H3: Olympics

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One billion people watched the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Is competitive sport really as global and noble as it appears? How have Jews faired in all this?

Introduction

The history of the Olympics can help us to understand the central position sport holds in modern culture as well as how Jews have been affected by it. We will also look at some surprisingly sporting Jews and the intriguing origins of the Maccabi World Union.

The Atlanta Olympics of 1996

The Centennial anniversary of the Games gave it distinction. But the Olympics of today is very different to what it was a hundred years ago. Commercialism and TV ratings drive the event more than any noble cause. Sponsorship has overtaken sportsmanship and the need for constant and complex drug testing of the competitors gives the whole event a sour taste. American audiences tended to only cheer their own athletes and quite a few competitors from South American countries used the event as a chance to defect.

The "Olympic spirit" is not promoted by many athletes anymore because all they care about is winning. After Lynford Christie won his 100M gold medal in 1992 he proclaimed, "Whoever said, 'It's not the winning that matters but the taking part' was a loser." Actually, the "Olympic spirit" is the real loser now and when athletes face big money rewards, sponsorship deals and cult followings if they win, they must find it practically impossible to compete for the sake of 'high Olympic ideals'. The pain and sadness on the faces of the thousands of non-medalists at the Games does not give the impression that they are enjoying themselves. Sport today is about competition and being the best. It is nothing to do with "building a peaceful and better world", as Coubertain had originally hoped.

Sporting Values

In no way does all this negate the value of sport but it does point to the dangers of making it too important. Sport is healthy and fun. A bit of competition adds to the excitement. Personal achievement and motivation is vital for a good life. But when you turn sport into something more, then you lose sight of its value and the results are truly dangerous. Out of control, sport can damage a society by making it over competitive and selfish.

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