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American Morning

2008 Olympic Quest: Taking a Cue from Australia

Aired July 11, 2001 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are just days away from finding out who will host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. That country could learn a critical lesson from Sydney, Australia, home of the last Olympic Games.

CNN's Grant Holloway has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRANT HOLLOWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you build it, they will come. In Sydney, they don't. Future Olympic city hosts, be warned. Despite the stunning sellout success of the 2000 Games, Sydney's $400 million Olympic stadium is shaping up as a white elephant of mammoth proportions. While the massive Stadium Australia has managed to secure some major sporting events like international rugby games, what it lacks is an anchor sporting team that can keep the crowds coming back.

The situation is so bad the stadium's bankers have given its managers until September to prove it can be a viable business.

KEN EDWARDS, STADIUM AUSTRALIA: We find competition is more from interstate, from probably Melbourne, where the state government in Melbourne bids for events and the New South Wales government doesn't. So we can compete with other stadiums, but it's hard to compete with state governments.

HOLLOWAY: The problems aren't confined to the main stadium. Most days this sprawling complex resembles little more than a state- of-the-art ghost town. It still looks terrific, but now the Games are over, there are very few good reasons for Sydney-siders to come here.

(on camera): Sydney, like so many other host cities before it, is struggling to turn their short-term publicity bonanza into long- term economic gain. However, a recent report shows that overall the Games could have added up to $4.3 billion to Australia's gross domestic product.

(voice-over): But so far little of that new economic activity is happening at the former home of the Games, despite the construction of an $80 million railway. Sydney's state government, which paid for the building of many of the Games' facilities, is now looking for ways to inject new life into the Olympic precinct. DIANNE LEESON, OLYMPIC PARK AUTHORITY: What we'd like to see out here is a great base population across the site of about 13,000 people. We'd like to see workers, residents, people coming out for leisure and entertainment. And so we'd like to see a very vibrant mix of use and activity in what we call our town center.

HOLLOWAY: Former Olympic boss Juan Antonio Samaranch might have declared the 2000 Games the best ever, but now the party's over and Sydney is discovering that winning isn't everything. It's just the easiest thing.

Grant Holloway, CNN, Sydney.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Once again, we expect that decision on 2008 to come on Friday and you'll see it here on CNN.

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