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Summer Olympic City Bids

Can you name the cities which have placed bids to host the Summer Olympic Games?
Winning bids in bold. Strikethrough indicates games not held.
Parentheses indicates a winning bid that withdrew after being chosen.
Source: Wikipedia.
Quiz by f1freak
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Last updated: July 24, 2021
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First submittedAugust 5, 2012
Times taken30,994
Average score56.5%
Rating4.95
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#
Years
City
10
1924, 1928, 1932, 1948, 1952, 1956,
1976, 1980, 1984, 2028
Los Angeles
9
(1908), 1924, 1936, 1940, 1944,
1960, 2004, 2020, 2024
Rome
7
1944, 1952, 1956, 1960,
1964, 1968, 1972
Detroit
6
1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1952, 1992
Amsterdam
6
1916, 1920, 1936, 1944, 1960, 2024
Budapest
6
1900, 1924, 1992, 2008, 2012, 2024
Paris
5
2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2020
Istanbul
5
1940, 1960, 1964, 2016, 2020
Tokyo
4
1896, 1944, 1996, 2004
Athens
4
1924, 1936, 1940, 1992
Barcelona
4
1908, 1916, 1936, 2000
Berlin
4
1936, 1956, 1968, 2004
Buenos Aires
4
(1904), 1952, 1956, 2016
Chicago
4
1936, 1940, 1944, 1952
Helsinki
4
1936, 1944, 1948, 1960
Lausanne
4
1908, 1944, 1948, 2012
London
4
1972, 2012, 2016, 2020
Madrid
4
1944, 1956, 1972, 1976
Montreal
4
1920, 1948, 1952, 1956
Philadelphia
4
1936, 2004, 2012, 2016
Rio de Janeiro
3
1916, 1960, 1964
Brussels
3
1920, 2008, 2012
Havana
3
1956, 1960, 1968
Mexico City
3
1948, 1952, 1956
Minneapolis
3
1976, 1980, 2012
Moscow
2
1916, 1936
Alexandria
2
1920, 1996
Atlanta
2
2016, 2020
Baku
2
2000, 2008
Beijing
2
1992, 1996
Belgrade
2
1992, 2032
Brisbane
2
1916, 1920
Cleveland
2
2016, 2020
Doha
2
1920, 1968
Lyon
2
1996, 2000
Manchester
#
Years
City
2
1956, 1996
Melbourne
2
1908, 2000
Milan
2
1924, 2016
Prague
2
2004, 2008
Seville
2
1912, 2004
Stockholm
2
1996, 2008
Toronto
1
1920
Antwerp
1
1948
Baltimore
1
2008
Bangkok
1
1992
Birmingham
1
2000
Brasilia
1
2008
Cairo
1
2004
Cape Town
1
1936
Cologne
1
1936
Dublin
1
1936
Frankfurt
1
2024
Hamburg
1
2008
Kuala Lumpur
1
2012
Leipzig
1
2004
Lille
1
1936
Montevideo
1
1972
Munich
1
1988
Nagoya
1
2012
New York City
1
1936
Nuremberg
1
2008
Osaka
1
2004
Saint Petersburg
1
1956
San Francisco
1
2004
San Juan
1
1988
Seoul
1
1904
St. Louis
1
2000
Sydney
1
2000
Tashkent
1
1964
Vienna
+1
Level 70
Aug 10, 2012
Did Tokyo get it for 2020? Because they've only had it once before, and I thought they weren't going to decide until September 2013?
+3
Level 20
Aug 10, 2012
Tokyo won it in 1964 and 1940, however the latter was cancelled due to the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was then moved to Helsinki, but inevitably cancelled due to WWII. No 2020 bids are included in this quiz.
+10
Level 75
Dec 22, 2020
What's happening with Tokyo 2020?
+3
Level 67
Apr 27, 2021
Little did you know olympics 2020 would be canceled:(
+3
Level 66
Jul 31, 2021
Well this couldn't have aged better

Optimism for the future mofos!

+1
Level 63
Aug 27, 2023
considering it happened two years ago i think it did, was supposed to be 3 but ya know covid
+1
Level 54
Aug 22, 2015
Oops. Forgot about Atlanta. Irony-one of the most forgettable games ever.
+3
Level 57
Jan 18, 2017
I agree, northing interesting happend in Atlanta.
+6
Level 58
Aug 11, 2020
There was a big bombing there
+4
Level 84
Oct 30, 2020
Muhammed Ali lighting the torch was pretty memorable.
+1
Level 79
Dec 22, 2020
nothing* happened*
+20
Level ∞
Oct 29, 2020
There was a big kerfuffle because the head of the IOC had a pattern of saying that each Summer Olympics was "the best ever". He didn't say it for Atlanta, but then resumed saying it for Sydney in 2000.
+1
Level 79
Dec 22, 2020
Why is this??
+1
Level 78
Dec 22, 2020
They were probably the first games where business had became more important than sport itself. They were viewed by many as excessively commercialized.

