Moreover,the Olympics,like the forum,had lost their aura. Everywhere they went,they took more than they gave. Countries stopped prostituting themselves for the honour to host. The queue at the door thinned. Queensland aside,this time there was maybe Doha,and something about Budapest and … that’s about it.
Even on Thursday,when Brisbane was all but declared the winner,there was little of the euphoria that greeted the announcement in 1993 that Sydney would host in 2000. Both the declaration and the reception were more muted this time. Australia was happy to have the Olympics again,but not by agreeing to whatever it takes. Since Essendon 2013,that slogan has fallen by the wayside in Australian sport.
Not entirely coincidentally,the IOC changed its ways. By its standards,it donned sackcloth and ashes. It cancelled the old bidding system,which was so fantastically corrupt. It mandated the use in the main of existing facilities in host cities instead of insisting that it be dazzled by ever grander monuments to itself that quickly became redundant once the Olympics left town.