Road to Rio

[kevin_standlee]

So Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympics and Chicago will have to settle for (possibly) the 2012 Worldcon.

I'm intrigued that some of the reports I read suggested Rio was the favorite of many IOC members who thought it important that the Olympics move around and go to countries it had not been before. To that extent, it's the same attitude I've seen in many Worldcon races.

Comments

[redneckotaku.livejournal.com]

I thought Chicago had a chance at it, but I thought that Madrid was going to win (due to being more stable economically than America at the moment). It is going to bring excitement to Rio that the World Cup can't bring. Congrats to them. Is somebody else running for the 2012 Worldcon? I had heard of no other bids in MOntreal.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

There are no other 2012 bids of which I'm aware. They have until next February or so to file. Chicago appears to have done everything right.

Some have lamented that changes we've made to the site selection system seem to be reducing the number of contested bids. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Bidding may be part of fannish culture, but it's also very expensive -- and that cost, in both money and people points, comes out of the Worldcons in some way. For example, I'm so worn out and broke from Worldcon bidding that there's no way I could get seriously involved in another Bay Area bid, even though there are things I'd like to propose for one.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

Say what? Spanish real estate's been hit at least as hard, if not harder, than the US. They're not in significantly better than the US.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

In fairness, this is the first time in 30 or so Summer Olympics, and I believe however many Winter Olympics as well, that one's been put in South America. Given that the location, sans boycotts, really doesn't affect Olympic team attendance, they've got something of a point. And since the big money for Olympics comes from US television revenue, Rio being in a time zone one hour ahead of US Eastern is a plus for them over Madrid or Tokyo.