Political Exploitation of the Olympics Flashcards
Berlin 1936
Third Reich Ideology
Berlin 1936 details
- 3 years prior WW2
- Germany granted host status in 1932 before Nazi party came to power
- Germany struggling economically at this time
- Built new 100,000 stadium and many more buildings
- All anti-Jewish posters disappeared to avoid games being boycotted & controversy
Berlin 1936
Propaganda
- Used by Hitler as a stage for political propaganda
- First Olympics to be used as an instrument of political misuse
- H keen for Germany to win many medals to show supremacy
- Show off how efficient Nazi Germany was
- Prove to world the superiority of ‘Master Race’
Berlin 1936
Lutz Lang
- Top class long jumper
- Model image for Nazi party
- Blond hair blue eyes –> typical stereotype of aryan race
Berlin 1936
Jesse Owens
- African American
- More famous athlete at the time
- Inferior under eyes of Nazis ideology
- Won 4 gold medals
- Broke 11 Olympic records
- Beat Lutz Land in long jump (Lang first to congratulate him)
Berlin 1936
African American members of USA team
- 10 A-A members of USA athletics team
- Won 7 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze
- Hitler refused to place gold medal around Owens’ neck
Mexico City 1968
Black Power demonstration
Mexico City 1968
Why was South Africas invitation withdrawn?
Other countries threatening to boycott the Games because of SA’s apartheid regime
Mexico City 1968
Black Americans
At the time black Americans lacked equality of opportunity, were segregated, and many lived in extreme poverty
Mexico City 1968
African American Boycotting
- In run up to games, all A-A athletes urged to boycott games
- Boycott never materialised
- Smith & Carlos agreed to protest at medal ceremony
Mexico City 1968
Tommie Smith and John Carlos
- 200m final
- Smith won gold
- Carlos won bronze
- Smith –> 19.8 seconds = equivalent to world record
- Protested during medal ceremony (lack of civil rights)
Mexico City 1968
Protest
- Wore one black glove –> represented black power & unity in America
- Gesture named Black Power Salute
- Wore black socks & no shoes to symbolise poverty
- Asked to leave games for bringing politics into Olympics
- Put global spotlight on situation of Black Americans
- Treated as heros OR as if they brought shame
Mexico City 1968
Peter Norman
- Silver
- Australian
- Convinced them it was a good idea
- Provided them with gloves
- Wore badge signifying inequality
- Ostracised
- No Aussy sprinters in 1972 Olympics –> a warning
- Caused Australia to persue own racist agenda (White Australian Policy)
Munich 1972
Palestinian Terrorism
Munich Massacre
Munich 1972
Black September
- Palestinian
- 8 entered Olympic village
- Kidnapped & murdered 11 Israeli athletes & coaches
- Made a political request to release 234 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel
- 3 terrorists survived
Munich 1972
Die Weiteren Spiele
- ‘The Cheerful Games’
- Transition to modern Germany after war
- Tried to deal with BS situ without violence
- Lead to development as anti-terrorist movement
Munich 1972
Post attack
- IOC made controversial decision to continue with games
- Memorial service held following day
- Opening of Games postponed a day
Moscow 1980
Boycott led by the USA
Moscow 1980
Background
Cold War ongoing with highly acrimonious relations evident between USSR and USA
Moscow 1980
Why the boycott?
- A political protest against the USSR invading Afghanistan (December 1979)
- Conflict that would last 10 years
- Extended the Cold War
Moscow 1980
Details of boycott
- Led by Jimmy Carter (US president)
- 65 countries boycotted
- of the 10,000 competitors expected, only 6,000 went
- Some USSR athletes still competed but under Olympic flag rather than own country
- Led to boycott of LA games
Moscow 1980
Effect on games
- Rowdy behaviour of spectators
- Cheating from officials
- Security so intrusive that winners physically prevented from taking victory laps
- Sparked a debate about the relationship between sport & politics
Los Angeles 1984
USSR Boycott
LA 1984
What was it?
- Response to the USA-led boycott of Moscow
- USSR held concerns over safety of their athletes in what they considered a hostile & fiercely anti-communist environment
- Only 1 other bid for host country (Tehran, Iran)–> no one wanted to host
- Boycotting countries organised their own games (Friendship games)
- Seen as a tit-for-tat response
LA 1984
Who Boycotted
USSR and 14 eastern Bloc countries
LA 1984
Effect on games
- Commercial marketing at Olympics and the era of professionalism had arrived
- Media companies paying huge money for TV/radio rights
- Private companies built major facilities
- Sponsors invested in Olympics in return for publicity of their business
Moscow 1984
Liberty Bell Classic
- Alternative games in Philidelphia
- Friendship games
- GB won record number of medals
- 21% of athletes were women
Goodwill Games 1986
- Boycotting countries organised their own games
- Friendship games
- Allowed US and USSR athletes to compete
