The former NSW premier leapt from his seat as International Olympic Committee chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch uttered the immortal "and the winner is ... Syd-er-ney", sparking wild early morning celebrations back home in Australia.

Seven years after that famous leap, Sydney put on what most (well, most Australians) regard as the best Games ever, two wonderful weeks of top-line competition and unrivalled hospitality in the Harbour City.

It was a two-week party both inside the stadia and in every pub, club, restaurant and public meeting place in Sydney and no one who was there - as a competitor, volunteer or spectator - will ever forget it.

How times have changed.

When Brisbane [pictured] was this week announced as the host of the 2032 Games it could not have been more low-key.

To their credit, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Prime Minister Scott Morrison tried to look excited but being the only bidder really took the edge off their big moment.

At the same time, an Olympics like no other is getting under way [12 months later than planned] in Tokyo.

There are no crowds in the stands, no parties on the streets and competitors have been basically confined to barracks except for training and competing.

It's certainly not the spectacle Tokyo signed up to host eight years ago and the city deserves great credit for pushing on as persistently as it has. On many occasions it would have been far easier - and far cheaper for the nation - to simply give up.

So we hope Brisbane does not suffer anything like the misfortunes Tokyo has endured and hope that come 2032 the city can host the second-best Games ever.