Political Concepts and the Modern Olympics

Baron Pierre de Coubertine Political Concepts and the Modern Olympics  1896- Athens, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, USA- 9 athletes (4 from Princeton)  1900- Paris, Baron strengthens games, sports associations in conflict  1904- St. Louis, poor attendance of foreign athletes, St. Louis outbid Chicago. Fred Winters: US (Second all-round dumbell)  1908- London, Olympic maturity; rules, scheduling, events, structured better Thomas Curtis: 1896- 110 meter hurdles (winner) Fred Winters: 1904 Olympics  1912- Stockholm, rumors of war- nationalistic assertions, Jim Thorpe issues  1920- Antwerp, post WW 1-animosity against Germany. Record- 29 nations  1924- Paris, Baron retires, arguments about amateurism. Johnny Weissmuller  1928- Amsterdam, cost covered by citizens, fund drives, gov. assistance, Germans invited to return.100 meter dash for females Olympics  1932- Los Angeles, great depression(1925- 1935),100,000 seat stadium,Babe Didrikson  1936- Berlin, Jesse Owens, Hitler  1948- London, Tokyo lost bid of 1940 games, Helsinki lost bid of the 1944 gamesRussian invasion of Finland in 1939, Germans and Japanese not invited  1952- Helsinki, 5294 men and 573 women, Germans and Japanese back in games Olympics  1956- Melbourne, 1st time games in southern hemisphere  1960- Rome, Ali, Wilma, Johnson, “Dream Team”  1964- Tokyo, successful: good will/management. Spent $3 billion on games  1968- Mexico City, “developing country”,109 nations, racial tensions,Ralph 1960: Jerry West Olympics  1972- Munich, 8000 athletes, 121 nations, 500 doves,11 athletes killed, games go on! US loss to USSR(basketball),Olga Korbut  1976- Montreal, cost of games, drugs, Nadia Comaneci-7-10’s, Bruce Jenner  1980- Moscow, 1980 USSR invades Afghanistan, US boycott  1984- Los Angeles,Financial success Retton  1988- Seoul, Ben Johnson, 1988 1988 1988 Olympics  1992: Barcelona  1996: Atlanta  2000: Sydney  2004: Greece  2008: China China: 2008 China: “Birds Nest” Olympic Torch Relay 1948 1968 Olympics: Summary  Military Preparedness  Ideology and Propaganda  Prestige  Protest  Diplomatic Recognition  International Understanding