London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed his ambition for the British capital to become „the sporting capital of the world,” revealing his interest in a potential bid to host the Olympic Games in 2040. 

Speaking to The Times in an interview published on Monday, 28 April, Khan highlighted London’s existing infrastructure from the 2012 Games, suggesting the city could deliver “the greenest Games ever.”

With many Olympic facilities still in place and operational, a future London bid could offer sustainability and cost-efficiency, key criteria in the International Olympic Committee’s evolving selection process.

“An Olympics in London wouldn’t cost a fortune, but the benefits would be humongous,” Khan said.

However, any British bid may face geopolitical headwinds. The IOC is unlikely to favour Europe hosting consecutive Summer Games, with Paris already set to stage the Olympics in 2024.

Elsewhere in Europe, momentum is also building. Germany’s next Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is backing efforts to bring the Olympics back to the country. Volker Bouffier, former Minister-President of Hesse and now a board member of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), confirmed Merz’s support for a national bid.

The Olympics have already been held in London three times in 1908, 1948 and 2012. The fourth time would set a world record. 

Source: The Sun, Politico

Photo: @AriSavitsky

Tomasz Modrzejewski