Olympics - Key Terms

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws defining the status of Jews and withdrawing citizenship from persons of non-German blood. For the first time in the history of the modern Olympic Games, people in the United States and Europe called for a boycott of the Olympics because of what would later become known as human rights abuses. Although the movement ultimately failed, it set an important precedent for future Olympic boycott campaigns

Olympia (film)

1938 Nazi German propaganda sports film written, directed and produced by Leni Riefenstahl, which documented the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. It was the first documentary feature film of an Olympic Games ever made

16 Days of Glory

1985 documentary film about the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, CA. It details U.S. athletes Carl Lewis, Michael Gross, Bruce Jenner, Mary Lou Retton

IOC Agenda 2020

40 recommendations that serve as the roadmap for the IOC and the Olympic Movement. It was built on the three pillars of Credibility, Sustainability and Youth. They were driven by a recognition that the world was evolving rapidly and that the Olympic Movement had the opportunity to be an agent of change.

Corridart

A 6-km long public art exhibit created for the 1976 Olympic Games that took place in Montreal, Quebec. The artwork was commissioned by the Olympic organizing committee, and showcased some 60 artists. Just before the opening of the Olympics with no advance warning, bulldozers and city crews pulled down the art exhibit. Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau had ordered the removal of the artists' creations, crying, "This is not art!" and the works were tossed into the municipal dump.

Black September

A Palestinian militant organization founded in 1970 known for the assassination of a prime minister and the Munich massacre, in which eleven Israeli athletes and officials were killed, as well as a West German police officer during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich

curling

A Scottish sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles and is similar to shuffleboard. It has been a medal sport in the Winter Olympic Games since the 1998 Winter Olympics. and is sometimes referred to as "chess on ice"

dual citizenship

A competitor who is a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them, as they may elect. However, after having represented one country in the Olympic Games, they may not represent another country within three years

Cultural Olympiad

A concept protected by the International Olympic Committee and these competitions were also named the "Pentathlon of the Muses", as their purpose was to bring artists to present their work and compete for "art" medals across five categories: architecture, music, literature, sculpture and painting. They are not longer used in the more modern period

Conflict in Darfur

A conflict or system of apartheid between the Arab-Muslim government in the northern regions of the Sudan against the primarily non-Arab Christian areas of the south. Some have alleged that the conflict has reached genocidal proportions. International efforts have led to the southern non-Arab region claiming independence and forming a separate country in 2011

Nichibo Textile Company Volleyball

A factory volleyball team of Dai Nippon Spinning Co., Ltd. (later, Nichibo) in Kaizuka, Osaka heralded when they achieved 24 consecutive victories against other national teams on the expedition to Europe. Then European media recognized its achievement, reported as worldwide heroines and gave Nichibo Kaizuka the nickname "Oriental Witches".

non-aligned movement

A forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the 1950s as an effort by some countries to avoid the polarized world of the Cold War between Communist and Capitalist states

Franco-British Imperial Exhibition in London

A large public fair held in London between 14 May and 31 October 1908. The Exhibition was held in an area of west London which is now called White City: the area acquired its name from the exhibition buildings which were all painted white. The fair was the first international exhibition co-organized and sponsored by two countries. The most popular attractions at the exhibition were the two so-called "colonial villages"—an "Irish village" and a "Senegalese village", which were designed to communicate the success of imperialism

International Olympic Committee (IOC)

A nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that is the legal and business entity; entrusted with the control, development, and operation of the modern Olympic Games

olympiad

A period of four years associated with the Olympic Games of the Ancient Greeks. A modern Olympiad refers to a four-year period beginning January 1 of the year the Olympic Summer Games are normally held. The first modern Olympiad began January 1, 1896, the second January 1, 1900, and so on

diaspora

A scattered population whose origin lies in a separate geographic locale. Historically, the word was used to refer to the mass dispersion of a population from its indigenous territories, specifically the dispersion of Jews. It is now generally used to describe those who identify with a "homeland", but live outside of it

