Eerie, Empty & Abandoned: Olympic Venues After The Games

Hosting the Olympics is an honour most places can only dream of. While the games are on, the world tunes in to watch your city take centre stage. There’s glory. There’s money. There’s new infrastructure. There’s a sporting legacy for the ages.

Or is there?

In fact, Olympic host nations often can’t afford the billions of dollars it costs to support the games. The dream dies as soon as the crowds and athletes exit the arenas, leaving impractical structures and crippling debt in their wake.

Today the planet is littered with abandoned Olympic venues, shed like snake skins. From stadiums to ski jumps, pools to podiums, these crumbling remnants have been left to the elements – and to the photographers, graffiti artists, and urban explorers who have made them their personal playgrounds.

The lonely Olympic monoliths are now a favourite subject for photojournalists. With all eyes currently on the XXXI Olympiad in Rio, take a tour through these haunting reminders of games gone by.

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Ski Jump, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue

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Empty Podium, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Bobsled Track, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue

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Baseball Stadium, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Ski Jump Tower, Cortina D'ampezzo, Italy, 1956 Winter Olympics Venue

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Olympic Village Pool, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Baseball Stadium, Atlanta, 1996 Summer Olympics Venue

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Main Swimming Pool, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Beach Volleyball Venue, Beijing, 2008 Summer Olympics Venue

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Baseball Stadium, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Athlete Accommodations, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue

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Overgrown Seating, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Rowing Facility, Beijing, 2008 Summer Olympics Venue

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Canoe And Kayak Facility, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Winners' Podium, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue

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Olympic Village Fountain, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Empty Flagpoles At Kayaking Facility, Beijing, 2008 Summer Olympics Venue

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Field Hockey Facility, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Figure Skating Arena, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue

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Beach Volleyball Stadium, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Ski Jump, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue

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Canoe and Kayak Slalom Centre, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Bobsled Track, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue

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Olympic Village Pool, Athens, 2004 Summer Olympics Venue

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Figure Skating Arena, Sarajevo, 1984 Winter Olympics Venue