Yet, beyond the fanfare, there's a pressing shift towards sustainability in event hosting - and rightly so. 

A central aspect of this shift comes in the form of venues and facilities, with Recommendation 2 of the IOC Agenda 2020+5 - foster sustainable Olympic Games - encouraging the use of pre-existing and temporary venues, i.e. no new venues are needed.

Established global sport cities, with their thriving sports culture, robust economy, and world-class venues, naturally benefit from this shift. 

They already host a myriad of international events and bring socio-economic benefits to their communities with comprehensive strategies and long-term legacy planning.

However, where does this leave developing sport cities, yet to undertake the significant infrastructure developments required to become recognised as global sport cities? 

Does their developmental phase make them less qualified to host mega events such as the Olympics compared to their established counterparts?

A recent project we conducted at Quantum Consultancy, aimed at identifying the most impactful Olympic and non-Olympic sport world championships based on specific performance indicators, underscored the need for a deeper analysis of the event hosting landscape. 

This provided an alternate lens to view global sport cities in terms of event hosting and it quickly became clear that exploring this topic further would provide useful background and insights for event hosting destinations, national and international sport federations and associated partners. 

The landscape is evolving, with more, not less, sporting infrastructure being delivered in these emerging sport cities.

In today's globalized world, cities are no longer just geographical locations; they are brands, competing on the world stage for recognition, tourism, and investment. 

One of the ways cities are achieving this is through the hosting of major cultural, sport and entertainment events. 

The report by our research team at Quantum Consultancy, compiled in collaboration with Durham University Business School, explores the event hosting credentials of the world's leading sport host cities specific to the Olympic ecosystem.

While there isn't a universally accepted definition for a "Global Sport City", several key aspects are widely recognised. 

Without providing an exhaustive list, most of these elements are interlinked, relying on strategic long-term planning and investment, such as:

• World-Class Venues and Facilities: At the centre of every global sport city are world class venues and facilities. These venues and facilities not only host elite athletes but also serve local communities, providing opportunities to engage in sport and physical activity. They promote active lifestyles, create jobs, and open opportunities for local businesses. For instance, London's Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is today a hub for various sports and community events, with the surrounding area still being developed more than a decade on from the event.
• Robust Sports Culture: A strong sports culture is the foundation for any global sport city as it paves the way for a thriving sports economy, attracting investment and generating revenue. Hosting professional sports teams, for example, can significantly boost tourism. The on-field success of professional sports teams can often translate into off-field recognition and associated economic benefits. Think of the global attention cities like Barcelona receive due to the brand that is FC Barcelona.
• Hosting Major Sports Events: hosting major sports events can often act as a catalyst for the above, with mega event hosting usually being the ultimate sign of a global sport city. A track record of successfully hosting significant sports events requires long-term planning and investment in high-performance sport. This strategic planning can range from hosting events out with the Olympic ecosystem, or World Championships in specific sports, to multisport games, to mega events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup. For instance, Rio de Janeiro's successive hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 put it on the map and successfully delivered long-term tourism benefits.

It is this particular aspect of event hosting which our report shares its focus, specific to Olympic and non-Olympic sport world championships and multisport games. 

As the dynamics of sports, economy, and urban development continue to intertwine, the blueprint for a "Global Sport City" will inevitably evolve. 

Cities worldwide must adapt and reimagine their strategies whilst new, innovative cities of the future begin to enter the sometimes competitive event hosting marketplace. 

As we look at the post-COVID event hosting landscape, we can already see a diverse range of unexpected entrants in the top 20 global sport cities for event hosting, ranked based upon the number of events being hosted alongside the size and scale of those events.

Cities in the top 20 such as Doha (sixth), Chengdu (eighth), Tashkent (11th), and Riyadh (20th) have all undertaken significant infrastructure development programmes in recent years, some of which are expected to continue for decades to come. 

These are emerging event hosting powerhouses, investing heavily in cultural, sport and entertainment events as tools for diversification, global recognition and societal change.

Take Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for example, in which sport and well-being plays a crucial role and is receiving significant investment. 

In Qatar, again, there is a National Vision 2030 for which sport plays an important role.

Or in China, where the sporting sector has developed rapidly since the beginning of the 21st century. 

The awarding of the 2008 and then 2022 Olympics provided a massive stimulus to the entire industry and Chinese cities began to leverage the economic, cultural and social benefits of sport. 

None more so than the city of Chengdu, which has itself embarked on an event hosting journey with the recently concluded International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games, to be followed by another significant undertaking with The World Games in 2025. 

There is a clear commitment to sport, with projections indicating that by 2025, China’s sports industry will be valued at a staggering ¥5 trillion ($684.56 billion/£545.16 billion/€637.49 billion), making up 2 per cent of the nation's GDP.

None of these emerging cities would be considered sustainable options to host an Olympic Games today, but I can guarantee that they will be the leading event hosting destinations of tomorrow, as sport continues to remain high on their respective national agendas. 

The question is, when will the Western world recognise and embrace these emerging sport cities on the global sports stage?

For a deeper dive into the world of global sport cities, event hosting and the Olympic ecosystem, you can access the full report here.