Anthropology Days

A scientific experiment where a variety of men from indigenous populations, including Pygmies, Filipinos, Patagonians, and various American Indian tribes, competed in various events so that anthropologists could see how they compared to the white man (Aug 1904)

1976 Soweto Uprising

A series of demonstrations and protests in this South African city led by black school children led to a deadly response by police forces - several hundred killed and 4,000 injured. Worldwide coverage of the events led to calls for the international boycott of South Africa

excavation of Olympia

A small town in Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name, which was a major Panhellenic religious sanctuary of ancient Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held every four years throughout Classical antiquity, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. They were restored on a global basis in 1894 in honor of the ideal of peaceful international contention for excellence

Olympic flame

A symbol of continuity between ancient and modern Olympic games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay, which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The flame then continues to burn in the cauldron for the duration of the Games, until it is extinguished during the Olympic closing ceremony

blood doping

A technique for temporarily improving athletic performance in which oxygen-carrying red blood cells previously withdrawn from an athlete are injected back just before an event

"Blood in the Water" Match

A water polo match between Hungary and the USSR at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The match took place against the background of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and saw Hungary defeat the USSR 4-0. A Soviet player punched a Hungarian player which led to the name of the match

Exposition Universelle in Paris

A world's fair held in Paris, France, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two million visitors. The most famous structure created for the Exposition, and still remaining, is the Eiffel Tower

Free Tibet Movement

Advocates for "a free Tibet in which Tibetans are able to determine their own future and the human rights of all are respected". During the process of securing an Olympics bid from the International Olympics Committee (IOC), China promised to improve its human rights record. Free Tibet unsuccessfully created a petition calling for the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to refrain from giving the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics to Beijing

Amateur Athletic Union Boycott

After months of debate, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), led by the United States, decided against a boycott of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Some athletes believed the best way to combat Nazi views was to defeat them in the Olympics. Supporters of the boycott believed that participating would be an endorsement of Hitler's Reich

Eastern Bloc

Also known as the Communist Bloc, the Socialist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, and Southeast Asia under the influence of the Soviet Union and its ideology (communism) that existed during the Cold War 1947-1991 in opposition to the capitalist Western Bloc

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

American outdoor sports multi-purpose stadium located in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Completed in 1923, it will become the first stadium to have hosted the Summer Olympics three times when it hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics. The stadium has previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984.

Deaflympics

An International Olympic Committee (IOC) -sanctioned event at which deaf athletes compete at an elite level beginning in 1924

Olympic Congresses

An Olympic Congress is a large gathering of representatives from the different constituencies of the Olympic Movement, organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As the role of an Olympic Congress is consultative, all recommendations from the Congress must be submitted to the IOC Session for formal adoption

Friendship Games

An international multi-sport event held in September 1984 in the Soviet Union and eight other socialist states which boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Although Friendship Games officials denied that the Games were to be a counter-Olympic event to avoid conflicts with the International Olympic Committee, the competition was often dubbed the Eastern Bloc's "alternative Olympics"

Commonwealth Games

An international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and has taken place every four years since then. The Commonwealth Games were known as the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974

Association of National Olympic Committees

An international organization that affiliates the current 206 NOCs recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Olympic arts competitions

Art competitions formed part of the modern Olympic Games during its early years, from 1912 to 1948. The competitions were part of the original intention of the Olympic Movement's founder, Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin. Medals were awarded for works of art inspired by sport, divided into five categories: architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture.

Matthews and Collett USOC ban

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Vincent Matthews won the gold medal and Wayne Collett won the silver medal in 400m. The triumph was tarnished by the events during the medal ceremony, where they were talking to each other and fidgeting while the US national anthem played, leading many to believe it was a Black Power protest. The pair were banned from future Olympic competition by the IOC.

