With their high public profile and inspirational power, major sports events have the potential to serve as a model for sustainable practices. While there is much rhetoric around greening these events, a systematic assessment of their sustainability has so far been lacking. This keynote speech will address the challenges surrounding the sustainability of the Olympic Games, comparing their sustainability outcomes since 1992. It introduces a model for evaluating

their sustainability and explains why the overall sustainability of the Olympics has declined over time. It concludes with sketching a vision of sustainable Games that could be a much-needed driver, rather than a roadblock, of the sustainability transition.