Olympic Games Shift to Geographically Dispersed Model
USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland notes that expanding venue footprints helps accommodate the scale of modern Olympic hosting.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Olympics
Live Poll
Is it better for host countries to distribute Olympic events across multiple cities rather than one?
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland recently indicated that geographically dispersed Olympic Games are becoming the standard. The model allows host cities to partner with multiple metropolitan areas to manage the infrastructure demands required by the events.
Why it matters
The massive scale of modern Olympic Games makes finding sufficient infrastructure in a single city increasingly difficult. Spreading events out helps mitigate high infrastructure costs and logistically complex planning requirements.
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics featured venues spread across a 22,000-kilometre span. In contrast, the upcoming Utah 2034 Games plan to utilize centralized venues as a rare exception.
The players
Sarah Hirshland
She serves as the CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
The details
Upcoming events like the LA28 Games reflect this trend, with softball and canoe slalom moving to Oklahoma City and soccer matches taking place in cities including New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, and San Diego. While the 2030 French Alps Games will also use dispersed venues, New York state has already formed an exploratory committee for a potential 2042 Winter bid.
Timeline
2026: New York state formed an exploratory committee for 2042 Games.
2028: Los Angeles hosts the summer Olympic Games.
2030: The French Alps hosts the Winter Olympic Games.
2034: Utah hosts the Winter Olympic Games.
2042: New York state exploratory committee target year.
Season Trajectory
The transition to geographically dispersed hosting follows the precedent established by the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. This model effectively replaces traditional centralized venue systems to accommodate the rising logistical demands of the modern Olympic Games.
The dispersed model means that summer Olympic events like soccer will be accessible in various U.S. cities rather than restricted to a single host region. Fans in cities like Columbus, Nashville, and St. Louis will gain localized access to high-level competition during the 2028 Games.
The takeaway
The move toward a dispersed hosting model suggests that future summer Games following 2028 may decrease in overall size to remain manageable. Communities interested in hosting should note that regional partnerships are now essential for handling infrastructure logistics.
Further reading
For more on the evolving structure of international athletic competitions, explore the Olympics section.
Live Poll
Is it better for host countries to distribute Olympic events across multiple cities rather than one?
