Olympics

Question 1

Where did Pierre De Coubertin took inspiration from?

Answer 1

The ancient olympics
Dover games
Much Wenlock Games
The Rugby School

Question 2

Who is the founder of the modern olympics?

Answer 2

Pirre De Coubertin

Question 3

What are the aims of modern olympics?

Answer 3

• Promote goodwill
• Unite people/ create international friendships
• Educate people
• Promote development of physical and moral qualities

Question 4

What are the seven values of modern olympics?

Answer 4

Excellence
Respect
Inspiration
Equality
Determination
Friendship
Courage

Question 5

What is the role of IOC (International Olympics Comittee)

Answer 5

• Oversee the organisation of the Olympics
• Selects host city
• Manages commercialisation of the games - sponsor/ media channels

Question 6

What is the role of British Olympics Association?

Answer 6

• Select Team GB
• Liaise with other elite sport organisation
• Completed Olympics bid to host
• Allocate sponsor to athletes
• Prepares and supports team GB i.e. training camps

Question 7

What year was Berlin Olympics?

Answer 7

1936

Question 8

What happened in 1936 Berlin Olympics?

Answer 8

• Used to promote Aryan as the superior race (blonde hair, blue eyes and white ethnicity)
• Used to show efficiency of Germany under Nazi control e.g. completing stadium on time, big Olympic village etc.
• German athletes trained full time prior to the games = better chance of winning medals
• Lutz Lang (torch bearer) was intended to show their superiority as a race
• African-American athlete Jesse Owens won 100m Gold medal; Hitler wouldn’t place medals on his neck or shake his hand

Question 9

What year was Mexico City Olympic?

Answer 9

1968

Question 10

What happened in 1968 Mexico City Olympic?

Answer 10

• Countries threatened to boycott the games if South Africa were allowed to attend (the apartheid)
• African American athletes (Tommy Smith and John Carlos) used 200m medal ceremony to protest about lack of civil rights in the USA
• Protest known as black power salute
• Athletes wore glove/ raised hand to symbolise black power; wore black socks to represent black poverty and black scarfs to represent lynching
• Peter Norman (Australian- 2nd place) wore a human rights badge

Question 11

What year was Munich Olympic?

Answer 11

1972

Question 12

What happened in 1972 Munich Olympic?

Answer 12

• A day before the games, 8 members of the Black September group (Palestinian terrorist organisation) stormed the Olympic village and seized 11 members of the Israeli team
• They requested the release of 234 Palestinians that were being held in Israel
• Attempts to rescue the hostages failed, and they were all murdered along with 5 of the terrorists.
• IOC however, decided to continue with the games, only postponing the opening ceremony by a day = controversial at the time
• Led to the development of the anti-terrorism movement

Question 13

What Year was Moscow Olympic?

Answer 13

1980

Question 14

What happened in 1980 Moscow Olympic?

Answer 14

• Moscow was part of the Soviet Union
• Just prior to hosting the games, Soviet Union forces invaded Afghanistan
• Jimmy Carter (US president at the time) suggested a boycott of the games if Soviet troupes didn’t withdraw
• Led to 65 countries not attending
• Despite this, some athletes went against their governments, and competed anyway under the Olympic flag
• Led to the creation of the ‘Liberty Bell Classic’ event for the non-attendees to compete in

Question 15

What year was Los Angeles Olympic?

Answer 15

1984

Question 16

What happened in 1984 Los Angeles Olympic?

Answer 16

• Olympics were in financial difficulty
• IOC therefore reluctantly accepted commercialisation – 1st games to be commercialised. - Ticket sales/Sale of TV rights to broadcast the games
• 12 weeks before, the Soviet Union announced their boycott along with 14 other Eastern bloc countries
• They believed the USA would use the commercialisation to promote ‘anti-Soviet propaganda’
• In response to the boycott of their 1980 Games- ‘tit for tat’

Question 17

What are the positives and negatives of hosting global events to the sports?

Answer 17

+ve
* Increased funding for sports
* World class facilities
* Improve awareness of sport
* Increase participation
* Helps develop excellence in sport through improved structure/ pathways

-ve
* Wasted facilities after event
* Disproportionate funding; minor sports can suffer
* Decline in participation after the event
* If unsuccessfully hosted, can have a negative effect on the profile of the sport
* Too much pressure on athletes to succeed - Drop out
* Any deviance will have a negative effect on the sport

Question 18

What are the positives and negatives of hosting global events to politics?

Answer 18

+ve
* Symbolic- successful host can make a government appear successful
* Employment opportunities may improve government popularity (votes)
* Can bring aboutnation building = good for government
* Can raise the status of the country on the global stage = ‘shop window’ effect,
* Can bring more trade to a and investment if they are successful

-ve
* Financial cost of hosting may make the political party unpopular
* Increased threat of terrorism/security risks
* If the host nation doesn’t perform well, it may lower national esteem
* Negative environmental impacts e.g. litter can decrease popularity of a political party
* If the legacy of the event is poor (e.g. facility use, participation rates) could reflect badly as public money poorly spent
* Political protests can look badly on the country

Question 19

What are the characteristics of global sporting event?

Answer 19

• Positive sporting values
• Commercialised - media and sponsorship
• Patriotism
• Highly spectatored
• World class facilites
• Deviance
• Elite level performance

Question 20

What are the positives and negatives of hosting global events to Social?

Answer 20

+ve
* Identity and pride in their country = nation building
* Develops patriotism
* Appeasement = People enjoy the experience
* Money through tourism = can be spent on local community

-ve
* People may be displaced/ disrupted
* Focus and investment given to the event rather than long term local issue
* The benefits may not be felt by the majority of local people
* Positive effects may be short-lived

Question 21

What are the positives and negatives of hosting global events to economics?

Answer 21

+ve
* Increased income
* Creation of jobs
* Increases in trade and exporting
* Improved infra-structure e.g. transport is upgraded and improved
* Increased investment in local public facilities
* Raise the status of the country on the global stage = ‘shop window’ effect
* Bidding for the event is expensive, and if it’s not won, then no money coming back in

-ve
* Might lead to debt or financial strain
* Increase in taxes to local people to fund the event
* Many jobs created are temporary
* If events/participants are linked to failure or deviant behaviour, then sponsors can be negatively affected

Question 22

What is nation building and how to do it through hosting global sporting event?

Answer 22

Nation Building – Increasing the promotion and status of a country

1. Hosting the Olympics – You are increasing the status of your country
2. Shop Window effect – World just sees the best of the nation
3. Unity – Nation comes together and unites as one – National Pride
4. Jobs – Jobs are creating boosting economy of the Nation
5. Political tool for the Nation – Sports and politics are linked – if you win reflect political power – China used it as a coming out party to showcase their economic status but also hide and cover up human rights problem – shop window effect