So the Olympic Games four years ago seemed pretty impressive from afar. From the Opening Ceremony to the impressive "Bird's Nest" stadium and the "Water Cube," China cut a pretty intimidating figure to the rest of the world. I know I was scared shitless.
Fast forward four years and everything has been completely abandoned and not seen one ounce of use or maintenance since 2008. Not surprising. In the past, the Olympics have been a way for countries to invest in themselves and get an economic and societal boost towards their future. For example, Barcelona '92 revitalized entire parts of the city and resulted in a resurgence of Spanish sport for some years to come. Kids were filled with pride for their nation, and new facilities gave young people better access to training and coaches. We have recently seen the results. Since 2008 Rafael Nadal has been arguably the best tennis player in the world and the national soccer team has won back-to-back EURO and a World Cup. One could argue that those things never would have happened without Barcelona '92.
It would be unfair to say that Beijing had positive effect on the people of China. But if the facilities are any indicator, the Beijing games were nothing more than an elaborate cover-up. And pretty much a waste.
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