Robert Livingstone
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Robert Livingstone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Toronto, Ontario |
| Occupation | Producer, journalist |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Website | |
| www | |
Robert Livingstone is a Canadian journalist. He is the creator and producer of GamesBids, a news and information website for the Olympic Games bid process, since 1998. He is a member of the International Society of Olympic Historians and "is widely considered one of the world’s foremost experts on the Olympic bidding process."[1][2]
Covering the Olympic bid process
[edit]Livingstone's specialty is the Olympic Games' site selection process and he frequently comments in the media as a notable expert on the issues related to hosting of the Olympic Games by various cities.[3][4][5][6]
Robert Livingstone wrote a weekly op-ed column about New York's 2012 Olympic bid in the New York Sun newspaper.[7]
In 1998 he launched GamesBids.com, a reference site for Olympic bids as well as BidIndex,[8] an original Olympic bid rating system. There, he also serves as senior journalist.
Since 2000, Livingstone has been said to have been "comprehensively covering all Olympic bids for over two decades".[9] He also covers bids for Commonwealth Games, FIFA World Cup, Pan American Games, Asian Games and more[10] in both journalistic and opinion pieces.
Livingstone is an expert on all Olympic bids, but was noteworthy during the failed Calgary 2026 Olympic bid when he published his "Dear Calgary:" series[11] that guided the city through the complexities of an Olympic bid prior to a decisive plebiscite. The series received media acclaim in Calgary along with several Q&A interviews.[12][13] Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi apparently took inspiration from Livingstone's remarks during his 2026 Olympic bid campaign when he said “This has been called the most transparent process in Olympic history.”[14] "The mayor was alluding to a tweet from GamesBids.com journalist Robert Livingstone, who covers Olympic bids worldwide" a journalist from The Sprawl reported.
As a long-time Olympic journalist, in 2014 Livingstone was invited to carry the torch in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics torch relay where he ran a leg in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.[15] In 2010, Livingstone became one of the first web-only journalists accredited to cover the Olympic Games.[15]
Livingstone serves as a committee member of the Richmond Hill Sports Hall of Fame in Richmond Hill where he currently resides.[16]
Television, video, radio and podcasts
[edit]Livingstone appeared as an expert on the television show "Tarnished Gold". Investigative Reports. Season 10. 2000-09-14. 60 minutes in. A&E. to discuss the controversial Olympic bid vote-buying scandal involving Salt Lake City. He also appeared as an Olympic bid expert on show "De Sotchi à Pyeongchang". Les Grands Reportages. 2018-01-25. 60 minutes in. CBC/Radio-Canada. where he discussed issues with siting the Olympic Winter Games.
In 2021, Livingstone was featured in an Olympic-themed Off The Podium podcast which discussed his career included becoming one of the first-ever web-only journalists to receive accreditation to cover the Olympic Games and running in the Olympic torch relay at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[15]
Livingstone appeared in a CBC Sports Program "The Breakdown"[17] in 2022 that took a critical look at the history behind Beijing being awarded the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, a process that he extensively covered with multiple visits to China, Switzerland, Indonesia and Kazakhstan from 2013 to 2014.
Livingstone had also been a guest on several radio programs including in 2021 on the Scott Radley Show[18] in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to discuss the city's Commonwealth Games bid.
Awards
[edit]In 2015, Livingstone was nominated for an inaugural International Sports Press Association Sport Media Pearl Award in the category of "Journalistic Weblog" for his work on GamesBids.com.[19][20] In 2018 he was ranked first in North and South America.[21]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | AIPS Sport Media Pearl Awards | Best Journalistic Weblog[22] | GamesBids | Shortlisted |
| 2018 | AIPS Sport Media Awards | Best Journalistic Weblog[21] | GamesBids | 5th (Winner in Americas) |
| 2021 | AIPS Sport Media Awards | Best Column[23] | GamesBids | Shortlisted |
References
[edit]- ^ Michael, Tom. "With Two Weeks to a Decision, Kazakh Olympic Hosting Bid Stands Strong". Edge Magazine. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
- ^ Smith, Aaron. "Chicago's Olympic bid: An expensive proposition". CNN Money.
- ^ Edwardson, Lucie. "Calgary now front-runner for 2026 Winter Olympics, says online bid tracker". CBC News. CBC.
- ^ Mclinden, Amber. "The race before the torch: How does Calgary stack up against other 2026 Olympic Games bid contenders?". Calgary Journal.
- ^ "Tokyo throws hat into ring for 2016 Olympic Games"Chicago Sun-Times. June 8, 2007. Accessed July 3, 2008
- ^ "O, Shea Can You See As Olympics Plan B? Alternate sites are longshots to Games hopes" New York Daily News, June 12, 2005. Accessed July 3, 2008
- ^ "Robert Livingstone - Archive". The New York Sun.
- ^ "Olympics: Bid pundits say London is eroding Paris's lead". New York Times.
- ^ Chan, Kenneth (2022-02-04). "Daily Hive". Daily Hive.
- ^ Livingstone, Robert. "Robert Livingstone Archives". GamesBids.com.
- ^ Livingstone, Robert. "Dear Calgary". GamesBids.com.
- ^ Small, Kaylen (2019-06-25). "Why insider says 2026 Olympics wouldn't have been good fit for Calgary". Global News Calgary.
- ^ "'Calgary might be the only city left standing': A glimpse into Olympic bid politics". Calgary Eyeopener.
- ^ "The Mayor Cannot Be Leading It Anymore". The Sprawl.
- ^ a b c Waterworth, Ben. "Robert Livingstone Interview". Off The Podium - An Olympics Podcast. Transistor.FM.
- ^ https://www.richmondhill.ca/en/things-to-do/Sports-Hall-of-Fame.aspx#Committee
- ^ Strashin, Jamie. "The Breakdown". Youtube. CBC Sports.
- ^ Radley, Scott (2021-09-27). "Scott Radley Show". CHML Radio Hamilton.
- ^ Sport Media Pearl Awards Website - Nominations List
- ^ Staff, G. B. (November 4, 2015). "GamesBids.com Producer Nominated For AIPS Sport Media Pearl Award".
- ^ a b "AIPS Sport Media Awards: The Top 10 finalists". aipsawards.com.
- ^ Sport Media Pearl Awards Website - Nominations List Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Writing - Best Column". AIPS Awards. AIPS. Retrieved 1 Apr 2022.