Olympic Games about to be History... Again!

History tells us the Olympic Games began some 3,000 years ago. The games were dedicated to the ancient gods and were held every four years on the plains of Olympia. Somewhere around 393 AD Emperor Theodosius ordered the games halted and banned as pagan cult.

Well, that was it for the Olympic games until April of 1896 in Athens Greece. There was no advertising and the attendee were folks form nearby who, somehow, heard about the games.

Pole vaulting, sprints, shot put, weight lifting, swimming, cycling, target shooting, tennis, marathon and gymnastics were all events at the first Olympics. The athletes were not chosen nor were they representative of nations at that Olympics. If they heard about it, and could get transportation, they came.

The winter games began in 1924.

As a result of war, there were no Games in: 1916, 1940, or 1944.

Though Russia had sent a few athletes to compete in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games, they did not compete again until the 1952 Games.

One of the main objectives, as stated in the Olympic Charter, of the International Olympic Committee is to, oppose any political abuse of sport and athletes. However, the Olympic Games has been influenced by politics for many years.

In 1920 Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary and Turkey were not permitted to participate because of their role in World War I. Politics really became intwined with the games in 1936 when the games were held in Hitler‘s Berlin. Much to Hitler’s chagrin, Black American Jesse Owens picked up four gold medals.

The Communists nations fist participated in 1948 in London. Because of the Second World War Germany and Japan were not invited to participate.

(From: http://www.olympics.org.uk/olympicmovement/olympicissuespol.asp )

In 1952 the former USSR and West Germany competed for the first time. Taiwan withdrew in protest that the Peoples Republic of China was permitted to compete.
Due to the Israeli-led take-over of the Suez canal, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon did not take part in the 1956 Melbourne Games. Spain and Switzerland boycotted the Games as well, in protest of the Soviet invasion of Hungary.

In 1958 an unusual decision by the Peoples Republic of China, was to have definite effects on the Olympic Games. They withdrew from the Olympic Movement and all International Federations. It wasn't until 1971 that the IOC reinstated them.

Unfortunately, another country marked the end of their Olympic participation in 1960, South Africa. This was because South Africa was banned from the Olympic Games due to its political policy of Apartheid. The IOC restored recognition of the South African Olympic Committee in 1991. South Africa competed in the 1992 Barcelona Games.

1968 saw the first occasion for East Germany's participation as a separate nation. These Games, which took place in Mexico, are better know for the protests of American runners, Tommie Smith and John Carlos. As these two competitors collected their medals they raised their fists in the sign of black power.

One of the most horrifying political events linked with an Olympic Games happened at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. On 5 September, eight Arab terrorists broke into the Israeli team headquarters. The terrorists killed 2 people immediately and another 9 were murdered after a rescue attempt, by the German police, failed at the airport. The Olympic Family was stunned. A memorial service took place, the next morning, in a packed Olympic stadium. Competition resumed later that day with the consent of the Israeli team who returned home immediately.

The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in December of 1979 was ultimately disruptive to the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games. A number of non-communist nations decided to impose a boycott for the 1980 Moscow Games. (This was a US led Boycott as a result of the USSR introducing tanks into the war in Afghanistan….IoF) However, Great Britain accepted the invitation to participate despite the strong opposition from the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her Government. At the Opening Ceremony the British Olympic Association's General Secretary Dick Palmer, marched alone to represent Great Britain. Tit-for-tat politics came into play at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, with a last minute boycott by the Soviet Union and other communist countries. The standard of competition was affected at both Games by the boycotts.

Boycotts continued in 1988 at the Seoul Games when North Korea, Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua did not participate. Following the break up of the country formerly known as the Soviet Union, the 1992 Games saw a New Unified Team participating for the first time. This team was made up of former Soviet states. These states competed at the Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games in 1994 for the first time as separate teams.

Now, why do I bring up the political history of the Olympic Games? Just to point out that the Games have, almost from their "modern day" inception, been a political event.

There has been a decided lack of interest in the Games, which began last Friday, in the US. Americans have come to view them as another theatre for international politics and are slowly losing interest in them.

We are looking at the “end times” for the Olympics. They are dying a slow death as the people of the world have come to understand the games mean absolutely nothing. It is simply a forum for each nation to preen and parade it’s youth as products of their system of government.

Frankly, it sucks! The sooner the modern day Olympics bite the dust and steals quietly away, the better.

Longstreet