Lexi Rice

English 137H
Professor Babcock
15 November 2016

Evolution of the Olympics

You are standing on the highest step of a podium, silver medal around your neck

and olive branch on your head; you have just become an Olympic Champion. The year

is 1896 and Athens, Greece has been the host to 14 countries competing in the first

nine-day long modern olympics. After a 1,500 year hiatus placed by Roman Emperor

Theodosius I, a french educator by the name of Pierre de Coubertin suggested the

revival of the games (History 1). 70 voting delegates then unanimously agreed to this

revival and thus, planning for the 1896 Olympic games began.

Of course, the story starts quite a few years prior to 1896, with a well known man

named Heracles. Legend has it that this son of Zeus founded the ancient Olympics and

instituted that they were to be held every four years during a religious festival honoring

his father. Greeks believed that competitive sports pleased the spirits of the dead, so

the people willingly obliged with Heracles suggestion. The Games earned their name

due to their original location at Olympia, a sacred site located near the western coast of

the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece (History Channel).

Compared to the lengthy agenda of sports everyone has come to know in the

modern Olympics, the first ancient Games consisted of a single race, with the next few

hundred years only bringing the addition of events such as long jump, discus, javelin,

chariot racing, wrestling, and pankration (a form of wrestling and boxing with no rules).
The Games then began to decline in popularity and esteem after the Roman Empire

conquered Greece, culminating with a ban on all pagan festivals by Emperor

Theodosius I (History 2). After nearly 12 centuries, the Olympic tradition was to come to

an end. It would take almost 2 millennia until they were to be resurrected and restored

to their former glory.

Although the cutthroat nature of the Games has remained a virtue, since the first

modern Olympics of 1896, a large portion of the proceedings has altered, or upgraded

so to speak. This is to be expected since technology and times have changed quite

drastically over the years. The scope of participation is practically universal, scrutiny of

athletes has heightened, there is a palpable effect on host countries, and even the

increase in political influence on the games are all deemed noteworthy.

It is undeniable the weight of prestige that the olympics hold. With more than 206

countries having participated in the most recent Rio 2016 Olympics, the games have

reached almost complete global recognition. This recognition comes in so many forms,

from tv ads and commercials to apparel and cereal boxes. It makes it difficult to grow up

untouched by the games in one way or another. However, this was not always the case.

As mentioned, the Athens 1896 games featured a mere 14 countries. From these

countries 206 men were selected to compete, absolutely no women allowed. The

number of countries taking part in the Olympics has seen a considerable increase over

the years. The 1896 Olympics attendance wasnt well documented but it is estimated to

have had around 60,000 fans. The 1920 Olympics in Paris saw a slight increase of 24

countries represented. The greatest increase was seen in the 1924 summer Olympics

held in Paris with 44 countries being represented. The last games before the outbreak
of the Second World War saw 49 countries represented with a twelve year break before

the next Olympics, held in 1948. These games, held in London saw an increase to 59

countries, including 14 making their Olympic debut. Numbers gradually increased by

around 20 countries a year, excluding the boycott of some events around the 1970s and

1980s. The last Olympic Games held in 2016 in Ro saw 206 countries represented

(Olympic 1). The increase in participation is a clear example of how the Games have

grown throughout the years.

The founding father of the olympics said The most important thing in the

Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not

conquering but fighting well. Over the course of the first few modern olympics, the

games always maintained their competitive nature but seemed to be more about the act

of participating rather than the idea of taking home gold. The mentality of olympic

athletes has been altered throughout the course of the games. For example, it was

often common for athletes to be denied periods of leave from their universities in order

to compete, whereas nowadays, any athlete with an olympic dream can not even

consider normal schooling options. They begin training 7 days a week as young children

and must be homeschooled in order to accommodate their athletic schedule. It is not

clear when the added pressure to win became apparent, but the pressure has only

increased with each passing olympics.

The addition of professional athletes in the olympics also altered the spirit of the

games. The International Olympic Committee eliminated the necessity of amateurism in

1971, allowing athletes to receive compensation for time away from work during training

and competition. In addition, athletes were permitted to receive sponsorship from

national organizations, sports organizations, and private businesses for the first time. In

1986, professional athletes were given permission by the International Federation to

compete in each sport of the Olympic Games. For instance, in the 1992 Olympic

Games, the United States was allowed to field a basketball team comprised of well-paid

NBA stars, called "The Dream Team (CNN 1). Many people believe this tampered with

the spirit of the games, as amateur athletes competed solely for the love of their sport,

whereas professional athletes were thought to compete solely for the sponsorships and

endorsements they would receive post olympics.

Regardless, the social pressures put on athletes to perform has drastically

increased over the years, sometimes pushing them to test the limits of their bodies and

even push them beyond capability; otherwise known as doping. The use of performance

enhancement drugs began somewhere around 1904 by an Olympic marathon runner

whom almost died from mixing brandy and a stimulant in high doses. Cocaine and

heroine were then widely used by athletes and distributed by coaches until the 1920s

when the drugs became available only by prescription. The year 1928 saw the first rule

against doping in sports, with the governing body for track and field prohibiting doping

by athletes. Countless deaths of olympic athletes ensued over the next few decades as

the pressure to win and issue of substance abuse escalated. It wasnt until 1972 that the

first full-scale drug test was put in place at Olympic games for narcotics and stimulants

(ProCon 2). Although these sanctions and tests have been imposed, athletes have still

continued to abuse their bodys with new organic doping methods all based off the

drive to win.
 The splendor of the games so many people have come to know today have not

always been so. Over time and with each succeeding Olympics, the opening

ceremonies, olympic villages, and sports venues have become more grand than the

previous year. There is a heavy financial burden placed on the host country because of

this, but there is also extreme benefits. Many of the benefits which a city receives from

the Olympic Games stem from the extra revenue it provides.

