Olimpianos - Journal of Olympic Studies

Olympic Games in check: correlations between the humanization of sports practices and the external consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

Juliana Ferreira dos Santos — 2024-01-25

The history of the Modern Olympic Games is increasingly associated with economic power, characterized by entertainment, also bringing repercussions on its actors and events. In this sense, the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic resulting from the postponement of the 2020 edition in Tokyo, Japan are multiple; This led to a pause and, at the same time, a restructuring of the event and several adaptations for its participants. The general objective of this article is to investigate the editions of the Olympic Games of the Modern Era, based on the periodization for the Olympic Games, shedding light on the reasons for the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 edition. the discussion of some of the main historical and social aspects of the Olympic editions, as well as the editions that were cancelled, or that were boycotted, or that were recently postponed. It is proposed to understand, in this way, the relationships involved in an event on a global scale and their influence on the humanization of sporting practices in contexts of social instability. Among the results obtained, there was the stereotyping of the athlete as a hero, the distance between the essence of the games, the training of athletes and their high exposure, as well as the result of this scenario that permeates the contemporary sporting imagination of the hero.

Men's football at the Olympic Games: the change in the profile of the medalists from the age limitation at Barcelona Olympic Games -1992

Rovilson de Freitas — 2024-04-01

The most popular sport on the planet has always had questioned participation in the Olympic Games. In practically all sports, being in the Olympic Games represents the pinnacle for the sport and, obviously, for the athletes. After all, it's a great opportunity to introduce yourself to people who don't have access to that modality on a daily basis. That doesn't happen with football. In most countries, football is part of people's routine. In addition, football has its main competition: the FIFA World Cup. Even so, it was present in most editions. At first, in a very modest way, then with a wide domination of the countries of the European socialist bloc. However, from 1992 onwards, there was an important change in the profile of the medalists, precisely when the rule of the age of participation of the athletes was changed: only athletes up to 23 years old could compete in the Olympic Games. This change takes away the European protagonism and transfers most of the medals to countries in Latin America and Africa. This work aims to analyze the reasons for this new configuration of the medalists. It is hypothesized that countries with expressive results in grassroots competitions (under-17 and under-20) have more advantages in a competition that has this age limitation.

Running in nature as an important element of lifestyle medicine: motivations and environmental attitudes of modern runners and sports tourists

Maciej Mlodzik — 2024-04-29

The aim of the study is to identify the motivations and attitudes of participants of running events, taking place outside the city, and their socio-demographic profile. For this purpose, a face-to-face interview was conducted with 107 participants of the Warta Challenge running event held in the Wielkopolska Voivodeship. The results of the study revealed that mass running events, organized outside a large city, are most often attended by young and middle-aged men, from large cities, with higher education and professionally active. Participants of the Warta Challenge regularly take part in running events. It motivates them to participate in the marathon, improves the quality of their lives, not so much due to the sports results achieved, but due to contact with nature and with other people. Over 80% of respondents prefer running outside the city. They mostly appreciate lack of crowds at their running routes, surrounded by nature.

Exploring gender equity in Olympic and Paralympic governance: challenges and perspectives

Marie-Stéphanie Abouna — 2024-08-20

Gender balance remains a fundamental concern in the evolution of the Olympic movement. Major issues such as equitable participation of male and female athletes and parity within its leadership are at the forefront of discussions. Scholars have shown gender imbalance in sports governance, with men holding a disproportionate share of power compared to women. This study examines the composition of the governing bodies of national Olympic and Paralympic committees. It aims to understand how gender equality representation in national bodies is compounded by the traditions of the sport associated with men, maintaining the gender gap in leadership. The findings highlight persistent disparities in gender representation in the governance structures of Olympic and Paralympic committees, despite variations among countries. These differences underscore the varying gender equality standards among participating nations, necessitating targeted interventions to address underlying societal inequalities. This article seeks to enhance understanding of the multiple factors shaping gender equality in the Olympic domain by providing insight into the dynamics surrounding gender balance at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The results of these analyses could inform future initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion within the Olympic movement.

Pre-match to match point: a longitudinal study of achievement motivation and mood states fluctuations in u-21 brazilian volleyball players

Ricardo Marinho de Mello de Picoli — 2024-12-11

- The aim of study was to investigate the relationship among Achievement Motive, Achievement Goals and Present Mood States of 13 Brazilian under-21 (M= 19,24; SD= 0,69) volleyball athletes during a competition. The participants answered three questionnaires, measuring the concepts of interest, one hour before the last pre-competition training and before six matches. The results revealed a high level of Achievement Motive, competence related to task requirements and mood states linked to hope and interest. Although the motivational factors did not show statistically significant differences throughout the competition, eight mood states showed statistically significant variations. This study contributes to the understanding of the relations between motivation and subjective states during training sessions and matches.

