Dreaming of the Colorado Olympics? Here’s What It Takes

The Olympics are starting soon and many of us in Colorado will be glued to our smart devices cheering on our country.

Since the games began, Coloradoans have won ten gold medals and 15 Coloradoans will compete in Paris.

Wouldn’t it be great to have the Olympics here in Denver? It sounds great in theory, but not every city is meant to host the biggest sporting event.

Has Colorado ever hosted the Olympics?

In 1970, Denver was awarded the Olympic Games. Denver was supposed to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, but the games never happened because voters refused to fund them.

Will the Olympics ever be held in Colorado? Let’s take a look at what needs to happen to make this idea a reality.

Infrastructure to be built in Colorado

If the Olympics were to come to Colorado, we would have to do more than just open the doors to Empower Field at Mile High and Ball Arena.

Denver should improve public transportation, provide housing for all athletes, employees and spectators, and ensure that roads are properly constructed.

Related: THE TEN EVENTS IF COLORADO HAD ITS OWN OLYMPICS

Much renovation would be needed to make the Games comfortable for everyone.

It would all come down to one thing

Ultimately, money is the only way to make this happen. Organizing an Olympic event comes at a significant financial cost. The Olympic Games in Paris are about to begin and it will cost about $9.7 billion to host them.

When Rio hosted the Games in 2016, more than $23 million was spent.

Hosting the Olympics is a major financial investment. If a city like Denver were ever to consider hosting the Games, it would need to have a very organized plan in place that would provide financial stability.