Games such as Barcelona were able to undertake their vast urban renewal

schemes from sources directly related to the Games, such as money from TV rights and

sponsoring companies. Sydney 2000 was also generally successful, but not only from

direct funding from hosting the Games. Sydney's tourist profile was vastly enhanced by

the Olympics, and as a result, an additional 1.6 million tourists visited the city in 2001

(Applebaum 1). So the legacy of the Games can provide economic benefits for lengthy

periods in the aftermath of the Olympics. Not all host countries were so fortunate to

have seen such great paybacks from the Games. With the Olympic Games being of the

scale that it currently is, there is a risk of ending up in huge financial deficit if

preparations are not organized or overseen properly. The result is a debt that lasts for

years, as happened at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The debt incurred by the citizens of

Montreal awakened citizens to the economic cost of hosting the Olympic Games.

Games held at Seoul in 1988, Barcelona in 1992 and Sydney in 2000 all adopted a

mixed financing model using money both from the state and from private enterprise to

underpin the operational and investment costs. This approach attempts to balance the

interests of all the Olympic stakeholders (Journalists Resource 1). Many host countries

also reap the benefits of stimulating their economy through the creation of jobs. The
2012 London olympics for example saw the creation of 50,000 jobs permanently

erected due to the future of the sites that were built (Applebaum 2).

Although many of the changes the Olympics have seen over the years have

been beneficial, the same can not be said for the injection of politics into the games.

The Olympic Games have long been used as a political tool, especially as a tool of

global publicity and to give a good political image. Historically, in 393, Theodosius the

Great banned the Games because there was too much bribery and corruption going on

and the Games did not return until 1896. More recently, the 1936 games in Berlin were

choreographed by the Nazi Party as a form of propaganda showing German superiority.

Former IOC president Avery Brundage aimed to "separate sport from politics". Sadly it

seems that countries will attempt to use their teams as a tool, rather than an example of

what they can achieve.

One of the biggest platforms countries use to make a political stand is by

boycotting the Olympics. Following the 1956 Melbourne games where boycotts due to

the Suez Canal issue and the Soviet Unions invasion of Hungary, boycotts started to

run rampant. For example, the 1968 Mexico City olympics saw mass protests against

the U.S. invasion and eventually led to military intervention on behalf of Mexico. This

created a need to assess a potential host countrys political environment before

selecting them, something that was not necessary before. The large increase in

boycotts became especially true during the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a direct result of

the Cold War (Fuller 2). These boycotts in turn led to the Soviet Union refusing

participation the following games and simply made a mess of a once highly beloved

tradition.
 Of course war and militaristic tension led to issues within the Olympics, but so did

social issues. Race impacted the Games and athletes participating to great lengths.

African-American sprinter Jesse Owens defied myths of racial supremacy when he won

4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, when Hitler was hitting the height of his

power. Hitler refused to award Owens the medals himself as he still viewed him as

racially inferior. This forever laced the olympics with a deeper sense of political rivalry

than ever before and led to later demonstrations of power struggles between nations

and peoples. In 1968 another stand was taken towards the equality of blacks and whites

when two african-american athletes raised their fists in what became the black power

salute while standing on the Olympic podium.

Following the idea of social discrepancies within the Olympics, female athletic

participation must be accounted for. It has been a long road to equality for women at the

Olympic Games, and it is still continuing. Even in the early years of the modern

Olympics, women were not well represented (consequently a rival Women's Olympics

was held). Women participated for the first time at the 1900 Paris Games with the

inclusion of women's events in lawn tennis and golf. Women's athletics and gymnastics

debuted at the 1928 Olympics. Over time more women's events were added. In 2012,

women's boxing was introduced, resulting in no remaining sports that do not include

events for women. Today, womens sports have become some of the most beloved and

highest watched events of the Games. Team USAs womens gymnastics teams have

been powerhouses for years and consistently draw stadium filling crowds. Not to

mention the dynamic duo that is Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Women struggled
early on since the first modern games for participation, let alone recognition, but have

fought the social pressures and persevered.

The Olympic Games unite nations in a way that no other event can. They allow

countries to display their cultures on a global stage, and compete for glory while they do

it. Its possibly a clichd phrase but the Olympics are truly a stadium of dreams, it is a

place where athletes and aspiring youngsters alike have the chance to see their idols

perform and gives them something to strive for. Although both physical and social

aspects of the Games have changed quite a bit since their resurrection in 1896, they

have remained true to the Olympic Movement. According to this philosophy, the positive

sportsmanship, sense of fair play, and respect for fellow athletes that is developed

through participation in sports teaches men and women of different races, religions, and

nationalities to work peacefully together in competition toward common goals.

 Works Cited

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www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/does-hosting-the-olympics-actually-pay-

off.html?_r=0>.

Fuller, Jaime. "A Not-so-brief History of Politics and the Olympics." Washington Post.

The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2016. <https://

www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/02/05/machiavelli-meet-the-

olympics/>.

Greene, Bob, and The Opinions Expressed in This Commentary Are Solely Those of

Bob Greene. "What Changed the Olympics Forever." CNN. Cable News Network,

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Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2016. <http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/

view.timeline.php?timelineID=000017>.

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of-first-modern-olympics-games-a6970476.html>.
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