We’re in the first week of the 2016 Rio Olympics so I thought it would be fun to take a deeper look at the systems involved in pulling off the Olympic games. With 11,551 Olympians, from 208 delegations, competing in 28 sports, just coordinating the athletes is a complex undertaking. Not to mention all of the other people and activities involved, plus the indirect effects on Brazil and other countries.
The articles and documents linked to in this post dive into some of the details and issues related to Olympic organizations, politics, technology, infrastructure, logistics, funding, and risk management.
Organizations & Politics
Ever wonder how sports are chosen? Who picks the next location and how? These sites and articles talk about how everything is organized, how decisions are made, and some of the good and bad politics behind the games.
- The International Olympic Committee
- Olympic Games Candidature Process
- This is How Sports Get Chosen for the Olympics
- Refugee Olympic Team to Shine Spotlight on Worldwide Refugee Crisis
- A Not-so-brief History of Politics and the Olympics
- Behind the Olympic Curtain, Rio at a Crossroads
Technology
High-tech clothing or the latest equipment may come to mind when you think about Olympic technology. You might not have thought as much about the IT systems that let you track results and medal counts in real time.
- What Sort of Prosthetics Will You See in the Paralympics
- The Silicon Valley Tech Behind the Rio Olympics
- How Tech’s All-stars Are Playing the Olympics
- Five Rio Olympics Technology Innovations
- Behind the Scenes: Seven IT Takes on the Summer Olympics in Rio
Infrastructure
As a host city, preparing the infrastructure to support the games means meeting requirements while minimizing the environmental impact. You also need to figure out what to do with everything once the two weeks are up.
- Sustainability Management Plan: Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- Facilities Management Behind the Olympics
- These Olympic Venues Are Designed to Transform into Schools After the Games
Logistics
Apparently, there are around 30 million items involved in this year’s games. Ever wonder how they get all of that stuff to the host city?
- How Do You Fly 300 Olympic Horses to Rio? Business Class, of Course
- Rio 2016 Sustainable Supply Chain
Funding
A ton of energy and resources go into pulling off the Olympic games. Where does all the $ come from?
- The Economics of Hosting the Olympics
- Money for Medals: Inside the Performance-Driven Funding of U.S. Olympic Teams
- Olympic Athletes Struggle Financially While Striving For Gold
Risk Management
With the crowds, supply chains, and international attention, there needs to be a risk management plan to handle threats from cybersecurity and terrorism to natural disasters.
- The Olympics as a Story of Risk Management
- Cybercrime Infrastructure Being Ramped Up in Brazil Ahead of Olympics
- How Hackers Are Going For Gold at Rio’s Olympics
Hope that it was inspiring to learn some more about the complex systems behind the Olympics. Back to curling up on the couch and watching the Rio coverage!