These Abandoned Olympic Venues Prove the Games Are a Giant Waste of Money

Hosting the Olympics means footing the bill for the world's biggest sporting event and living with the consequences for a generation. Beijing spent $40 billion to play host in 2008, only to see many of its venues languish. The $51 billion bill Russia footed for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi had fleeting returns at best; its once-gleaming Olympic park quickly became a ghost town after the Games. And don't forget Rio -- the city's high hopes for its stadiums dashed when the international spotlight packed up and left after the 2016 Sumer Games. 

PyeongChang's $13 billion expense to host this year's Winter Olympics might seem frugal in light of the gargantuan bids from the recent past. But photos of former Olympic venues in their current states show what the future might have in store when the dust settles in South Korea.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
2016 Summer Olympics

Cortina D'ampezzo, Italy 
1956 Winter Olympics

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
1984 Winter Olympics

Athens, Greece
2004 Summer Olympics 

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
1984 Winter Olympics

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
1984 Winter Olympics 

Beijing, China
2008 Summer Olympics

Athens, Greece
2004 Summer Olympics

Berlin, Germany
1936 Summer Olympics

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
1984 Winter Olympics

Athens, Greece 
2004 Summer Olympics 

Grenoble, France
1968 Winter Olympics

Sochi, Russia
2014 Winter Olympics 

Athens, Greece
2004 Summer Olympics

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovenia 
1984 Winter Olympics 

Check back during the games for all of Thrillist’s continuing Olympics coverage. Think of us like an all-knowing friend watching along with you to answer all the important questions, like how heavy are Olympic medals. We'll explain everything from curling rules and figure skating scoring to what OAR means, why winning athletes are receiving stuffed animals and much, much more.