Olympic Venues: Repurposed and Abandoned Legacies
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has its finger on the starting pistol. Its 43 venues are in the sprint start position, waiting for the shot to be fired. Eight new venues have been built for this Summer’s Games, but what happens to the stadiums and swimming pools after the event?
We’ve compiled a list of what some of the former Summer and Winter Olympic venues look like today. Warning: includes some abandoned Olympic venues.
Repurposed Olympic Venues
As part of the legacy projects on many Olympic games, the majority of venues are either kept for the benefit of the local community or repurposed for other uses such as hosting football clubs.
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014
The Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi was used for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and is still standing today. It underwent significant renovations in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Since then, it has mainly been used as a home stadium for the soccer team PFC Sochi.
London Summer Olympics 2012
Following the London Olympics, the Olympic Stadium was converted into a multi-use facility, and the English Premiership team, West Ham United Football Club, now calls it home.
Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010
The Richmond Olympic Oval in Vancouver was built for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and served as a speed skating rink. Following the Olympics, it was reconfigured as a community multi-sport park that remains in use today.
Lillehammer Winter Olympics 1994
The Lysgardsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena, used during the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994, is still functional, having recently hosted the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics.
Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016
The Barra Olympic Park has found new purpose, as it has been utilized for various events and concerts since the games concluded in 2016, including the 2018 Multishow Awards.
Beijing Summer Olympics 2008
The stunning Beijing National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest,” hosted the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. The stadium remains operational, being rented for conventions and football matches, while the city prepares for the 2022 Winter Games, utilizing some existing structures.
Abandoned Olympic Venues
Despite considerable investment and effort, many Olympic venues do not find new purpose after the closing ceremony. Here are some of the most notable Olympic venues that have fallen into disrepair.
Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016
Post-2016 Rio Olympics, many venues have fallen to neglect; prominently, the Olympic Aquatics Stadium suffers from significant disrepair.
Athens Summer Olympics 2004
Venues from the Athens Summer Games have regrettably fallen into disrepair. The former Olympic village shows ghostly remnants of once vibrant spaces filled with cheering crowds, while the Beach Volleyball Stadium at the Faliro Olympic Complex now sits unused.
Sarajevo Winter Olympics 1984
Many sites from the Sarajevo Winter Games of 1984 have succumbed to neglect, including the Olympic Ski Jumping Venue at Mount Igman and the Trebevic Bobsleigh and Luge Track, both of which were heavily damaged during the Bosnian war, leading to their abandonment.