Besides that, athletes denounced shortcomings in the organization (crowded apartments in the olympic village, low quality of the catering, etc. And of course, the fact that there was a terrorist bombing that killed two didn't help to the games' popularity.

+4
Level 57
Jan 18, 2017
Wienna would be a great host city
+17
Level 75
Dec 22, 2020
If it existed?
+13
Level 82
Oct 29, 2020
Nice quiz. Also -- appreciate how this tracks the rise and fall of Detroit in the mid-20th century.
+3
Level 72
Nov 2, 2020
And a couple of Cleveland's bright and shining moments in the distant past.
+3
Level 80
Oct 29, 2020
What about Rio 2016?

Interesting that in 1936 when Berlin hosted there were 4 German cities in the bidding - Hitler couldn't lose!

+1
Level ∞
Oct 29, 2020
Rio is listed.
+1
Level 84
Oct 29, 2020
The thing is that, with the exceptions of Berlin, Barcelona and Rome, no one is really sure about the seriousness of all the listed cities. Rome would withdraw before the voting, and the final ballot was between Berlin and Barcelona.

So, its possible that there was an internal voting to choose which city would represent Germany (something that has been done in many situations where several cities in a country propose a bid: picking only one means all available resources go behind only one unified bid). And, since the "final list" is a murky mess, all the German cities ended there.

+1
Level 82
Oct 29, 2020
Anyone know why NYC has only bid once? Seems like an obvious host city to me.
+1
Level 84
Oct 29, 2020
Perhaps due to other US cities proposing a bid and showing more interest in hosting the event.

Los Angeles went to win the rights to host in 2028, despite losing an internal voting to Boston, simply because when Boston dropped its bid, LA's City Council were quick to vote unanimously to back a new bid.

+1
Level 84
Oct 30, 2020
Nowadays it might be due to the huge financial burden, plus the IOC always demanding new specialized facilities be built. Not impossible but tough to do in the dense metro.
+1
Level 69
Dec 23, 2020
I agree. You can read the economic statistics in different ways, but ultimately I don't think there's much benefit for large, wealthy cities to bend over backwards to host the Olympics.

Maybe Londoners will contradict me and say London 2012 was a big success, but the trend seems to be toward smaller (as in not gigantic) cities or cities in authoritarian countries.

+1
Level 71
Aug 6, 2021
I'd disagree. Rio and Tokyo are both enormous cities in democratic countries, and were overall pretty successful. The only major authoritarian country that has hosted in the last 30 years is China (and Russia if you include the Winter Olympics).
+4
Level 69
Aug 9, 2021
Tokyo 2020 was successful?

We're not talking about the quality of the athletics here. No spectators travelled to Tokyo and the Olympics were held during a state of emergency against the wishes of many if not most Japanese people. Dick Pound even said that the government of Japan didn't have the right to cancel or postpone the Olympics. The IOC looked like complete bullies and Tokyo paid for the pleasure of a fan-less Olympics, how is that a success?

