ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 introduces the concept of ‘cascading disasters’ and their applicability within the context of sport. It outlines how certain situations can quickly escalate and significantly impact international sports events (ISEs) and international sports venues (ISVs). A central component of the chapter is a series of contemporary sport event-related ‘cascading case studies’ that illustrate the challenges that event organisers and key sport event stakeholders face. The four primary sport event-related ‘cascading case studies’ include (1) an exploration of the escalating impact of Typhoon Hagibis at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, (2) the cascading crisis linked to Hurricane Sandy and the 2013 New York City Marathon, (3) the impact of the 2019/2020 Australian Bushfire Crisis upon sports events and (4) the perceived threat of earthquakes and tsunamis at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A review of the incidents surrounding the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020, and its subsequent decimation of the global sports event calendar, is perhaps the clearest illustration of the proposed concept of cascading sports events.