Olympic motto

Citius - Altius - Fortius. These words mean Faster - Higher - Stronger. It was the Dominican priest Henri Didon who first expressed the words in the opening ceremony of a school sports event in 1881

Lausanne, Switzerland

City on Lake Geneva, in the French-speaking region of Vaud, Switzerland. It's home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters, as well as the Olympic Museum and lakeshore Olympic Park

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Confederacy of independent states of the former Soviet Union after its dissolution in 1991 that have united because of their common economic and administrative needs

1968 Black Power protest

During their medal ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City in 1968, African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a black-gloved fist during the playing of the U.S. national anthem as a form of a 'Black Power' or 'human rights' salute

"Katarina Rule" (figure skating)

East German figure-skater Katarina Witt caused a stir with her 1988 feather-trimmed getup that was deemed too sexy for lacking a skirt. The so-called "Katarina Rule," said "a skirt covering hips and posterior was required for ladies' competition (the skirt part of the rule was dropped in 2003)

Front de Liberation du Quebec

Founded in the early 1960s with the aim of establishing an independent and socialist Quebec through violent means, the FLQ was considered a terrorist group by the Canadian government. It conducted a number of attacks between 1963 and 1970

Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO)

Games set up by Indonesia as a counter to the Olympic Games. Established for the athletes of the so-called "emerging nations" (mainly newly independent socialist states), the name given both to the games held in Jakarta in 1963 and the 36-member sporting federation established the same year. There were only two total games

Miracle on Ice

Ice hockey game during 1980 winter Olympics at Lake Placid, NY where the U.S. team of mostly amateurs defeated the Soviet Union team that was deemed to be vastly superior and seemingly unbeatable. The Soviet team was mostly pro and had one four-consecutive Olympic gold medals. The U.S. won 4-3 and went on to beat Finland for the gold medal

Muse's Pentathlon

In 1910, founder of of the IOC Baron de Coubertin wrote that he wanted future games to embody refinement and beauty. The end result was the inclusion of arts competitions starting in 1912, nicknamed "The Pentathlon of the Muses," where artists were invited to present and earn medals for their work in architecture, music, literature, sculpture and painting

1976 Denver Winter Games

In 1970, this U.S. city was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics meant as a celebration of the U.S. bicentennial. Just two years later, due to public pressure and organizational ineptitude, the Games were handed back to the IOC, and into the hands of Innsbruck, Austria

1976 New Zealand Rugby Team Tour

In 1976 this All Blacks rugby team toured South Africa. This tour appeared to give tacit support to the apartheid regime in South Africa. Twenty-five African nations protested against this by boycotting the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The six indigenous players from the visiting country were offered 'honorary white status' while playing there

Gleneagles Agreement

In 1977, British Commonwealth Presidents and Prime Ministers agreed, as part of their support for the international campaign against apartheid, to discourage contact and competition between their sportsmen and sporting organizations, teams or individuals from South Africa. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Commonwealth of Nations at a meeting at Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland

2015 FIFA Corruption case

In 2015, this sports organization's officials and associates by accused of corruption by U.S. federal prosecutors and the FBI. Fourteen people were indicted in connection with the investigation into wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering. This sports organizations oversees soccer

African Boycott of Montreal Games

In protest against the All Blacks' tour of apartheid-era South Africa, the African nations demanded that the International Olympic Committee exclude New Zealand from these 1976 Summer Olympics. After the IOC's refusal, 28 nations responded with a boycott

1952 POW Olympics

In this year, the Inter-Camp POW Olympic Games were a mock Olympic Games held at the Pyuktong Prisoner-of-War Camp of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War. The athletes were all United Nations POWs. It was used as a propaganda campaign by China and North Korea to encourage more UN soldiers to surrender

Louisiana Purchase Centennial Exposition in St Louis

Informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, it was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missour, in 1904. The World's Fair was intended to celebrate the centennial of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The Fair hosted the 1904 Summer Olympic Games, the first Olympics held in the United States. The games had originally been awarded to Chicago, but when St. Louis threatened to hold a rival international competition, the games were relocated.