+5
Level 77
Feb 25, 2022
I thought you were using an insulting nickname...little did i know that Dick Pound is a real person. Learn something every day.
+1
Level 80
Oct 30, 2020
No African cities bidding (other than the 2 Egyptian cities) and no successful South American bids. Football world cup bids and venues have been friendlier to those continents.
+7
Level 74
Oct 30, 2020
Rio de Janeiro was successful for 2016.
+1
Level 43
Dec 22, 2020
And a fraud.
+1
Level 88
Oct 30, 2020
Cape Town had a bid, too.
+15
Level 75
Dec 22, 2020
why would you write a comment with so many obvious errors lol
+3
Level 79
Aug 6, 2021
because, the internet
+1
Level 88
Oct 30, 2020
Does anyone still know when the Olympics are going on, let alone watch them?
+1
Level 62
Oct 31, 2020
There should be Olympics in Florida, Texas, Alaska, and Hawaii!
+12
Level 42
Jun 3, 2021
It can't just be USA
+2
Level 77
Nov 7, 2020
A lot more American cities that I would've thought. I'm hoping that Detroit gets its chance someday. ;) lol
+1
Level 60
Nov 9, 2020
Is that a sarcasm?
+1
Level 66
Aug 6, 2021
Yeah, Detroit seems pretty much past its prime.
+1
Level 67
Aug 6, 2021
It's on the upswing. Not as bad as most people think all in all.
+1
Level 49
Aug 7, 2021
yeah
+12
Level 52
Dec 13, 2020
Tashkent Olympics 2000? Would've been a sight for sure.
+7
Level 65
Dec 22, 2020
London with 100% accuracy in "i want the olympics now" ;)
+1
Level 70
Dec 22, 2020
Shouldn’t DC count as a type in for Baltimore?
+3
Level 82
Feb 22, 2022
Nope. I know the "metro/urban area" thing gets murky here on Jetpunk, but as someone who lives 15 minutes from Baltimore, no one here considers DC and Baltimore to be the same city. They'd probably look at you like you were insane if you suggested it XD
+1
Level 64
Dec 22, 2020
Ummmmmm Lake Placid hosted the games twice? They should be on this list right..?
+5
Level 75
Dec 22, 2020
thats winter olympics
+2
Level 75
Dec 22, 2020
They hosted the Winter Games.
+11
Level 69
Dec 22, 2020
So when London does a bid, they either get the olympics or a World War. That is some dice roll.
+2
Level 79
Dec 24, 2020
London is the only city here with multiple bids with a 100% bidding success bidding rate!
+1
Level 71
Dec 22, 2020
Absolutely fascinating quiz. Thumbs up to the author!
+1
Level 53
Dec 22, 2020
I would assume a winter olympics quiz is in the works now?
+2
Level 69
Dec 23, 2020
Detroit not taking the hint.
+3
Level 79
Dec 24, 2020
Maybe they should run again. Haven't done so for some time.
+2
Level 93
Aug 15, 2021
Brisbane did run unchallenged for 2032, so who knows.
+1
Level 75
Dec 25, 2020
I thought Detroit also bid in 1984.
+2
Level 49
May 2, 2021
the funny thing is I said leipzig then said, its so small of course it hasn't. Oh how the turn tables.
+8
Level ∞
Jul 24, 2021
Congrats to Brisbane who won because no other cities put in a bid!
+3
Level 79
Aug 6, 2021
Watching our federal politicians attempting to get excited about the awarding of the 2032 games was cringeworthy, given it was known well in advance that nobody else was bidding.
+1
Level 52
Aug 6, 2021
This may be Detroit's chance...
+1
Level 73
Aug 6, 2021
Damn, would never have guessed Tashkent were in the bidding
+2
Level 71
Aug 6, 2021
RIP Detroit, Budapest, and Istanbul. I would've rather liked it if the Olympics were held in the latter 2 cities.
+1
Level 93
Aug 15, 2021
I almost wish that either the Olympics were held in the same city, or, alternatively, no city could host repeatedly. Because going till 2032, Africa has still never been chosen to host an Olympics, despite cities such as Cape Town or Cairo being great choices.
+2
Level 57
Aug 7, 2021
My overly tired mind initially thought the title said "birds" rather than "bids"...
+1
Level 67
Aug 7, 2021
51, somehow thought of San Juan and Tashkent
+1
Level 20
Oct 13, 2021
I know Cincinnati made a bid or bet for the 2012 olympics
+1
Level 64
Mar 10, 2022
Curious: Why did Rome and Chicago withdraw?
+1
Level 71
Dec 24, 2022
POOR DETROIT, BUDAPEST, AND ISTANBUL!!! (And to a lesser extent Buenos Aires, Madrid, and Philadelphia).

London and Rome are just flat-out BID CRAZY!!!

Central and Eastern European nations/cities, except for Moscow...well, due to politics, they probably knew they weren't going to get it. I think that after the wars, Budapest, as gorgeous as it is, just wasn't in shape, I don't think. I can really understand Prague bidding in 1924, but the politics were really going to be strict on that one.

Belgrade in 1992 and 1996 makes sense in terms of attention-getting and anger at the falling-apart of their country. The Yugoslavian dream crumbled tragically just beforehand.

(more)

+1
Level 71
Dec 24, 2022
The only African cities to bid - Cairo and Cape Town. When will Africa host? With Nigeria roaring like it is economically and with its population boom - it could conceivably pull it off around mid-century.

India really should get a shot, too. Delhi would be sentimentally wonderful for that, but their pollution is worrying. With all their recent growth and new-wave talent, Bangalore and Hyderabad could conceivably pull it off by some time mid century also, I think. Mumbai would obviously come to mind, but as dense as it is - not so sure. Don't know if they have the infrastructure.

I can't believe I forgot to guess Toronto! Slapping my forehead for that one!

One reiteration - it's really a shame that Buenos Aires never got to host it. It was the biggest city in the whole Southern Hemisphere for quite a while, and it is quite beautiful! But with so much of the rest of the world coming up so quickly, they might not get to host them for quite a long time.