Evolution of the Olympics: Past, Present, and Future

1. chapter9 Olympic Movement

2. Chapter Outline • History of the Olympics • Effect of the Olympic Games • Nationalism and the Olympic Movement • United States Olympic Committee • Athlete Development • Summary

3. History of the Olympic Games • Started in Greece in 776 BC as a festival to honor Zeus • First festival only one foot race • Held every 4 years until 394 AD • Common men versus soldiers • By 18th Olympics, pentathlon was an event • Christian emperor of Rome then banned pagan worship • Reborn in Athens in 1896 with 14 countries

4. Effect of the Olympic Games • Cost and lasting effects on the host city • Huge financial and commercial influence on media • NBC paid $3.5 million U.S. for 4 years • 24.6 million viewers in 2004 • Rise of elite athletes and importance on winning • Shift from amateur to professional athletes

5. Influence on Promoting Nationalism • National committees pick athletes to represent their country. • Ceremonies include flags and anthems. • All athletes march together behind their flag in one uniform. • Governments use games to promote political structure (1938 Berlin Games and Nazi Germany). • Olympics are moving toward being a big business event.

6. United States Olympic Committee (USOC) • Receives no funding from U.S. government • Funding primarily through private donations and sponsors • Membership categories • National governing bodies (NGBs) • Paralympic sports organizations (PSO) • Affiliated and community-based organizations (continued)

7. United States Olympic Committee (continued) • Until 2004, 100 board members • Scandals from last 25 years caused government intervention • Now reduced to smaller committees and annual reporting • Current goals • Develop athletes at grassroots level • Provide access to elite training programs • Support Olympic athletes training and competition

8. USOC Mission Statement To assist in finding opportunities for every American to participate in sport, regardless of gender, race, age, geography, or physical ability. (United States Olympic Committee)

9. Pursuit of Medals • United States dominance of medal tally since breakup of Soviet Union • Closely followed by Russia • U.S. baseball did not qualify for 2004 Olympic Games • U.S. basketball no longer automatic gold • China and other Asian countries vying for top medal slot • Medal counts in table 9.1 (page 161) and table 9.2 (page 161)

10. USOC’s Athlete Development • USOC in charge of identifying athlete talent, but no one system in place • Training facilities spreading from Olympic Training Centers to smaller metropolitan sites • Colorado Springs • Lake Placid • Chula Vista • USOC provides support and materials to develop coaching

11. Proposals for Change to Olympic Games • Decrease commercialism • Eliminate nationalism • Ensure drug-free competition • Decrease size and cost of hosting event • Increase security

12. Summary • The modern Olympic Games have developed into a huge international event with national and commercial effects. • Games are moving toward a professional and commercial product. • Recent restructuring has occurred in the USOC due to conflict and scandal. • Changes have been proposed to eliminate potential problems with the Olympic Games.

13. On Deck… • Questions and comments • Assignments and readings • Moving onto part IV: Sport and Culture • Next chapter: Sporting Behavior • Behavior at different levels of sport • Moral values in sport