KIN 383 Midterm
Discuss the ways in which anti-Semitism has been displayed at various Olympic Games with particular attention to Germany and the Olympics of 1936 and 1972. Provide examples where anti-Semitism has been displayed in more recent Olympics, or sport organizations more generally.
- 1936: o Was the beginning of the racial policies of Nazi Germany - to purify the Aryan race and exclude German Jews, gypsies, disabled and others viewed as less than perfect from German life o The IOC threatened removing the Games from Berlin entirely, unless Germany adhered to the IOC's values: that all participants are to be treated equally. Hitler publicly committed to honouring these values, so the Games ultimately stayed put o Hitler used propaganda and the media to mask what was really happening throughout his regime (concentration camps, genocide, mistreatment of the Jews). Hitler intended to boost popularity and bolster image in Germany. o Despite Hitler stating that Jewish athletes would have a fair chance of qualifying for the German national team, the Jews weren't allowed to train with Aryan athletes and were kicked out of sports clubs. Any announcement of the Nazi sports leadership inviting numerous Jewish athletes to Olympic training courses leading up to the 1936 Berlin Games would serve as a media ploy to throw the IOC off, to make it seem as if the Nazis were honoring the values of the IOC. o Despite earlier inquiries, the IOC failed to intervene on behalf of Jewish athletes who were expelled from their German Olympic teams. Thus, sprinter Werner Schattmann, the middle-distance runner Franz Orgler, and weightlifter Max Seeligmann and finally the high jumper Gretel Bergmann were prevented from participating in the Berlin Games against their own wishes. - 1972: The Terrolympics o The Munich Olympics were intended to present a new, democratic and optimistic Germany to the world, as shown by its official motto, "the Happy Games." The emblem of the Games was a blue solar logo (the "Bright Sun"). o This depiction of a "New Germany" led to lax security which led to officials being ill prepared for any kind of terrorist attack. This fear of being viewed as militaristic led to one of the most gruesome events ever. o Munich Massacre was a terrorist attack by the Palestinian Liberation Organization dubbed "Black September" during the 1972 Olympic Games § They proceded to kill two members of the Israeli Olympic team and then took nine others hostage - eventually killing all 9 hostages following a fire fight with authorities at the Games o IOC President, Avery Brundage stated that the "Games must go on" out of "respect" for the fallen following the massacre. However, this shows a blatant lack of respect for the people that were killed. The massacre, needless to say, overshadowed the rest of the Olympic Games. o Swimmer Mark Spitz, who won 7 gold medals, was rushed out of Germany because he was Jewish. - Recent showings of antisemitism o In Oman hosting Windsurfing World Championships in 2015, officials refused to issue visas to Israeli windsurfers. o In 2015, Indonesia refused to issue visa to Israeli badminton player and Olympic athlete Misha Zilberman for him to compete in the badminton world championship in Jakarta. § These Israeli athletes received threats on social media as well -Lars Jorgensen
2) Why were the 1904 Olympics nicknamed the 'Anthropology Games'? Discuss why you could view these Games as problematic and whether you consider these kinds of issues to be still relevant today
- It was nicknamed the Anthropology Games due to the influence of the new disciple - anthropology - the study of man. Anthropology tried explain the origin and place of native peoples in the modern world, demonstrating how race affected all areas of life - including sport and intelligence. This however, led to scientific racism. o Scientific racism supported long-standing racist views of minorities such as Natives, African Americans and other races, deeming them "primitive" and delegating their mental and physical skills as inferior to that of the white male. Supporting the superiority of white male athletes. o Human Zoos existed during this time period, which had inhumane practices, displaying "exotic" individuals in their exhibits for entertainment. These exotic individuals included Indians, Muslims, and Africans. - The Games were problematic because of the legacies the 1906 St. Louis Olympics left behind - that of which promoted scientific theories about racial differences that created false narratives regarding minorities. o This new disciple helped fabricate hierarchies, illustrating white people being superior to other races and males superior to females. As well as helped strengthen beliefs that people had actual proof explaining physical and mental differences amongst races and gender respectively. - It is still relevant today as we segregation regarding male and female events, however not as much regarding race. o With this being said, I believe the ideas and the constant reinforcement and reaffirmation of these outdated, nonfactual beliefs in the past, foster much of the racial tension/racism we see in Western society today. o This can also be said regarding the gender norms we see today - with men being showcased as tough, muscular and aggressive vs. women shown as timid, gentle and sensitive.
