Five decades may seem like enough time for the memory of an Olympic Games to become just another page in history. However, in both Tokyo and Montreal, the exact opposite has happened. The two cities, separated by half a century and shaped by very different contexts, demonstrate that the true impact of hosting the world’s biggest sporting event does not end when the Olympic cauldron is extinguished. Venues, neighborhoods, social programs, and sporting culture continue to evolve and remain part of the daily lives of millions of people.
As Tokyo marks five years since the opening of Games shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, Montreal celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first Olympic Games ever held in Canada. Both cities have used these milestones to highlight a legacy that extends far beyond medals: infrastructure that remains in use, communities that have grown through urban development projects, support programs for new generations of athletes, and an organizational capacity that continues to attract major international sporting events.
Olympic venues that remain part of everyday life
One of the greatest challenges for any host city is ensuring that venues built for the Games do not become abandoned spaces. Both Tokyo and Montreal have shown that long-term planning can turn these facilities into lasting assets for their communities.
In Tokyo, the 33 permanent venues from the 2020 Olympic Games remain fully operational. The Japan National Stadium has hosted international competitions such as the World Athletics Championships in 2025, as well as football, rugby, and concerts. The Tokyo Aquatics Centre offers recreational swimming alongside national competitions, while the Ariake Urban Sports Park, created for the Olympic debut of skateboarding and BMX freestyle, now serves as a public sports complex featuring climbing walls, 3×3 basketball courts, and urban sports facilities. In Montreal, the story is similar: 21 of the 24 competition venues used in 1976 remain active, from the iconic Olympic Pool to the Biodôme, housed in the former velodrome, reinforcing a legacy that has successfully adapted to the needs of each new generation.
Urban development is also part of the legacy
The Olympic Games also leave their mark beyond stadiums. The transformation of former athlete facilities into fully integrated urban neighborhoods demonstrates how Olympic planning can address long-term urban development challenges.
Tokyo’s former Olympic Village is one of the clearest examples. Now known as Harumi Flag, it is home to thousands of residences, schools, green spaces, shops, childcare centers, and senior housing within a modern waterfront district designed for around 12,000 residents. It was also developed as Japan’s first hydrogen-powered neighborhood, building on technology first showcased during the Olympic Games. Montreal has likewise preserved this vision of urban integration. The Olympic Park continues to serve as a hub for sports, cultural, and recreational activities, while facilities such as the Olympic Basin and the Claude Robillard Sports Complex remain essential for training elite athletes and providing the local community with access to sport.
Human impact continues shaping new generations
Beyond the physical infrastructure, the deepest legacy is found in people. The organizational expertise, sports development programs, and volunteer networks created through the Games continue generating opportunities years after the Closing Ceremony.
In Tokyo, nearly 10,000 Games volunteers remain active through the Tokyo Volunteer Legacy Network, supporting sporting and cultural events across the city. The Japanese capital also continues implementing strategies to increase sports participation among residents, which reached 67.5 percent of the adult population, while promoting inclusive initiatives and youth programs alongside Olympic athletes. In Canada, the Athlete Assistance Program, established after Montreal 1976, has invested more than CAD 512 million to support over 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Meanwhile, Les Jeux de Montréal has given more than half a million children their first competitive sporting experience, demonstrating that the Olympic legacy is also built by inspiring future generations.
A legacy that continues shaping the Olympic future
The strongest evidence that the Olympic Games leave a lasting legacy is that host cities continue playing a leading role within the Olympic Movement decades after welcoming the world. Their organizational expertise, world-class venues, and accumulated knowledge allow these destinations to remain central to the international sporting calendar.
Tokyo will host the opening stop of the Olympic Q Series on the road to Los Angeles 2028, welcoming urban sports competitions such as skateboarding, BMX freestyle, climbing, and 3×3 basketball at the very venues where those disciplines made their Olympic debut during Tokyo 2020. Montreal will also return to the spotlight when it stages another stop on the same qualifying series in 2028, once again using Olympic Park to host events including beach volleyball, BMX freestyle, flag football, and skateboarding. Both cities are celebrating their anniversaries through public activities, illuminations, exhibitions, heritage tours, and meetings with Olympic athletes, demonstrating that the Olympic legacy continues to be built every day through sport and the people who make it possible.
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