When the World is Watching: Passing the Torch in a Fragmented World
How global events reveal shifting power and shape our future
What Lasts Beyond the Spectacle
Every four years the world gathers to watch the Olympics. For most people it is about the thrill of competition, the joy of records broken, and the pride of watching athletes carry their country’s flag.
But beneath the medals and ceremonies, something else is happening. The Olympics are one of the most powerful stages for diplomacy. They are how nations tell their story to the world. Barcelona in 1992 reintroduced itself after decades under dictatorship. Beijing in 2008 projected the image of a rising power. Paris in 2024 tried to show what a sustainable Games could look like.
The Olympics are not just sport. They are a relay, a passing of the torch where influence is contested, cities are remade, and visions of the future are put on display.
This feels urgent now. Global power is shifting. Traditional diplomacy is strained. Events like the Olympics, the World Cup, and COP are more than shows. They are arenas where credibility is built or lost, where billions are invested, and where the future of cities and nations takes shape.
Why now and why Relay Point?
The next few years are full of turning points: COP30 in Belém, the World Cup in North America in 2026, and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Each will test whether we can pass the torch wisely — from spectacle to sustainable futures.
As I begin Relay Point, this is the question I want to explore: how do we ensure these moments of global attention are not wasted, but turned into legacies that matter — better cities, stronger communities, and new forms of connection across borders?
Over the next two years I will split my time between Oxford, where I will dive deep into these questions, and New York City, where I will put them into practice on the ground. Relay Point will be where those two worlds meet.
What can you expect?
In the coming months, Relay Point will explore:
Stories of how past Olympics, World Cups, and Expos shaped cities and global narratives
How upcoming events like COP30, the 2026 World Cup, and LA 2028 are setting the stage for power and diplomacy
Ideas on how cities can use global attention to build sustainable infrastructure and lasting legacies
This will be a space for both reflection and practice, connecting insights from Oxford with work happening in cities around the world.
First deep dive coming soon
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