After: The monumental Olympic venue became a source of pain and remorse to the people of Greece. The once spectacular village is now left abandoned. The ghost town that is the Olympic village is an effect of the economic downfall of Greece and poor management of the venue after the games.
4. Beijing 2008: Modernity at its finest
Before: China went big with its Olympic village. It went away from the traditional and stocky notion of what a village is all about. Instead, they created comfortable residential units complete with hospitals and supermarkets.
After: Just like Sydney, China sold their Olympic village to a private sector. Because of this, the facility bloomed into mega condominium units. The Olympic aquatic center became Asia’s largest indoor water park. But the Olympic stadium that they have built become abandoned as the purpose for the said location diminished.
5. London 2012: Fine living
Before: In 2012, London built 3,300 apartments for the athletes and their supporters. Taking a note from the Beijing Olympic village, London also filled the compound with food halls, salons, and other amenities.
After: Because of the recession that London experienced in the year of its Olympics, it had a hard time making a profit out of the real estate. But they made a turnaround in 2014, when they opened the refurbished village to the public as residential units.
Back in Rio
Rio’s road into becoming a Olympic host is a rough one. Their government spent an estimated £3.5bn despite the country’s crippling recession. There have been issues on construction and demolition rose along the way. But despite of this, the first South American country to ever host the games believe that the Olympics can bring development in their country. And we all hope so.
