Sir Brendan Foster, Steve Cram, and a host of Olympic and Paralympic champions have backed a call for the Olympics to be held in the North of England. The joint statement from more than 40 elite sportsmen and women comes as Northern leaders try to bring the world’s biggest sporting event to the region in 2040.
Statement of Support from Olympians
The statement — which says that an Olympics in the North would be a “moment of renewal and confidence for the entire United Kingdom” — has been signed by the UK’s two most successful Olympians, cyclists Sir Jason Kenny and Dame Laura Kenny, and by the country’s most decorated Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey.
Other signatories include Olympic cycling champion Tom Pidcock, gymnast Beth Tweddle, and sprinter Anyika Onuora. North East athletes Allison Curbishley, Laura Weightman, Alyson Dixon, and Richard Kilty have also signed.
Political and Economic Backing
Northern mayors and other political leaders came together earlier this year to say that any future UK bid for the Olympics should be based in — and around — the North of England. They pointed to the many existing venues that could be utilised in the region, as well as the North’s track record of hosting major sporting events such as previous Olympic and Euros football matches and stages on the Tour de France.
The Government hopes that staging an Olympic and Paralympic Games could bring global exposure to power regeneration of Northern towns and cities. It has commissioned a study of how the Games could be held in the North, and at what cost.
Athletes’ Vision for a Great North Games
The statement from leading sportsmen and women will lend weight to the region’s bid. It says: “The legacy of the London 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics showed what is possible when the country comes together behind a shared ambition. Now is the moment to build on that legacy.
“Many of us have seen first hand that the North of England has the ability to host a box-office Games: world-class venues, experienced event hosts and a passion for sport like no other place. The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Association’s multi-city model makes a distributed Games more viable than ever before.
“Few moments unite the country like the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have felt that unity — in packed stadiums, in town squares, in schools and living rooms across the country.
“A 'Great North’ Games would be a national Games. It would bring the country together in common purpose. It would showcase the very best of Great Britain.
“We believe that hosting a Games in the North of England in 2040 would be a moment of renewal and confidence for the entire United Kingdom.”
Event in Sheffield and Mayoral Support
The athletes’ statement has been released ahead of an event in Sheffield today where Northern leaders will push the case for a games held at venues around the region. A number of Northern mayors, including the North East’s Kim McGuinness and Hull and East Yorkshire’s Luke Campbell, himself a former Olympic boxing champion, will be at that event.
Ms McGuinness, who is chair of the Great North initiative, said: “The support of athletes who have represented Great Britain on the biggest stage of all is hugely significant. They understand better than anyone the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to inspire, unite and transform lives.
“A Great North Olympics would be a global showcase, powered by the pride and participation of Northern communities, leaving a legacy of prosperity, unity and renewal. This growing movement of support shows the strength of feeling behind the idea and the opportunity it presents for the whole country.”
Historical Context and Changing Bidding Process
The last time the North made a bid to host the Olympics — in Manchester, in 2000 — it lost out to Sydney. An attempt was made to have a joint Manchester and London bid for the 2012 Olympics, but this was rejected at a time when the International Olympic Committee was only accepting bids from single cities, and tending to favour capitals.
Since then there has been a move away from single city bids, including the recent Winter Olympics happening in both Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, which are 250 miles apart. The bidding process has also become much less competitive as many countries shy away from the high costs of staging the Olympics.
Both the London 2012 Games and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester were seen to have had a positive impact on regeneration in the areas where they were staged.
