It seems like a lifetime away.
But the IOC likes to get their ducks in a row very early when it comes to announcing their hosts for upcoming editions of the Olympic Games, and it won’t be long before they confirm the location of the 2036 edition of the event.
A few different countries and cities have already tentatively put their names into the mix for hosting duties, and it seems increasingly as if London will enter the fray as well.
Despite welcoming the Olympics to England’s capital as recently as 2012, the Major of London – Sadiq Khan – has hinted that he would like to see the extravaganza return as soon as possible.
He also confirmed that a bid to host the men’s football European Championships in 2028 was on the agenda, and said:
“We’re working on a plan to bring the Olympics back to London. We want to have the greenest Games ever.
“We’re working on the preliminary plans, we’re talking to the IOC, so watch this space.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has told Sky Sports that his office is actively working on plans to bring the Olympics & Paralympics back to London in 2036 ? pic.twitter.com/yVq87yDzRy
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 22, 2022
Khan was referring to the sporting infrastructure that already exists in the city from the 2012 Olympics, which would ensure that London could host the Games without any further building work or damage to the local environment.
If successful, it would mark the fourth occasion that London has welcomed the Summer Olympics – that would be a record, with the English capital currently tied with Los Angeles and Paris, who will host in 2024, on three occasions.
There is no precedent for the same city hosting the Games twice in the space of 24 years, although Innsbruck and St Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics twice in 12 and 20 years respectively.
And in 2022, Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, with the former taking place just 14 years ago in 2008.
Who Will Host the 2036 Olympics?
If London does proceed with their bid to host the 2036 Olympics, they could be up against some stiff competition.
Africa has never hosted the Games, but Egypt are thought to be preparing a pitch that would include the construction of a new 90,000 capacity arena in Cairo.
Based on the cycle of host continents, it could well be Asia’s turn to take on the duty again. Bids from Chinese cities might be rejected based upon the recency of Beijing’s involvement, but other offers from Ahmedabad in India – a country yet to host the Olympics – and Jakarta (Indonesia) could be considered. Qatar, who will welcome the football World Cup later this year, is also thought to be a possibility.
Ukraine has also been mooted as a possible host, current situation notwithstanding, although one city that has been withdrawn from the running already is Madrid. They are thought to be working on a feasibility study with a view to bidding for the 2040 Games instead.