Syracuse

Once the Closing Ceremony is over, the Olympic Games leave a long-lasting impact on the city which has welcomed them. The Olympic legacy is first about human, social and cultural long-term benefits, as this event will remain in the minds of people for decades. Also, some new infrastructure remains, transforming part of the city and giving new opportunities to its inhabitants and visitors.

As the Olympic Games have grown to become the world’s foremost sporting event, their impact on a host city and country has also increased. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is convinced that the Games need to create more than just good memories from 16 days of competition. That is why Rule 2, Article 15 of the Olympic Charter states that an important role of the IOC is “to promote a positive legacy from the Olympic Games to the host cities and host countries.”

The wish to stage sustainable Games has grown, and sustainability is now one of the core pillars of Olympic Agenda 2020. Recommendations 2, 4 and 26 clearly formalise this resolution to include sustainability in all aspect of the Games, starting from the evaluation of the opportunities and risks of each candidature.

Legacy and Sustainability are interrelated and complementary, but distinct. While legacy refers to the long-term benefits, or outcomes, of putting the Olympic Movement vision into practice, sustainability refers to the strategies and processes applied in decision-making to maximise positive impacts and minimise negative impacts in the social, economic and environmental spheres

These are complex subjects, as many of the benefits may not be visible until years later. Many will be dependent on continued support from local authorities once the Games Organising Committee has ceased to exist; and others may be difficult to measure or see but are felt by the local population.

In order to simplify the Candidature Process and to create Games which are more flexible, easier to operate and less expensive, whilst also unlocking more value for host cities over the long term, the IOC is now applying “Agenda 2020 / The New Norm”, a set of 118 reforms (see full report here), for all future Olympic Games. 90 measures will already be fully applied for the Summer Games in Tokyo 2020 (saving USD 4,3 billion), and all 118 reforms will be applied for Paris 2024.

In this ZOOM IN page, we have compiled a range of useful links, official and academic publications covering various aspects of the legacy and sustainability at the Olympic Games for you. Don’t miss the section on Olympic.org, the descriptive bibliography on Olympic Games legacy & sustainability, as well as the IOC Legacy Strategic Approach and the IOC Sustainability Strategy, which encompasses the three spheres of responsibility of the IOC as an organisation, as owner of the Olympic Games and as the leader of the Olympic Movement.

As this is just a selection of the resources available; be sure to check out all the resources available on these topics.