It'll probably never happen but I've spent the last week evaluating what a DC Olympics would look like and it's not that crazy of an idea for 2040, 44, or 48. 🧵1/18

To start, in 2002, DC submitted a bid for the 2012 Olympics (joint with Baltimore) and again in 2014 for these 2024 games. Both bids didn't make it past the USOC who advanced NYC and LA respectively. But bidding for the Olympics has changed a lot since then and so has DC. 2/18

Let's start with the 2014 bid: it was billed as the "most walkable Olympics" with most events taking place in the District on a very compact footprint. But doing so would require several large new venues at a likely high price tag, and 10 years later, there's less space too. 3/18

Tokyo, Paris, and LA are changing the script with a more spread out games that leverages maximal existing infrastructure. And the IOC is encouraging this, after so few financially viable bids have been placed, they've made the process more sustainable and collaborative. 4/18

So let's go sport by sport to see where you could hold different events, what infrastructure would be needed, and how that meshes with the existing (and planned) landscape of our region 5/18

Athletics, track & field as well as the ceremonies will return to a traditional single Olympic Stadium at the RFK site. This stadium will obviously be the home of the Commanders before/after the games. This mirrors the 2014 plan: 6/18

This campus will also house the athlete's village (location may shift) to turn into a mixed use neighborhood and will have the riverfront sports park many want for the area after the games. A novel idea (2014) is to add an infill metro station for O.B.S. lines to the North. 7/18

Many indoor events (judo, fencing, taekwondo, badminton, table tennis, wrestling) could be at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Additional small(ish) indoor venues could be: DC Armory, Charles Smith Center (GWU), Bender Arena (AU), E&S Arena 8/18

Capital One Arena should hold Gymnastics week 1 and Basketball games week 2. Volleyball: GMU EagleBank Arena. Basketball group stage should be in regional arenas (Baltimore, Philly, NYC etc.) UMD has a fledgling D1 swim/dive program so they might get an aquatics center. 9/18

Likewise, Xfinity Arena would be a good place to build a temporary pool. SECU stadium could host field hockey (turf field). Back in DC, Audi Field is an obvious choice for Rugby, Nats Park for Baseball. Other outdoor venues: Cooper Field (GT), Greene Stadium (Howard) 10/18

Up in Baltimore, M&T Bank Stadium should host the soccer finals, Oriole Park could be Softball. Annapolis would host sailing events. Bethesda's Congressional Country Club is the top golf course in the region. AND Garret County MD has a world-class whitewater center. 11/18

Looking South, Virginia would hold equestrian events and likely Cricket (coming 2028). Like basketball, soccer would leverage the whole northeast corridor. Cycling road races would venture west to the piedmont while the marathon and triathlon would weave through the city. 12/18

The 2014 plan suggested rowing could be at the Wharf, weightlifting at the Anthem, marathon swimming in the tidal basin, and archery along the tidal basin. Temporary stadiums on the mall/East Potomac Park would be for beach volleyball, skating, BMX, and 3x3 basketball. 13/18

The Champions Park was so successful that we absolutely need one on the Mall as well. The Broadcast Center could be National Harbor. I'm not sure where shooting should go (but that's easy) and where the heck is the nearest surfing beach, Ocean City? Hilton Head? Florida?? 14/18

We'd have to build a new velodrome but that's the only new niche venue. So, we basically have all the venues and in a more compact area than Paris and LA. We also have the hotels, infrastructure, and experience of massive events. 15/18

We do a few projects to finish: Purple Line, RFK site handover, Tidal Basin/Potomac/Anacostia cleanup. Future projects would be the aforementioned infill stadium stop, maybe a yellow line one at East Potomac Park too, and how about the Bloop? 16/18

So the question is not whether DC could host an Olympics but whether we should. I've always been a fan of the games and I think it could be the catalyst for many of these urban projects we'd love to have happen. Even LA is going car free and I want that for us. 17/18

We'll need to see how LA goes (and SLC in '30) but 2040 would line up with so many regional goals. The only real hard part is finding the political will. A lot of people would not be happy but I think we can make it happen. Now let's enjoy the last hour of Paris 2024. End/18

Randy agrees! https://t.co/XdbufYfgDX

yes