I love abandoned sports venues. I love(d) the Olympics. And I LOVE abandoned Olympic venues. Atlas Obscura compiled a list of them, although there are only 6 here (many have since been repurposed such as venues in Montreal and London). Those 6 are:
- Linnahall in Tallinn, Estonia
- Sarajevo Bobsleigh Track in Sarajevo, Bosnia
- Igman Olympic Jumps in Hadžići, Bosnia
- The infamous Athens Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece
- Le Stade Olympique in Montreal, Canada
- Hitler’s Olympic Village in Wustermark, Germany
Some of my favourites that weren’t mentioned (not exclusive to sporting venues) are:
- München Olympiastadion (the Olympic train station) in Munich, Germany
- Ski Jump Tower in Cortina D’ampezzo, Italy
Of course, I’m aware of my privilege in enjoying the aesthetic and histories behind these abandoned venues. But the inequality, oppression, and financial implications cannot be disregarded. For example, war and sociopolitical instability are a primary factor for the Bosnian and German venues while Greece never recovered from the ruins of 2004. Rio still hasn’t cleaned up from the last games and venues were left in ruins as soon as 6 months after the games.