International Workers Olympiads

International sporting event arranged between 1925 and 1937 by Socialist Workers' Sport International (SASI). It was an organization supported by social democratic parties and International Federation of Trade Unions

Catalan Olympic Committee

It was created the Association for the Olympic delegation of Catalonia, which established in 1989 the Olympic Committee of Catalonia. In 2016, during the process of self-determination of Catalonia, its goals were to restore the activities of the COC and prepare it for eventual international recognition in case of independence of Catalonia

judo

Judo, a form of martial arts, was first included in the Summer Olympic Games at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Japan. After not being included in 1968, judo has been an Olympic sport in each Olympiad since then. Only male judoka participated until the 1988 Summer Olympics, when women participated as a demonstration sport. Women judoka were first awarded medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Korean Air Flight 007

Korean Air Lines flight from New York City to Seoul via Anchorage, shot down by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor on Sept. 1, 1983. The Boeing 747 airliner was en route from Anchorage to Seoul, but due to a navigational mistake made by the KAL crew the airliner deviated from its original planned route and flew through Soviet prohibited airspace

Manifesto of 2,000 words

Manifesto written by Czech reformist writer Ludvík Vaculík in the midst of the Prague Spring, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia that began in January 1968 with the election of Alexander Dubček and ended with the Soviet invasion in August. It was a call for the people of Czechoslovakia to hold their party accountable to standards of openness—not open revolution

dianabol

Metandienone sold under the brand name Dianabol, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is still quite often used because of its affordability and effectiveness for bulking cycles. It is also used non-medically for physique- and performance-enhancing purposes.

Dream Team

Name given by the media to the U.S. basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was the first time non-amateurs were permitted to represent the country; the members of this team were Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton. In the 1996 Olympics, the U.S. team was called Dream Team II and in 2000, Dream Team III

June Democratic Uprising

Nationwide democracy movement in South Korea that generated mass protests in 1987. The demonstrations forced the ruling government to hold elections and institute other democratic reforms. Unwilling to resort to violence before the 1988 Olympic Games, leaders acceded to the key demands of direct presidential elections and restoration of civil liberties

Hungarian Revolution of 1956

Nationwide revolution against Soviet-imposed policies. Leaderless at the beginning, it was the first major threat to Soviet control since the Red Army drove Nazi Germany from its territory at the End of World War II in Europe. At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the Soviet handling of the Hungarian uprising led to a boycott by Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

"The Big Owe"

Nickname given to the building of Olympic Park in this city for the 1976 Summer Olympics. It was a spoof of the nickname for the main venue at the games that was shaped like a giant 'O'. The games cost as astronomical amount of money and left the city with a great amount of debt

International Fair Play Committee

Not for profit international non-governmental organization which serves to foster sportsmanship in international competition. It presents awards annually at the World Fair Play Awards to recognize acts of fair play carried out by sportspeople or team

modern pentathlon

Olympic sport since 1912 that comprises five different events; fencing, freestyle swimming (200 m), equestrian show jumping (15 jumps), and a final combined event of pistol shooting and cross country running (3200 m). Like the ancient event from Greece, it is similarly patterned on events representing the skills needed by infantry soldiers behind enemy lines.

International Stoke Mandeville Games Committee

On 29 July 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organized this first competition for wheelchair athletes. It later became the Paralympic Games which first took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since then they have taken place every four years

Dick, Kerr Ladies FA

One of the earliest known women's association football teams in England. The team remained in existence for over 48 years, from 1917 to 1965. The women on the team had joined the company in 1914 to help produce ammunition for the war. Although women had initially been discouraged from playing football, it was believed that such organized sporting activity would be good for morale in wartime factories and would aid production, so competitive sport was encouraged

Montreal Tower Project

Part of the city's Olympic Stadium and formerly known as the Olympic Tower ,is the tallest inclined structure in the world at 574 ft. The cables that open the stadium's retractable roof are suspended from the tower. The tower was not complete in time for the Olympics, and construction resumed following with the building's observatory, accessed by an inclined elevator, opening in 1987

International Paralympic Games

Periodic series of international multi-sport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities, including impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment

Intercalated Games

Series of International Olympic Games halfway between what is now known as the Games of the Olympiad. This proposed series of games, intercalated in the Olympic Games cycle, was to always be held in Athens, and were to have equal status with the international games. However, the only such games were held in 1906