Discuss how Indigenous peoples, including indigenous athletes have faced a number of difficulties in relation to pursuing organized sport and participating in the Olympic movement. What were some of the protests by Indigenous peoples concerning the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and how successful do you think they were?
- Participation in national sport programs remain low due to a lack of support for programs designed for First Nation's sporting needs and interests. o Which compromised Aboriginal athlete performance due to underfunding and bureaucracies. This has hindered Aboriginal athlete development to reach a high enough skill level to pursue organized sport · One of the protests by Indigenous people concerning the 2010 Winter Olympics was the "No Olympics on Stolen Native Land" campaign o The basis for this campaign was according to Canadian law, BC "does not have the legal nor moral right to exist, let alone claim land and govern over Native peoples" (O'Bonaswin). o Despite this, the government continues to sell and lease Native land for resources and profit, while the Indigenous people remain as one of the most oppressed populations and suffer the highest rates of mortality, unemployment, and disease (O'Bonaswin). · Another one of the protests by Indigenous peoples concerning the 2010 Winter Olympics was how the closing ceremony for the Olympics was conducted while disregarding the Aboriginal peoples. · Despite the Olympic organizers stating publicly that the closing ceremony was to honour the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada and the land on which it was hosted on, the organizers "did not consult with the populations who they proposed to respect in the construction of the program" (O'Bonsawin). · Majority of the performers in the ceremony were "non-Indigenous performers who were painted and dressed to look like 'Indians'" (O'Bonsawin). Apparently due to financial constraints · The protests by the Indigenous people were not successful as the continued efforts and resistance of the 2010 Winter Olympics did not hold enough merit in the eyes of the government. · The 2010 Winter Olympics moved forward and was hosted on the unceded and non-surrendered Indigenous land, while not respecting or consulting the Indigenous people for the closing ceremony.
1. When Baron Pierre de Coubertin decided to reinvent the Ancient Olympic Festival in the late 19th century, he had a number of goals in mind. Discuss some of the conditions he viewed as conducive to an Olympic revival and from where he found some of his inspirations.
- Pierre de Coubertin's vision of an Olympic revival was deeply rooted in 19th European culture at the time - where participants were made up of strictly, white male aristocrat types. o Building upon his thought process, Coubertin wanted to enhance the military and cultural status of France and ultimately prevent the "softening of men. Coubertin visited schools in Germany, Sweden and England to assess their physical training programs. The goal here was to expose French youth to athletics and physical fitness o To strengthen his vision, Coubertin argued that women were better suited as spectators, admirers or ornamental participants during the Olympics - Coubertin found inspiration to revive the Games through the importance of Muscular Christianity. This was meant as the commitment to virtue and physical health based on certain "character building" aspects of the sport o This movement was very popular during the Victorian Era, as this stressed the need for an energetic Christian preaching physical fitness along with the promotion of manly characteristics. - Another way Coubertin found inspiration for the Games was due to the importance of the Worlds Fairs and the ability to gain international exposure through trade and culture. This was designed to develop national identity, culture and power in a critical era of nation building and imperialist adventures o The Worlds Fairs attracted millions of visitors o Helped rebuild France as a nation following WWI
The Mexico Olympics were significant for several new challenges in elite athletic competition including the environment, athlete protest and athletic innovation. Discuss examples of all three.
- With regards to the environment, Mexico City's high altitude of 2300m meant that the air contained 30% less oxygen than that at sea level. Many athletes were worried about how the thin air would affect their performances - The thin air helped shatter records in every men's and women's race up to 1500m and 8.9m for long jump - The situation was very different for distance events - resulting in the slowest times in decades. This resulted in the Summer Olympics never returning to high altitude city - When speaking to protests amongst athletes, the IOC had made it abundantly clear that politics had no business being mixed with sport. However Tommie Smith and John Carlos had different ideas following their 200m race and medal presentation on the podium. With their fists raised to the sky, a silent demonstration, protesting the mistreatment of African Americans in the United States, IOC president Avery Brundage was clearly frustrated and disapproved of the demonstration. The US Olympic Committee ultimately had Smith and Carlos evicted from the Olympic Village and were given 24 hours to leave Mexico City. - In the 1968 Olmpic Games, a new approach was taken towards the high jump event, that would ultimately revolutionize how the athlete would attempt their jump o A US high jump athlete, Dick Fosbury introduced a new technique to the high jump, thought by many to be strange or awkward. o This was a jump that Fosbury had been working on for years, where instead of hurling yourself over the bar with your chest directed at the ground, Fosbury's technique was to leap over the bar with his back facing the ground and land on his backside. o Fosbury ended up winning gold, and his technique became the staple for future high jump athletes for years to come.
