Paralympics

The sacrifice of the Olympic spirit in the name of spectatorship

It is widely believed that the Olympic Spirit does not exist anymore, at least not in its original form, as the Olympic games have become a luxurious event, a show. In order to make this show even more spectacular, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is making an effort to add a greater variety of Olympic events in order to represent as many different sports of different cultures as possible. As a result, in the name of international cultural representation, even the wealthy countries may find it hard to fund and provide the high technological establishment required to serve the increasing demand for a greater variety of games and

A black and white photo of the first modern Olympics in the Panathenaiko stadium Athens 1896

The first modern Olympics in the Panathenaiko stadium Athens 1896

athletes. Hence it is practically impossible for poor countries to ever have the opportunity to host such a gigantic event.

The use of subjective criteria for host cities

"We believe that the Olympics symbolize the triumphs of humanity, but how can humanity triumph when people are shackled in chains, silenced, hidden or oppressed?”…"I am deeply concerned about the human rights records of some

countries being considered by the IOC”

(Rep. Michael Capuano, March 8, 2001).

The Olympic movement promotes the idea that their activities are concentrated on “promotion of sport and competitions through international and national sports institutions all over the world”, while other activities are the “cooperation with public and private organizations to place the sport at the service of humanity”.

If such claims were to be truthful then the African and South American continents would have by now hosted of the Olympic games. By looking at the Olympic host cities table, one can see that the Olympic games have been a monopoly of the western world for the whole hundred and four years since the their revival.

At the same time, countries such as the USA are enjoying the first position in the preference of the IOC members, despite the claims that the anti-American feeling is very vivid in some parts of the world at the moment. The reasons for this are quite obvious, as 11 of the major IOC’s sponsors are American and the NBC is the single financial underwriter of the Olympic movement. (Abrahamson Alan, 2000).

Colored photograph at Tiananmen square where a protestor stops tanks

Tiananmen square protestor stops tanks

Instead of giving opportunities to cities of the Black Continent, or choosing some of the many democratic countries in the world, the 123 members of the IOC seem to prefer cities from countries accused with crimes against humanity, such as Beijing (China), which came victorious in the Moscow 2001 Olympic elections. (The Associated Press, 13/7/01).

According to Jeff Jacoby Beijing plans to hold the Olympic marathon, triathlon, and cycling competitions in and around Tiananmen Square,

where the Chinese People's Liberation Army killed as many as 2,000 pro-democracy student demonstrators in June 1989. (Olympics 2008: Say no to Beijing).

Testing the integrity of the IOC Committee.

Beijing is not the only case. Berlin was awarded the 1936 Olympics in 1931; two years later Hitler came to power and the Nazi terror began. Among many other outrages, Jewish and Gypsy athletes were expelled from German sports facilities. Yet the IOC never seriously considered moving the games; not even when German troops occupied the Rhineland, an ominous violation of international law, (Jeff Jacoby, 2001).

In addition to this, Vincent Brossel of Reporters Without Frontiers (RSF) noted that Moscow had been awarded the 1980 Olympics in 1973, and then just a year before the Games, the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan.

The IOC corruption

This strange favoritism towards such countries is the result of the alleged bribery that takes places within the IOC headquarters. It has become a commonly known secret that to win the bid for hosting the Olympics, the candidate cities hold better chances if they buy their votes from the IOC members. Inevitably, some countries get to host the Olympic Games as the result of bribery and other ethical malpractice. At least four Olympic host cities have been chosen with this method: Atlanta; Nagano, Japan; Sydney, Australia; and Salt Lake City. (Marc Hodler*, Andrew Jennings, Phil Shannon).Samaranch is again the main person to be accused for City appears to have spent close to $800,000, on everything from college scholarships to prostitutes for IOC members, in order to promote its bid for the 2002 Winter Games. Samaranch himself, for the Japan winter Olympics in 1998, allegedly got an equivalent of $98,000. (Muchmore, Adam). City appears to have spent close to $800,000, on

Black and white photograph of Samaranch in official Spanish fascist uniform

Samaranch in official Spanish fascist uniform

everything from college scholarships to prostitutes for IOC members, in order to promote its bid for the 2002 Winter Games. Samaranch himself, for the Japan winter Olympics in 1998, allegedly got an equivalent of $98,000. (Muchmore, Adam).

In other words, in order to host the Olympic games a city must be economically strong, from the western world and preferably from the USA, with strong sponsors and a will to financially assist the IOC members on a personal level. Characteristics which countries from Africa will probably never manage to meet.

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*Marc Hodler is a Swiss lawyer who has recently turned 80 and has been on the IOC since 1963. This has made him and Brazil's Joao Havelange the organization's longest-serving members.