Beijing, London, Rio: What the Games can do for the host nation

Past – Beijing 2008 Beijing 2008 was significant in terms of a ‘coming of age’, China’s debutant ball, and Beijing in her finest was certainly the breathtaking belle. But when it comes to decision-making of a serious nature, the Chinese leadership are the arch gradualists, led both by a fear of destabilisation and love of consensus. So it is fairly unsurprising that for all the fireworks, the changes it precipitated were only skin deep, regardless of how welcome the improved roads and air quality were to both Beijingers and visitors. Officially the games cost $2.2bn to stage, a mere $...