Ten former Olympic venues where anyone can have a crack at sporting glory

Who says you can’t participate in the Olympics? Head to these former Olympic venues and see if you have what it takes to be a champion.

Running in Olympia, Greece

Race across the original start and finish lines in Olympia, Greece.Credit: Getty Images

Sadly, nude wrestling while coated in olive oil is presumably frowned upon at ancient Olympia these days, but it’s hard to resist challenging your friends or family members to a race across this stadium, which also sees the start of every Olympic torch relay. There isn’t much of it left, but the start and finish lines of marble stone remain embedded in the ground, and other tourists might cheer you on from the embankments. See visitgreece.gr

Bobsleigh and skeleton in Whistler, Canada

Attempt a solo skeleton ride at Whistler Sliding Centre.

Get your adrenaline going at Whistler Sliding Centre on a piloted four-person bobsleigh ride for those who dare thunder down the world’s fastest ice track inside a tin can at 125 kilometres an hour. You’ll feel up to 4G of force around bends. You can also attempt a solo skeleton ride, though only on the lower part of the track. The more cautious can head to Olympic cross-country trails in the Callaghan Valley. See whistler.com

Swimming in Beijing, China

Beijing’s National Aquatic Centre is nicknamed the Water Cube for its striking bubble-wrap appearance.Credit: iStock

You can do your best freestyle or backstroke down a lane in the pool at the National Aquatic Centre, where Leisel Jones and Libby Trickett won gold. Nicknamed the Water Cube for its striking bubble-wrap appearance, and renamed the Ice Cube at the 2022 Winter Olympics for skating events, the centre is Beijing’s most-visited destination, thanks mainly to its water park, which has some world-class water slides, a wave pool and lazy river. See water-cube.com

Cross-country skiing in Lillehammer, Norway

Cross-country gold requires completing a 50km track in two hours.Credit: Alamy

Who remembers the Nordic ski champions from the 1994 Winter Olympics? Well, probably nobody in Australia, but you’ll have a great time lumbering in their wakes along the 50-kilometre cross-country Olympic trail. Aim for just over two hours to be a gold-medal contender. Part of the track is illuminated at night, magical when snow is falling. If you’re in town in March, join in amateur races during the Birken Ski Festival. See lillehammer.com

Archery in Sydney, Australia

Release your inner Robin Hood at Sydney Olympic Archery Centre.Credit: Fiona Morris

We have an Olympic gold medallist in this discipline: Simon Fairweather, who won in Sydney 2000. Sydney Olympic Parks’ Archery Centre – its roof supported by poles that resemble arrows – has archery programs for both adults and children as young as seven. If you complete Bronze and Silver Arrow programs (each is three one-hour sessions) you can let fly unsupervised. You can also follow in Ian Thorpe’s impressive wake at the Aquatic Centre. See sydneyolympicpark.nsw.gov.au

Cycling in Atlanta, US

Get to grips with the art of Olympic cycling at Dick Lane Velodrome in Atlanta.Credit: Craig Golding

Dick Lane Velodrome is where you can get to grips with the art of Olympic cycling on a 36-degree banked concrete track, as you zip along on a bicycle with only one gear and no brakes. Join a beginner’s cycling class. If you’re good enough to get certified, race in the lowly D category on regular race nights. Be warned: helmets are required, and you must sign a waiver for this tricky sport. See dicklanevelodrome.com

Stadium experience in Tokyo, Japan

Take a tour of Japan’s impressive National Stadium. Credit: Alamy

Few of us get the chance to walk where sports stars walk, but a tour at Japan National Stadium gets you onto the athletics field for an astonishing impression of the daunting size of this 200,000-square-metre sporting arena. You’re allowed a sprint along the track and can jump over a hurdle. From there you can go on to inspect the media interview zone and even the athletes’ locker room. See kokuritu-tours.jp

Curling in Salt Lake City, US

Experience the perplexing sport of curling in Salt Lake City.Credit: AP

Never has there been a more perplexing yet curiously mesmerising sport. To experience its adrenaline-pumping excitement for yourself, take a Learn to Curl class at 2002 Winter Olympic venue, the Utah Olympic Oval. Then ramp up the thrills with evening Cosmic Curling under neon lights. You can also get instruction in speed skating: this is where Aussie hero Steve Bradbury won his speed-skating gold for the 1000-metre short track. See visitsaltlake.com

100-metre sprint in Lausanne, Switzerland

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne is packed with sporting memorabilia.

Think you can outrun eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt’s world record 9.58-second dash? Chances are the red laser line that simulates his speed will reach the far end of the athletics track before you’ve even registered the starting gun. You’ll find the entertaining interactive trial run outside the Olympic Museum, which is packed with memorabilia such as Cathy Freeman’s boots from her gold-winning 400-metre race in Sydney 2000. See olympics.com 

Golfing in Rio de Janiero, Brazil

Anyone can play a round of golf at the Olympic Golf Course in Rio.Credit: Miriam Jeske/Wikimedia Commons

Golf returned to the Olympics in 2016, for which the Olympic Golf Course was built. Now anyone can have a bash at the par-71, 7163-yard (6549-metre) course. It has truly Olympian challenges, among them abundant bunkers, a narrow layout, fierce winds and lots of surrounding undergrowth. If you’re just starting out, use the practice course of four holes, adjacent to a tee area for improving your short game. See rioogc.com.br