Low television ratings worldwide and empty seats in the stadiums led media critics to write off the recent Turin Winter Olympics as something of a flop.
But commentators have no such fears for Beijing's Summer Olympics in 2008.
Their prediction is that, far from losing their lustre, the first Games in China will be a blazing success, bringing fans in their thousands to Beijing from all over the world.
No less an authority than Peter Ueberroth, the US Olympic Committee chairman, summed it up this way: 'The 2008 Olympics will be one of the most significant events for our generation - not only athletically but culturally, socially and economically as well. It is an opportunity for China to demonstrate to the world its progress and influence in areas that transcend athletics.'
Al Neuharth, founder of the mass-circulation newspaper USA Today, recently predicted that the 2008 Olympics could well be a big winner, setting records for attendance, worldwide interest and TV viewing.
And he reckons that, far from being the usual two-way race between the United States and Russia for the most medals, the Beijing Olympics will be a tight, three-way contest, with China the other contender. In Athens in 2004, China placed third after the United States and Russia, with 63 medals - 32 of them gold.
For China's 1.3 billion people, these showcase Olympics promise to be a matter of intense national pride. With the eyes and ears of the world on Beijing, Chinese people will get to know sports fans from all over the world.