The Winter Olympics is a time for sport aficionados, especially those that involve snow and ice. This year, the major international multi-sport event is being held in Beijing, China from Feb. 4 to Feb. 20. The events are being held in the surrounding regions of the Yanqing District and Chongli District at the Beijing National Stadium.
With many college athletes participating in in these Games, it presents a unique obstacle.
Dr. Timothy Baghurst is a professor in the College of Education and director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching (FSU COACH). After being asked the difference between a collegiate event versus the Olympics, Baghurst said “in college competition, there is usually a season that culminates in a championship… in an Olympic format, many athletes have a one-time chance to take a title that is only available every four years. The pressure is much higher to get it right.”
Regarding college athletes, what many may not recognize is the fact that a Florida State University student will be participating on Team USA’s bobsledding team. Traveling at speeds of 80 to 90 mph, John Williamson is fighting for the gold in Beijing.
“I enrolled at FSU in 2016, but my path changed once I began bobsledding my sophomore year,” said Williamson in a press release. “Since then, FSU has been incredible — willing to work with me every step of the way.”
Williamson plans to complete his degree in marketing in December.
“I had the opportunity to intern with the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation’s marketing director, which was a really valuable experience,” Williamson said. “Upon graduation, I want to keep looking for ways to combine my passion for athletics with my interest in marketing and business, and I’m hoping to find a unique fit somewhere in the middle.”
The Winter Olympics is a massive event, lasting a little over two weeks. The economic impact of hosting such a huge event is quite varied depending on whether or not people would like to visit the country.
Nathaniel Line, an associate professor for the Dedman College of Hospitality, commented on the tourism and hospitality aspects concerning this international event.
“There’s mixed research on whether or not these mega-events are economically good for host cities, or economically bad,” said Line. “In the end, there really is no right answer until you ask the right answer: for whom?”
Being such a costly event, it’s not necessarily uncommon for many of these cities to go over their pre-planned budget.
“For some people like construction companies who build the infrastructure, it’s a dream come true,” Line said. “But is it good for the host city? Well, if you’re spending three billion dollars in infrastructure improvements… somebody is going to have to pay for that, with a good chunk from taxpayers.”
According to Oxford University, every Olympics even since the 1960s has gone over budget on an average of 172%.
“There is a short-term boost no doubt, as millions of people from all over the world descend onto the host city,” said Line. “It’s great for the hospitality industry and all the hotels are full, the transportation is full and the shops and attractions are all full… everyone’s happy. But at the closing ceremony, everyone leaves and that can leave a pretty big hole in the ground that is more or less impossible to fill.”
The Winter Olympics is captivating for all sorts of spectators and quite the economic feat to see how these host cities are able to construct these massive arenas in such a short time frame. The entirety of the international multi-sport event is still underway, and until then viewers can tune in to NBC to watch a fellow FSU student race for the gold.
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