Over the past few decades, the Olympic Games have been held around the world to bring exciting moments and capture the world's attention. However, with the passage of time, the once vibrant and passionate Olympic venues have now become lonely ruins, witnessing the passage of time.
The 2004 Athens Olympics were once a feast in full swing, but now the beach volleyball centre has become deserted, leaving nothing but silence in the once-boiling spectator seats. What was once a sporting glory is now covered in vegetation and the hot bikini girls are gone. Plans to convert it into a hospital have never been realized.
Also in Athens, the Heilicon Stadium saw the dawn of the Olympics, but is now abandoned due to financial constraints and operating costs. What was once the venue used to host the Olympic baseball event is now in ruins, the soccer field is overgrown with vegetation, and the teams have moved away, leaving behind a lonely and desolate landscape.
The whitewater kayak competition venue of the 2004 Athens Olympics was once a place for warriors to sweat. However, the body of water was abandoned altogether, except for another event. Plans to build a metropolitan park in Greece may turn it into a pond, but in the midst of the Greek economic downturn, the plan may be on paper.
Greece hosted the Olympics that year and built 30 stadiums, but the subsequent debt crisis in '09 led to bankruptcy. In the end, China came to the rescue and saved what had been a success. However, it also highlights the long-term burden that can come with a brief revelry of the Olympics.
In 2016, the Rio Olympics became the first Olympic Games hosted by a Latin American country, attracting the attention of the world. Today, however, many of the former venues have been turned into one-off facilities, and the change after six months is astounding. The Rio Olympic Aquatics Stadium was the site of Phelps' 23rd gold medal.
However, the seats were stolen and only a few dirty puddles remained in the pool. The translucent tapestry created by artist Adriana Vallejo is missing, and the water, mud, rain and garbage cause the water in the Xi pool to take on a rust-colored color. It all seems to be a cruel irony of ephemeral brilliance.
In 1996, the Maurice Brown College Stadium at the Atlanta Olympics was originally the venue for hockey games. However, due to the college's financial difficulties, the stadium was eventually abandoned. After being abandoned in 2014, it fell into disrepair and was destroyed by vandals, and the former Olympic symbol was replaced by graffiti. What was once a venue that stirred sports enthusiasm is now in ruins, witnessing the changing times.
Back at the Winter Olympics, the ski jumping at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which was once full, is now overgrown with weeds and in danger of collapsing. Nearly 40 years after the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, the ski jumping site has become a mess and the cable car to the summit has been removed. Once bustling with people, now only explorers come here to discover the stories behind the ruins.
However, there are also some venues that are still glowing among these ruins. The swimming pool for the 1936 Berlin Olympics was built to show the world the greatness and power of Germany. Although it has weathered the storm, the remains of the swimming pool can still be seen today. In stark contrast, the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the main stadium of the Games, is still hosting sporting events and is still standing after nearly 90 years of wind and rain.
The Olympic Stadium at Château Eve in Paris, the main stadium of the 1924 Summer Olympics, has witnessed a century of change. In 100 years, the Paris 2024 Olympics will host a rugby match here. The century-old stadium is like a time tunnel connecting the past and the future.
The 1928 Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam, which survived the crisis of demolition in 1978, was finally spared. Thanks to the efforts of an institution, the stadium became part of the preservation of the historic buildings of the Netherlands, providing a window into the history for future generations.
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, which witnessed the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, will continue to host the 2028 Olympic Games. This stadium in the Los Angeles metropolitan area has survived the baptism of time and is still a presence that cannot be ignored.
Finally, head back to the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the Panathenac Stadium in 1896. The stadium is still well preserved, and in 2004 it even hosted archery and marathon races. It witnessed the birth of the modern Olympic Games, which has survived more than a century of years and still stands on this sacred land.
This series of Olympic venues, some of which are abandoned, and some of which are still glorious, reflect the passage of time and the transformation of human civilization. Behind every ruin is a former glory, and every stadium that holds on is a testimony of heritage. The fate of these venues is both embarrassing and makes people think about what footprints our civilization has left in the halls of the Olympic Games, and how these footprints will affect future generations.