The Mexican Olympic Committee (MOC) has decided to drop their bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games. They first showed interest back in August 2022, with Mexican authorities submitting a letter of intent to host the games in March 2023. However, at a sponsorship event on January 18, 2024, MOC president Maria Jose Alcala explained that “tough competition” has prompted the committee to back down and launch a bid for the Youth Olympic Games instead, where she believes Mexico’s bid to host would have “a great chance.”
The next Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Dakar, Africa, in 2026. Both the 2030 and 2034 host nations are TBD, and Alcala told reporters that Mexico intends to host “before the 2036 Games” as they “are in talks with the IOC.”
Alcala added that Mexico would consider bidding for the 2027 Pan American Games after being approached by Nuevo Leon, a northern state. Earlier this month, PanAm Sports Organization’s stripped Barranquilla, Colombia of their rights to host following the city’s failure to transfer funding to PanAM’s governing body by the deadline (Dec 30. 2023). This opened the door for new bids with Lima, Peru currently the most visible front-runner to take over.
Mexico has only hosted the Summer Olympic Games once before, in 1968. These Games featured many firsts for swimming and athletics in general: At just 16, Debbie Meyer became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals (in the 200, 400, and 800 meter freestyles), East and West Germany first competed as separate teams, doping tests were introduced, and for the first time, all athletic events were transmitted in color to the rest of the world.
These Games are also remembered for Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ choice to stand against racial discrimination in the US. During their medal ceremony for the men’s 200 meter sprint, Smith and Carlos raised black-gloved fists and wore black socks instead of shoes. In response, the IOC banned both athletes from the Olympic Games for life.
Other confirmed contenders vying to host the 2036 Olympics include Turkey, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Egypt, and Qatar, with several other nations having expressed some interest. However, 2036 hosting rights are expected to remain up in the air until 2026, the year after IOC president Thomas Bach is set to step down and his successor is elected.
The 2028 Olympic Games will take place in Los Angeles, California, while Brisbane, Australia was awarded the 2032 Olympics prior to the 2021 Tokyo Games.
Whilst Mexico doesn’t immediately spring to mind as your perfect Olympic host; the cold reality is that once a potential host does their “due diligence”, the failure of the IOC to tackle “gigantism” renders it almost impossible to justify.
Unless the 5 Ring Circus seriously scales back (something Herr Bach refuses to acknowledge give the ever increasing list of sports); it will be the case of finding a permanent home OR …….”stick a fork in it” !
No way 2036 is a real year. The Olympics should be on the moon at that point.
We all know that would be a disaster if they did win the bid
Cartels couldn’t agree on how much they would each chip in to pay off the IOC