Olympia, Greece

Small town in Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name, which was a major Panhellenic religious sanctuary of ancient Greece. The ancient Olympic Games were held every four years throughout Classical antiquity, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD

Olympiastadion

Sports stadium at Olympiapark Berlin in Berlin, Germany. It was originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics with an attendance of over 100,000. When the Nazis came to power in Germany (1933), they decided to use the Olympic Games in 1936 for propaganda purposes. With these plans in mind, Adolf Hitler ordered the construction of a great sports complex

Genocide Olympics

The 2022 Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China. The games have been given this nickname due to the ethic cleansing of Muslim Uighurs in China. The debate over whether to boycott the 2022 Beijing Olympics is heating up, for the Games open next February

the mechanics clause

The Amateur Athletic Club regulated Amateur sports in England in the late 1800s. There was an assumption that those who engaged in manual labor might have a competitive edge. As such, what has been termed a 'mechanics clause' was introduced that effectively prevented anyone in manual labor from joining. In 1880, that rule ended with the formation of the Amateur Athletic Association

"No Olympics on Stolen Native Land"

The First Nations protesters demanded that the Vancouver Olympics not be held on stolen indigenous territory. Opposition began in 2003, immediately after the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The plan was to build the venues on unceded indigenous land, against the discretion of First Nations people. The first action occurred in 2008. The Olympic Games concluded on February 28, 2010.

1916 Summer Olympics

The Games of the VI Olympiad were scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany, but were eventually cancelled for the first time in its 20-year history due to the outbreak of World War I

(ISMGC)

The International Stoke Mandeville Games Committee called for the first competition of wheelchair athletes (16 competed in archery). In 1960, the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy

1968 Olympic boycott

The Olympic Project for Human Rights included American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos and its aim was to protest against racial segregation in the U.S., apartheid in South Africa, and racism in general. Demands: South Africa and Rhodesia uninvited to Mexico City games, Muhammad Ali's title restored, the IOC President step down, and hiring of more African-American assistant coaches

Circassian Genocide

The Russian army commenced a campaign, now seen by most of the world as a genocide, to oust the Circassians from the conquered region of the Caucasus. The Circassian Genocide of 1864 is now remembered all over the world as one of the most gruesome genocides of the 19th century. The campaign utilized tactics such as deportation, resource deprivation and mass murder.

1968 Invasion of Czechoslovakia

The Warsaw Pact invasion here was a joint invasion by four member countries - the Soviet Union, Poland, Bulgaria, and Hungary. The goal was to suppress the reform process in the Communist Party in this country and led to the resignation of Alexander Dubcek as First Secretary of the country's Communist Party

infrastructure

The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise

1980 Moscow games boycott

The boycott of these Olympic games in 1980 stemmed from the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The United States led the boycott call in which 65 nations refused to participate in the games and 80 chose to send their Olympics teams

1972 Olympics Men's Basketball Finals

The controversial ending to the finals game in men's basketball in Munich, Germany. The Soviet team was awarded three opportunities to score on the last play with :03 seconds remaining. A pass from the baseline the full length of the court caught by Soviet Alexander Belov resulted in a lay up at the buzzer and a 51-50 victory. It ended the U.S. 63-0 record and seven consecutive gold medals in the Olympics

Nordic Games

The first international multi-sport event that focused primarily on winter sports, and was held at varying intervals between 1901 and 1926. It was organized by Sweden and more specifically by Viktor Balck, one of the five original members of the International Olympic Committee. It was, in many ways, a precursor to the modern Winter Olympic Games, whose success was a contributing factor to the Nordic Games's discontinuation in the 1920s

IOC 2000 Reform Commission

The first meeting of IOC 2000, an 80-member reform commission created in the wake of the vote-buying scandal stemming from Salt Lake City's successful bid for the 2002 Winter Games. The panel, which continues talks today, is examining ways of reshaping the IOC's structure and the process for selecting Olympic host cities

