Urban Forum Associates Town Planning Urban Design Communications

I recently got back to Vancouver from a trip to Cape Town and a brief stopover in London. Three cities, each one of which has recently had or is about to host a hallmark sporting event: Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Cape Town co-hosted 2010 FIFA World Cup events, and of course London has the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympic Games. What did these three cities gain (or lose), from a  city-making perspective, in hosting such hallmark events?