The enormity of modern-day Olympics risk is a consequence of relentless growth in the scale and complexity of the Olympic Leviathan and its global profile, combined with risks affecting the international political economy and the administration of modern sport.Įven the earliest Olympics of the modern era (e.g., Athens 1896, Paris 1900, and St. However, the criticality of “risk” to the modern Olympic movement must be understood within the context of over a century of Olympic history, through which risk has been discovered and interpreted through the glories or ignominies of past Games. Risk is now ubiquitous both in the selection of host cities and for organization of the Games.

The development of the modern Olympics has produced a global industry of risk assessment and risk management, with planning for London 2012 only the most recent installment.

For the biggest event in the world, the potential hazards and uncertainties are as pronounced as the prospective rewards. London 2012 promises to be, like every preceding Olympics, “the best games ever” - but what political and organizational pitfalls lie ahead for the management of Olympic risk? Within 24 hours of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote to award the 2012 games to London, an attack on the London transport system by four suicide bombers provided an unmistakable reminder of the vulnerability of this type of mega-event to external threats and contingencies. London 2012: Olympic Risk, Risk Management and Olymponomics In August 2008, I had an article published in the John Liner Review that updated my original article on the Olympics and risk management.

London olympic games commercial