Successfully snag host duties for theOlympic Gamesis one of the toughest thing a city can do . Chicago spent nearly $ 50 million on a bid for the 2016 Summer Games , and even that eight - figure budget could n’t grab the rings . Of of course , that $ 50 million pales in comparability to the cost of actually host the Games , which draw into the billions for grammatical construction and operating expenses .
Still , even though the Olympics are expensive and have a debatable long - term effect on a city ’s economy , many places are dying to get them . After all , what could be cool than spend two workweek as the center of the man ’s care ? But if you lived in Denver in the 1970s , your answer would have been " all form of thing . “
In May 1970 the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics to Denver , which border out Sion , Switzerland , Tampere , Finland , and Vancouver . Denver ’s politicians and media rejoice ; fuck off the Games was a major takeover for them . Colorado had been trying to nab the Winter Olympics for nearly 20 years .
The Opposition
Denverites and their fellow Coloradoans , on the other hand , were less than thrilled . They cursorily pull in that hosting the Olympics is a really , really pricey venture and that the immediate payment to cover substructure costs would in all likelihood be coming from their paychecks . On top of that , the environmentally conscious world worried about the shock of bringing thousands of multitude into proposed Olympic locus that unfold over 150 stat mi from Denver to Steamboat .
It go like an almost piffling amount of money now , but Denver ultimately ended up recede the Games over $ 5 million . In November 1972 , the Department of State ’s voter weigh in on whether they would authorise a $ 5 million bond effect to aid finance the Games . There was only one trouble with this $ 5 million idea : it was probably far too low . Even then , hosting the Olympics was wildly expensive , and previous legion metropolis had ended up crush out several times more money than they thought would be necessary to draw the games .
What happen ? The voter did n’t just pip down the adherence event ; they overwhelmingly rejected it by a nearly 60 - 40 margin . A week after the voting , Denver formally forgo its status as boniface city .
Second Thoughts?
Do n’t think Denverites detest the Olympics , though . The city actually extract interest in make a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics . The U.S. Olympic Committee turned the metropolis down , though , so it could sharpen on Chicago ’s flunk command for the 2016 Games . Many local politico and athletes blamed the city bailing on the 1976 Games for the USOC ’s want of enthusiasm for a 2018 bid .
Read More About the Olympics :
This level in the beginning function in 2016 and was update in 2025 .
