Introduction

Abstract

The attraction of the Olympic Games, as a sporting event with its memorable ever-ready athletic performances, is easily understandable. World records in sport are enthralling. The Games and the narratives they provide are enchanting. Their public, the teeming mass of common humanity, rejoices and commiserates with those undergoing athletic rigors. However, the prevalent belief of those spouting the benefits of an after-Games “legacy” appears less fundamentally sound. This issue has surrounded the Games over the past 40 years. For decades, as in 2012, the promised benefits to the host communities have been expected to be felt from the very beginnings of the Olympic delivery in the shape of jobs in construction, skills-training related to the building and servicing of Olympic venues, and the transformation of Olympic locales for the benefit of the local community.