Were the Olympics Better When They Were Held Every 4 Years?

Woodski12 · Aug 7, 2024

I think it was a mistake to change things. It was better when it was every 4 years and the winter and summer competitions were held in the same year.

It has had the same effect that you would expect if the World Cup was held every 2 years instead of every 4. It loses prestige. People get used to it happening. It is certainly not a special time unless you are heading there. It used to be a special time for the country. It was an Olympics year and that mattered. Every other year is an Olympics year now.

What do you think?

riverc0il · Aug 7, 2024

I think the loss of prestige is due to the fracturing of attention due to so many other forms of media and entertainment being available now. When both summer and winter were held during the same year, every four years, there were only four major networks that people watched. It was a huge focus and you couldn't really escape it.

Now you can almost completely tune it out, especially if no one else you know is talking about it. Most people are on streaming services and not flipping back and forth between only a few major networks and a very limited selection of specialty networks (many of which had adjacent Olympic coverage or programming).

Perhaps the games meant more to people during the cold war, as well? Not sure. I seem to remember a little of that focus in the 80s, but I was pretty young at that time. I know the Miracle on Ice was a huge deal. I don't recall a similar moment since, but I haven't really followed the games.

Any ways, my point is that any loss in prestige is due to adjacent issues that coincided with the change over from 4 to 2 years. Correlation, not causation. The Olympics lost a lot of esteem (in my non-viewing opinion) due to hosting selection issues and negative economic impacts to host nations. Countries do not want to do the winter Olympics, from what I understand.

Peter Minde · Aug 8, 2024

In an ideal world, I'd like the winter and summer Olympics to be in the same year. However, the world is far from ideal.

If Russia weren't banned from the Games because Ukraine, I think you'd still see that rivalry even though there's no Cold War. You see it now with China IMHO. Otherwise, @riverc0il I like your analysis.