Chapter 268: Securing the Hosting Rights
"If the athletes who participated in the Olympics last year are handed over to you, the task of building the sports department should be easier with their help," Arthur added after a moment of thought.
Upon hearing this, Minister Grant Wilson breathed a sigh of relief. After all, building a sports system from scratch in two years, especially to be showcased on the global stage of the Olympics, was no small task. With the athletes from Australasia who had participated in the previous Olympics, at least they would be able to train more athletes quickly, starting by increasing the number and scale of participants. As for the medals, these athletes, after another four years of training, should achieve some success.
"If Australasia's sports development goes well, the government will likely consider establishing a Sports Department. Minister Grant, I allow you to recommend someone for the position of Sports Minister in the future, but the condition is that the sports development in Australasia must succeed, and at least some medals should be won at the upcoming Olympics. Do you understand?" Arthur said with a meaningful look at Grant, smiling as he spoke.
Minister Grant Wilson immediately nodded and assured, "I understand, Your Majesty. Please rest assured, before the Olympics, I will make every effort to train at least a few hundred athletes to participate in the event, ensuring our Olympic team is on par with the scale of the previous London Olympics."
Arthur nodded, signaling Grant to proceed with his plan.
The Foreign Ministry acted quickly. Perhaps due to the good relationship between Germany and Australasia, Germany did not conceal their stance. They openly informed Minister Andrew that Germany would give up their rights to host the next Olympic Games.
Minister Andrew quickly made the request, and after consulting with Emperor William II, the German government and sports department agreed to Australasia's request. A few days before Christmas, Germany publicly announced that they would forfeit the right to host the next Olympics, subtly suggesting that Australasia would be a suitable host.
One couldn't deny the immense influence of the great powers.
The day before Christmas, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sent a telegram to the Australasia government, asking if Australasia could build a stadium with a capacity of at least 40,000 people and fully promote the Olympics, inviting more countries to participate. If these conditions were met, the IOC would transfer the hosting rights to Australasia.
Since Australasia did not have a sports department at the time, the IOC's inquiry went directly to the Foreign Ministry.
Minister Andrew, upon receiving the telegram, immediately reported to Arthur.
Arthur was quick to agree to the IOC's conditions without hesitation. After all, sports had become an important matter for countries around the world, and the development of sports in Australasia was a natural step forward. Regardless of whether they could host the Olympics, constructing a large stadium capable of holding tens of thousands of people was necessary.
For some European immigrants who enjoyed sports, the availability and popularity of various sports might also be one of the reasons they chose to immigrate.
As for the other conditions, such as publicity and inviting other nations, these were things any host country would do and would surely make full efforts to do.
After spending a wonderful Christmas with his family, the day after Christmas, the IOC's reply came.
They congratulated Australasia on securing the right to host the 1912 Summer Olympics and stated that after the official announcement, the IOC would send a team to Australasia. Their mission would be twofold: to assist with the construction of the venue and to help prepare for the Olympics two and a half years later, as well as to supervise the stadium's construction. After all, the success of the Olympics would impact the reputation and status of the IOC.
A successful Olympics would not only enhance the host country's prestige and international status but also greatly boost the IOC's influence. This meant that Australasia and the IOC were now in the same boat—if the Olympics were poorly organized, not only would Australasia's prestige suffer, but the world would begin to look down on the Olympics altogether.
But if the event were successfully hosted, it would elevate Australasia's international stature, and the IOC's influence would grow significantly.
Of course, the arrival of the IOC had another crucial purpose—to discuss the specific events for the next Olympics with the host country. Even in future Olympics, the host country would receive certain privileges, such as the ability to decide whether some events would be held.
For example, the 1912 Olympics in Sweden had canceled sports like boxing, freestyle wrestling, weightlifting, hockey, and archery, citing health concerns, injuries, and lack of widespread participation. The official reasons sounded valid, but only the host country and the IOC truly knew the specifics behind those cancellations.
This was an established practice; after all, a country that invested heavily in hosting the Olympics would expect some flexibility in return. Otherwise, who would willingly waste their time?
Arthur's ambitions weren't great; he planned to cancel a few events that Australasia wasn't good at and replace them with sports where local athletes excelled. As for the other Olympic regulations, they could be worked out with the officials and the IOC, as long as they did not harm Australasia's interests.
Arthur's primary goal was to use the Olympics to increase Australasia's influence. If too many changes were made and other countries refused to participate, it would defeat the purpose.
Looking back at the 1912 Olympics, Arthur remembered that the use of electronic timing and finish-line cameras had greatly improved the accuracy of times and helped resolve disputes about rankings. If the conditions allowed, such improvements could also be made at Australasia's Olympics.
Since telegrams were brief, Minister Grant Wilson and the IOC had decided to wait until the IOC team arrived in Australasia for more detailed discussions. However, it was still important to publicly announce the transfer of the hosting rights, and Minister Grant was already preparing to promote the event.
By the end of December, just after Christmas, the IOC publicly announced that because Germany had voluntarily relinquished its hosting rights, after thorough consideration and strong recommendations from Germany, the IOC had decided to transfer the rights to Australasia.
The fifth Olympic Games would be held in Australasia as scheduled, around May to July 1912, with the venue in Sydney, the capital of Australasia.
At this point, the IOC's influence was already substantial, so after their formal announcement, many people, sports organizations, and countries started to take notice of the upcoming Olympics.
The Olympics had now evolved into a way for countries to engage in peaceful competition, and sports were gradually becoming influenced by politics.
Simply put, when both the United Kingdom and Germany participated in the Olympics, their athletes would naturally become competitors and rivals.
This was because their countries were in direct competition, and the intensity of that competition was enormous. Even if they were friendly towards each other personally, the pressures from media and public expectations would force them into opposition.
If either of them lost in such a public forum, it would not just be the athletes who lost, but the media and the public backing them as well.
Sports competition would also become a political struggle, a contest for national dignity.
After the IOC made its announcement, Arthur immediately convened the cabinet and instructed them to quickly come up with a plan for the stadium's construction, while ensuring the Ministry of Finance had sufficient funds prepared.
Building a stadium was no small task. In addition to the large publicity efforts, receiving athletes and organizations from other countries, organizing the Olympics, awarding medals, and purchasing equipment, the cost of hosting the event would be substantial.
Arthur also had specific requirements for the stadium. The new sports facility should accommodate at least 45,000 people and be built to last for decades, or even over a century. Arthur did not want the stadium to become unsafe after only a short time, especially considering its impact on the country's reputation.
(End of Chapter)
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