The expectations of any host city appear to grow exponentially each time they are held. It is often unclear whether a host city has been successful in it holding of the Olympic Games. The enormity of the Games has been on the minds of Olympic researchers for some years.
The expectations of any host city appear to grow exponentially each time they are held. It is often unclear whether a host city has been successful in it holding of the Olympic Games. The enormity of the Games has been on the minds of Olympic researchers for some years.
The expectations of any host city appear to grow exponentially each time they are held. It is often unclear whether a host city has been successful in it holding of the Olympic Games. The enormity of the Games has been on the minds of Olympic researchers for some years.
issues, trends and perspectives www.culturalolympics.org.uk
Athens 2004, Ahead of the Games?
Andy Miah
Visitors to Sydney for the Games appears to be getting
Olympic Games may have good reviews. not discovered the small It seems to have been heralded as but impressive a media success (unless you live representation of people in the United States and were from the organising watching NBC). committee for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. However, upon seeing this Despite some pressing appearance within the media, one concerns about the progress might wonder what the criteria are for evaluating the successes of Athens in its preparation and failures of the Games. for the Olympic Games, it Furthermore, it might also be appeared to be on top form asked as to whether host cities in Sydney. ought to be held responsible if they fall short of providing the The expectations of any host city level of organisation that the appear to grow exponentially competition requires. Finally, it each time they are held. must be asked whether the However, it is often unclear expectation of the host city is whether a host city has been becoming too great, whether the successful in it holding of the Games is becoming too big a Olympic Games. competition to manage.
The 4-year run-up towards
Sydney was marred with The enormity of the Games concerns about the IOC and the scandals that came to light in has been on the minds of 1998/9. At the same time, the Olympic researchers for Australian approach to some years. integrating indigenous people with the festival of the Olympic Games has been patchy at best, This final question is provoked and quite disastrous at worst. by the emerging interest to Yet, the Sydney 2000 Olympic ensure that Athens is on schedule and how it will compare to the
Culture @ the Olympics, 2000: vol. 2, issue 3, pp. 12-14
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very different organisational Olympics each year or at different
management of the Sydney times of the year and in different Organising Committee. cities. This would certainly lessen the burden on any host The enormity of the Games has city, minimise potential risk of been on the minds of Olympic loss and even allow for a more researchers for some years. It is inclusive experience, as more without question that the Games cities would be able to form becomes increasingly inclusive, alliances with the staging of this though this ambition might international event. simply be unworkable if the Games remains in its current Other solutions and criticisms can state. Are there good reasons for be posed. It seems reasonable to arguing the removal of, for argue that the Olympic Games example, team sports to ensure continue to perpetuate a that the Olympic Games is particularly Western ideal in the manageable? kinds of sports that are included.
Furthermore, the very notion of
competition that is embraced within the Olympic ceremony, the winning of medals, and, the form of idolising the victors is notably Western and not entirely shared by many cultures. Thus, it might be argued that, in order to strive for the ideals of Olympism, there needs to be a greater emphasis on other aspects of the Photograph from a Sydney Subway poster advertising Nike. Cathy Freeman festival that do no involve and Michael Johnson symbolise what pathological notions of some would describe as the core competition. business of the Olympic Games: athletics. Captions read: ‘Change the One way in which this can be World, 400m at a time’ (left) and ‘Outrun History’ (right). achieved is through the promotion of the cultural and arts Alternatively, it might be festivals that are an integral part considered that the Summer of the Olympic Ideal and Games might need to be split into aspirations, though which are two further divisions in a terribly under-promoted within comparable way to having the the four years preceding the summer and winter games. Thus, games and even during the one might envisage two summer games themselves. In games. Perhaps there could be an recognition of this broader notion of the Olympics as a cultural
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festival, it could be argued that sporting competition is one arena
there is a need for a return to whereby it is possible to leave values and refocus in the way in behind the conflicts of the world which the Olympics are held. to engage in an activity that is loved by all communities, This is certainly not to dismiss the regardless of their political sporting competition or even to disagreements. neglect it. Rather, it is to advocate and even demand that This has been shown time and attention be given by the media time again, particularly and, I to the cultural aspects of the think, exceptionally through the Games, to shift the emphasis Olympic competitions. Yet, it is from winning and competition to because of this very powerful inclusion and the embracing of symbolism of the Games that I cultures, of which sport is a part; would argue that more can be a shift from the celebration of done. As the Olympic Games, victory, to the celebration of becomes increasingly immersed cultural integration. in the globalised guise of elite and professional competition, which is performance based, any sporting competition is one broader notions of excellence are arena whereby it is possible being lost. to leave behind the conflicts The Olympic Games is unique in of the world to engage in an its underpinning philosophy and activity that is loved by all its ability to convey this through communities, regardless of such powerful symbols as the their political flame and the rings. These disagreements. symbols may have the capacity to broaden and challenge performance-based sport. Of course, cultural integration However, it requires explicit can and has been demonstrated prerequisites for host cities to in quite profound ways through strive for and even prioritise the participation of sport. these aspects of the festival. Indeed, it is often thought that .