# What's the greatest city to not host an Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 4, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463 "2012-08-04T23:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/1 "2012-08-04T23:25:31Z")
Leaving aside issues of cost, logistical viability and politics, where ahold they hold an Olympics? It occurred to me toda that London is pretty clearly a hugely important city, a world centre, and so an appropriate place to hold an Olympics. In retrospect, the choice of Atlanta in 1996 seems, b comparison, really bizarre. Atlanta isn’t even the fifth greatest city in its own country. So we know the next Summer Games are in Rio. Given importance however you want t define it - current size, power, economic might, cultural impact, historical value, n whatever mix you like, plus considering the need to move the Games around globally a bit - and eliminating any city that has ever held the Olympics before, where should they hold the 2020 Games, assuming no cost or logistical burden? Heck, go out several Olympiads if you like. Btw, in case you don’t have a list handy, the cities that have hosted the Summer Games: Athens, Paris, St. Louis, London, Stockholm , Berlin, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Helsinki, Tokyo, Rome, Mexico City, Munich, Montreal, Moscow, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, and Beijing. You cannot use any of them. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/2 "2012-08-04T23:28:46Z")
New York City and San Francisco come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/3 "2012-08-04T23:30:44Z")
Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/4 "2012-08-04T23:31:02Z")
Dallas Texas that way I can get tickets and go. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/5 "2012-08-04T23:37:23Z")
Following the idea of Rio, as the capital of a BRIC country and emerging world power, I’d suggest New Delhi. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/6 "2012-08-04T23:50:57Z")
Baghdad. :eek:🆒 ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/7 "2012-08-05T00:01:19Z")
Copenhagen Jakarta Johannesburg Sao Paolo ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/8 "2012-08-05T00:22:24Z")
Istanbul, Cairo and Jerusalem come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/9 "2012-08-05T00:36:35Z")
Missed the edit window, but Helsinki hosted the summer games? Wow. I guess that has to put them at the very top of the list for cities that could host both summer and winter games. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/10 "2012-08-05T00:46:06Z")
Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/11 "2012-08-05T00:46:42Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Missed the edit window, but Helsinki hosted the summer games? Wow. Yep. They were originally set for 1940 until the world decided on a Killympics that year (and the next five). It was 1952 before they got the Summer Games. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/12 "2012-08-05T01:00:31Z")
San Diego would seem like a good fit for a summer games. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/13 "2012-08-05T01:13:25Z")
There’s never been an Olympics in Africa or India. They’re both overdue. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/14 "2012-08-05T01:20:08Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Yep. They were originally set for 1940 until the world decided on a Killympics that year (and the next five). It was 1952 before they got the Summer Games. Helsinki was actually a back-up in 1940. The games were originally scheduled for Tokyo but that was rescinded when Japan invaded China and Finland got the award. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/15 "2012-08-05T01:32:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Helsinki was actually a back-up in 1940. The games were originally scheduled for Tokyo but that was rescinded when Japan invaded China and Finland got the award. Really? Shiiiiiit. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/16 "2012-08-05T01:32:21Z")
NYC, NYC, and NYC. Also on my biased list is St Petersburg, but really the answer to the op is NYC. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/17 "2012-08-05T01:36:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > In retrospect, the choice of Atlanta in 1996 seems, b comparison, really bizarre. Atlanta isn’t even the fifth greatest city in its own country. It probably placed way higher in 1996 America than Los Angeles did in 1932. All LA had at the time was open space and movie-industry-inspired [boosterism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boosterism). ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/18 "2012-08-05T01:45:11Z")
OK, so I’m wrong… LA was the 5th largest city in the 1930 U.S. Census, and the first West Coast city to make the top ten (1920) and the top five (1930). Atlanta still hasn’t even made the top ten. [Largest cities in the US by population, by decade](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_cities_in_the_United_States_by_population_by_decade) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/19 "2012-08-05T01:46:18Z")
For the record, assuming I had all the money in the world and could change a few political things: 2020: New York City 2024: Cairo 2028: Jakarta I’m not sure where I’d go with 2032. Possibly back to China. Shanghai is a truly great city. I can’t think of any European cities I’d rush it back to; they’ve mostly had their chances. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463/20 "2012-08-05T02:11:31Z")
several US Cities. Some Non US cities: Toronto, Madrid, Joburg [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-greatest-city-to-not-host-an-olympics/630463.md?page=2)