US media: Tokyo Olympics may be the most expensive in history

US media: Tokyo Olympics may be "the most expensive in history"

　　 The Tokyo Olympics officially closed on August 8. American media reported that due to the postponement, venue construction, and the impact of the new crown epidemic, the current Olympic Games may become the "most expensive" Olympic Games in history.

According to a report by the Associated Press on August 7, the current Olympic Games cost 15.4 billion U.S. dollars (approximately 100 billion U.S. dollars). However, several audit reports by the Japanese government show that the actual expenditures for the Tokyo Olympics may reach twice this number. The initial planning budget for the Olympics was only 7.4 billion U.S. dollars.

　　 The 2012 London Olympics was the second most expensive Olympics in history, but compared with the audited figures of the Japanese government, the London Olympics still cost about 11 billion US dollars less than the "first" Tokyo Olympics.

　　 According to a study by the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, since the 1960 Rome Olympics, all Olympics have overspend on average by 172%. Depending on the selected cost figure, the overspending rate for the Tokyo Olympics is 111% or 244%.

　　 The Olympic Games is one of the most "cash-burning" events among large-scale events held by countries all over the world. Research shows that the Olympics and sports-related expenses averaged 12 billion U.S. dollars, while non-sports-related expenses are usually several times this figure. According to officials of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, the postponement increased its final cost by US$2.8 billion.

　　 According to reports, one of the biggest expenses of the Olympic Games is the construction of venues, and because of this, most of the revenue of the Olympic Games goes to construction companies and contractors. To host the Olympics, Tokyo built 8 new venues. The main venue, the National Arena, cost US$1.43 billion, and the Tokyo Aquatics Center, which cost US$520 million, are the two most expensive construction projects. Paris and Los Angeles, both of which will host the Olympic Games in 2024 and 2028, have stated that they will drastically cut spending on new venues.

Sports economists Robert Baade and Victor Matheson pointed out in another report that investment in the Olympic Games is full of risks, and only a few members of society benefit from it: “Under the current arrangements It’s much easier for the athletes to win gold than the host to benefit."

美媒：东京奥运会可能“史上最贵”

　　东京奥运会于8月8日正式闭幕。美国媒体报道称，由于推迟举行、场馆建设以及新冠疫情带来的冲击等原因，本届奥运会可能办成“史上最贵”的一届奥运会。

　　据美联社8月7日报道，本届奥运会耗资154亿美元（约合1000亿美元），但日本政府的几项审计报告显示，东京奥运会的实际支出可能达到这个数字的两倍，而东京奥运会的最初规划预算仅为74亿美元。

　　2012年伦敦奥运会是史上第二昂贵的奥运会，但与日本政府的审计数字相比的话，伦敦奥运会依然比“第一名”东京奥运会开支少了约110亿美元。

　　据英国牛津大学的一项研究发现，自从1960年罗马奥运会以来，所有奥运会平均超支172%，根据所选成本数字的不同，东京奥运会的超支率为111%或244%。

　　奥运会是世界各国举办的大型赛事中最“烧钱”的项目之一。研究显示奥运会和体育相关的费用平均为120亿美元，而非体育相关费用通常是这一数字的数倍之多。根据东京奥组委官员的说法，推迟举行使其最终成本增加了28亿美元。

　　据介绍，奥运会最大的一项开支是场馆建设，也正缘于此，奥运会的大部分收益都流向了建筑公司和承包商。为举办奥运会，东京新建了8个场馆，主场馆国立竞技场耗资14.3亿美元，东京水上运动中心耗资5.2亿美元，系两大最“烧钱”的兴建项目。而即将于2024年和2028年举办奥运会的巴黎和洛杉矶均表示，会在场馆新建方面大幅削减开支。

　　体育经济学家罗伯特·巴德（Robert Baade）和维克托·马西森（Victor Matheson）在另一份报告中指出，对于奥运会的投资充满风险，并且只有少数社会成员从中受益：“在目前的安排下，运动员摘金比东道主获益容易得多。”