Ode to Sport by Georges Hohrod and M. Eschbach

The gold medal for literature was awarded to "Georges Hohrod et M. Eschbach, Germany" for the work "Ode to Sport," which was submitted in three languages - French, English, and German. But in reality, the poetic ode had been written by Pierre, Baron de Coubertin, who entered it in the competitions under the dual pseudonym. Coubertin had used the name Georges Hohrod previously

austerity olympics

The name by which the 1948 Summer Olympics in London were referred to as. It was the first Olympic games in 12 years due to World War II. This name came due to the difficult economic climate and rationing in the aftermath of the war

1992 Unified Team

The name for the sports team of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltic states) at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. After 1992, the former Soviet Union countries would compete as independent nations

The Birds Nest

The nickname for the 91,000 seat capacity stadium built for the 2008 Summer Olympics in this East Asia city. It will be used again for the 2022 Winter Olympics with a capacity of 80,000

decolonization

The undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby a nation establishes and maintains its domination of foreign territories (often overseas territories. The concept particularly applies to the dismantlement, during the second half of the 20th century, of the colonial empires established prior to World War I throughout the world

doping

The use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs by athletic competitors. The term is widely used by organizations that regulate sporting competitions. The use of drugs to enhance performance is considered unethical, and therefore prohibited, by most international sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee.

1984 LA games boycott

These 1984 Olympic games were boycotted by a total of 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union and East Germany, in response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in protest to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Romania was the only Eastern Bloc state that opted to attend

Atlanta Project Homeward Bound

This 1996 attempt by a host Olympic city was to rid the city of crime and homeless people before the Olympics with stricter loitering laws and one-way bus ticket out of town. A similar national effort tried to sweep career offenders from the streets by targeting felons with handguns

2011 Mount Elbrus terrorist attack

This 2011 terrorist attack occurred in southern Russia in the Caucasus mountain region. Unidentified militants destroyed a cable car system at a ski resort that was to be used for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. A separate attack on a minibus with skiers killed three and a suicide bomb at the Moscow airport killed 35

Boston 2024 bid rejection

This U.S. city's 2015 bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics was approved by the United States Olympic Committee. The bid was put through by a private business partnership. In that same year, declining public support for the Olympics caused the U.S.O.C. to terminate their bid to host the game

Bread Not Circuses Coalition

This coalition started in 1988 to oppose Toronto's bid for the 1996 Summer Games, was led by union leaders, human-rights lawyers, and activists. The group argues that the costs will outweigh the benefits to the city and the money would be more wisely spent on social services

Ban the Soviets Coalition

This country's athletes were targeted by a ragtag group of right-wing businessman, advertising executives, and Soviet bloc immigrants to keep this country and its athletes out of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games. If they would have come, the plan would have changed to encouraging their athletes to defect to a freer country

Olympic Movement's Agenda 21

This document identifies the milestones achieved since 1992 in using sport as a catalyst for promoting positive action and changing attitudes. The Olympic Movement (OM) is steadfast in applying the Olympic ideal of excellence in its drive for sustainability of the environmental, social and economic agenda. The OM also works to facilitate peace by bringing people together in an environment that celebrates human achievement

BALCO scandal

This scandal involved the use of banned, performance-enhancing substances by professional athletes. The Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative was a San Francisco Bay Area business which supplied anabolic steroids to professional athletes. U.S. sprinter Marion Jones was caught up in this scandal as was MLB player Barry Bonds

Centennial Olympic Park bombing

This was a domestic terrorist pipe bombing attack in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 27, 1996, during the Summer Olympics. The blast directly killed one person and injured 111 others. It was the first of four bombings committed by Eric Rudolph. Security guard Richard Jewell discovered the bomb and was at first though to be responsible for the bombing

1928 Women's 800m

This women's Olympic track and field mid-distance event was deemed to be too demanding for women to run after the fact and prompted the IOC to drop it from the Olympic program until 1960

match-fixing

When the outcome of a match in organized sports has been manipulated. The reason for fixing a match includes ensuring a certain team advances or gambling. Match fixing is seen as one of the biggest problems in organized sports and is considered as a major scandal

Amateurism

a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid rather than a professional basis