Hosting the Olympic Games is a prestigious honor that cities around the world compete for with as much stamina and finesse as any world-class athlete. But just as with the sporting events they hope to celebrate, there can only be one winner, and when it comes to choosing a host city there is no silver medal. Since the birth of the modern Games in 1896, several cities have submitted Olympic bid after Olympic bid, only to see their dreams of glory continuously dashed. Detroit alone has been rejected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) a whopping seven times! We here at ShermansTravel headquarters are still mourning the loss of the 2012 Games for our hometown, New York City, so we understand these cities’ frustrations – and know there’s so much more to these locales than their failed Olympic bids. Our top 10 snubbed Olympic cities may be some of the losing-est destinations, but they still offer plenty of ways to get your sports fix, not to mention new and noteworthy gold-medal attractions that keep visitors coming back for more. While some cities last attempted a bid in the ‘50s or ‘60s, two of our picks – Istanbul and Madrid – are finalists to host the 2020 Games. Here’s hoping one of our rejects can finally get its chance at Olympic history!

See what makes all these destinations special in our Snubbed Olympic Cities slideshow.

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