More Than Just Sport: Olympic Reforms for the Greater Good

Abstract

The Olympic Games are one of the oldest, most well-known and unifying global events in existence, impacting athletes and spectators alike in all corners of the world. Whilst the competition between athletes is ferocious, the competition between nations can be even fiercer, with many of the world’s global superpowers committing vast resources to finish at the top of the medal rankings every Olympiad. This thesis explores the many aspects of what makes the Olympics so important from a political perspective in the 21st century, addressing key questions such as what countries really stand to gain from successful national performances and from hosting. In doing this, I identify two policy recommendations which seek to use the political leverage and power of the Olympic Games to increase global access to sport, improve basic global human rights standards and assist in international development all whilst supporting the Olympic mission throughout the world. I begin by first asserting that the global superpowers finishing at the top of the Olympic medal tables do not do so due to factors outside the government’s control; instead, I argue that large-scale success at the Olympics is usually a result of targeted government policies. Since success stems from governments’ decisions to invest in the Games, it can therefore be assumed that the governments of top Olympic performers care about their Olympic success, but why? To answer this question, I explore the benefits of Olympic success. Here, I use country case studies to determine that authoritarian regimes often have a lot to gain from Olympic success since it can contribute to political legitimacy. In democratic regimes, the benefits are less clear, with a brief spike in national pride being the only result of Olympic success in studies conducted in democracies thus far. This shows that the political benefits of hosting the Games are therefore particularly significant for authoritarian regimes, giving the IOC political leverage over leaders of these regimes. Next, I explore the benefits of hosting the Games. Here, I establish that whilst the IOC has an opportunity to further its mission through an effective hosting structure, it is currently failing to do so. Rising costs and inconsistent benefits indicate that the existing hosting system is deeply flawed and in need of reform. However, when examining the political benefits of the Games during the Beijing 2008 Olympics, it becomes clear that some regimes have a lot to gain from hosting, further proving the political leverage for the IOC. Then, I examine the history of Olympic mandates, bans, and boycotts. Here, I establish that the IOC has consistently underused its political leverage, opting for political neutrality over taking a stand against regimes that face criticisms for issues as extreme as human rights abuses. I then make two policy recommendations to the IOC to further their mission whilst ensuring that Olympics is being used to benefit the global population as much as it can. First, I propose a partnership with the United Nations in which the UN could propose participation mandates for select countries to promote improvements to basic human rights standards. Next, I propose a hosting reform, shifting the financial burden of hosting from cities to the IOC. This would allow the IOC to promote global sports development, whilst ensuring they left a lasting, positive impact on host regions as their mission promises.