It's the quadrennial event that unites the world in a kaleidoscope of excitement, triumph, and premium advertising opportunities.

Here in Australia, we love a gold medal more than anything else (especially one we haven't budgeted for). And we'll never forget that the Sydney 2000 Games were universally declared the "best ever". It was a simpler time: the economy was booming, political leadership was stable, there were fewer Royal Commissions, Roy and HG were on Free-to-Air TV, and there were certainly no defamation lawsuits being levelled by Victoria Cross recipients.

But today, the feats of Duncan Armstrong, Cathy Freeman, the Oarsome Foursome, Nikki Webster and Rod McGeoch are a distant memory, with the unconditional adoration for our plucky athletes and administrators making way for nitpickers hell-bent on calculating the precise taxpayer cost for each gold medal.

So, is this glorified amateur athletics carnival still relevant in 2021? Or has COVID dulled our enthusiasm for this great global symbol of hope and peace? Are we too wrapped up in our provincial footy codes to consider the soft power diplomacy impact of winning a decathlon bronze? And hang on, has Brisbane seriously lobbed a bid for 2032?

Featuring guest appearance by comedian and social commentator Sean Woodland. Audio production from Tim ‘T-Dog’ Eldridge. Graphic design courtesy of Julia Edwards.

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