Public trust and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: assessing WHO, IOC, and TOCOG’s influence

Supitr Samahito — 2024-12-14

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, faced unprecedented challenges in gaining public endorsement. This study examines how trust in three key organizations—the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG)—influenced public support for hosting the Games. Using a survey of 1,004 Japanese residents conducted between September and October 2021, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data. The findings reveal that trust in WHO played a crucial role, indirectly affecting the endorsement of the Games by bolstering trust in the IOC and TOCOG. This hierarchical relationship highlights WHO's influence on the credibility of other organizations involved in the Games. The proposed model, which best fits the data, suggests that the interconnected trust between these organizations is essential for securing public support during a global crisis. The study underscores the importance of effective communication and collaboration among international organizations in managing public perception and trust, particularly when hosting large-scale events during health crises. These insights contribute to understanding the dynamics of organizational trust in a pandemic context, offering valuable lessons for future events.

Democratic values in the Youth Olympic Games

André Almeida Cunha Arantes — 2024-12-14

In the early days of the creation of the Olympic Games of the Modern Era, Pierre Freddy, the Baron of Coubertin, envisioned an event with a humanistic perspective that would help human beings seek the best in themselves. The concern for the educational character of youth was already evident in Coubertin's speeches. However, it took a little over a century for an Olympic event for youth to be created, the Youth Olympic Games, which began in Singapore in 2010. The objective of this research was to verify the presence of democratic values in the educational and cultural programs offered by the Youth Olympic Games from 2010 to 2022. The research method used was documental research. The website and the library of the Olympic Studies Centre of the International Olympic Committee, which is responsible for this event, were accessed. For analysis and interpretation, an exploratory reading of the event's official documents was conducted. The researchers identified activities that align with democratic values, determined based on the 1988 Federal Constitution and grouped according to different dimensions, within the educational and cultural programs. Despite this, they highlight the need to reinforce activities oriented by democratic values in the educational and cultural programs of the games. For this, it is essential that the event's organizer - the IOC - reverses the decline in the space allocated to democratic values observed in recent years, as well as incorporates aspects that have been under-addressed or not yet included, such as issues related to peace, athlete leadership, the fight against racism, and the reinforcement of respect for popular sovereignty.

Santiago 2023 opening ceremony: from the “end” to the “beginning” of the world

Doiara Silva dos Santos — 2024-12-25

Sporting events opening ceremonies are forms of cultural communication and juxtapose several dimensions, with ritual, festive, and spectacular aspects. The Pan American Games (Pan) are the largest multi-sport event in the Americas, endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement in the Americas. Pan offers a unique stage to examine Latin American sporting cultures and expressions. The objective of this study was to analyze discourses and representations of identity, values and sociopolitical issues at the opening ceremony of the Santiago 2023 Games. The research is qualitative and used ethnography to produce data. Field notes were used for analysis. As supplementary data, we added details from the coverage of the Pan American Games ceremony from a Brazilian YouTube channel. Chile hosted Pan for the first time in history. More than 35 thousand spectators attended the National Stadium, with the presence of Thomas Bach, IOC president. The spectacle was called "The Land and its People" and portrayed the historical formation of Chile in ten acts, with representation of indigenous peoples and territorial and colonial disputes. The ritual and festive dimensions emphasized values of resilience and discipline linked to sport and the Chilean people in front of the Olympic and Pan-American flags. The central element of the ceremonial ritual emphasized the geographical and territorial complexities of Chile, demanding a change in the narrative about Chile being the "end of the world" to being understood as the "beginning of the world" based on this sporting event. The Pan in Santiago 2023 showcased a sense of identity through unique cultural expressions and the appropriation of symbols, protocols and values of Olympism to make visible the heterogeneity of the Chilean peoples in a dialectic with a claimed unification of the Americas.

Dionysus rides a Bike: Mythhermeneutics of Julien Bernard's celebration at the 2024 Tour de France.

Katia Rubio — 2024-12-25

Sport was created as a celebration. As the nature of an agonistic game (agon), sport drives its praxis and meaning within the field of competition, even without losing its playfulness. If the logic of sports competition is the pursuit of first place, the gold medal, the top of the podium, the logic of sports celebration highlights the humanity that emerges from this agonistic nature, essential to ensure that competition and celebration remain linked. This article aims to analyze the events of the seventh stage of the 2024 Tour de France, when athlete Julien Bernard broke the competitive ritual to celebrate his passage through the village where he lives and was fined by the race organizers for his actions. More than just breaking a competition protocol, Bernard reveals the Dionysian meaning of sport, increasingly obscured by the pursuit of material gain provided by a spectacle that has lost its mythical resonance. The analytical nature of this study follows the mythohermeneutic tradition of symbolic imaginary studies.

Unforgettable teachers: the human impact of teachers on the training of athletes

Maria Alice Zimmermann — 2024-12-27

Between the sweat of training and the shine of achievements, there is a presence that never fades: the teacher. In the narratives of Brazilian Olympic athletes, the portrait of masters emerges who go beyond technique, guiding with care, attention, and determination the heart of each student. They see potential where the athlete himself has yet to glimpse it, strengthening bonds of trust, support, and inspiration. They are not just instructors but active agents in promoting more meaningful life trajectories; they are beacons that illuminate paths, nourishing not only the body but also the spirit. On the stage of many lived memories, these teachers reveal that sport is not just dedication with physical training but a human journey where every leap, every race, every victory is the result of an education that transcends. With their lessons, they contribute to the integral formation of athletes, yes, but above all, they build resilient, complete human beings, ready to face not only the challenges of an athletic career but the challenges of life.