Leaders of the IOC have actively discouraged mixing sports with political protest. Discuss the events surrounding athlete protest at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and explain what transpired from the perspectives of a) those athletes who made the political protest; b) the IOC; and c) the American media and public more generally.
o Tommie Smith and John Carlos - American sprinters o Following the 200m race won by Smith, with Carlos coming in 3rd, something interesting took place on the podium, both men raised their fists up to the sky. A silent demonstration, protesting the mistreatment of African Americans in the US. o Gloves worn by Smith and Carlos signified black unity, on the podium the two sprinters wore black socks without shoes to signify their poverty. o Smith wore a black scarf to represent black pride o This moment of solidarity and silent protest came at a very strained time in US history: § MLK had been assassinated 6 months prior to the 1968 Olympics § Robert F. Kennedy assassination was 5 months earlier - his political platform was structured around racial equality and economic justice. o In an interview following the race, Smith responded to a question stating that he represented black America and was very proud to be a black man and that his win further solidified his pride in being black. o Carlos had stated in a news conference directed at white people, that if they didn't care for black people they shouldn't be in the stands watching them perform o Willing to give up participation in the Olympics if it meant dramatizing the problems in the US B) o "They view participation in the games as a privilege, not as a right earned by competition. They say the games are sports, not politics, something separate and apart from the realities of life." o The next night following Smith's controversial statements, the U.S. Olympic Committee had evicted Smith and Carlos from the Olympic Village and ordered them to leave within 24 hours. o IOC disapproved of the raised fists of the two sprinters o Basic principle of IOC is to not mix politics and sport C) o In the immediate aftermath, The photo of Smith and Carlos didn't make headlines, they weren't on the front page of every newspaper or sports magazine. At the time, many considered Smith's athletic feat the bigger story (Maraniss). Thus furthering the narrative that sports and politics shouldn't mix o Much of the American public supported the IOC. o The reaction from white sportswriters at major news outlets was mostly negative. o At black media outlets, the opinions were divided, some supported the movement and protest, while others deemed the raising of the fists comparable to the Nazi salute. o A lot of this divide was based on whether combining sports and politics was appropriate.
Explain why Baron Pierre De Coubertin's rule that the Olympics should only be open to amateur athletes ultimately failed. When did the IOC remove the amateur rule and what were some of the reasons for its removal?
· De Coubertin's rule of amateurism in Olympic games was initially designed to restrict the competition to individuals who have never participated in competition, instead competing for the love of the game rather than external rewards, while never seeking out external assistance or training by a "professional." · This rule was implemented to keep a level playing field for competitors, however, in the 19th century, it segregated and barred the lower class from participating · The IOC decided to remove the amateur rule in 1988, thereby allowing both amateurs and professionals to compete together in the same arena, changing the scope of the competition (Jennings). · Wrestling still remains as the only Olympic sport left that employs the amateurism rule, possibly due to the fact that it has a history of not only being a sport, but being a source of entertainment in traveling circuses (Jennings). · One reason why the amateurism rule failed and was eventually removed, was that in the early 19th century, due to shifting social conditions, politics, technology, and human rights, amateurism slowly faded into irrelevancy. · Another reason for the removal of the amateurism rule was that it worshipped a false ideal (Hruby, 2012). o It was not plausible for individuals to dedicate hours of endless training to reach Olympic level of skill by themselves without being monetarily compensated for their time o In order to fast-track their way to a high level of performance, athletes must hire a professional to help them train o In order to live and get by, individuals would also need a source of income to supplement their living expenses via sponsorships § However, these two reasons above violated the very definition of amateurism, thereby disqualifying these athletes from competing. The second that the athletes decide to receive compensation for their sport performances, they turn into a "professional", barring them from competition. (Hruby, 2012).
The organizers of the Nazi Olympics in Berlin 1936 invented a number of Olympic traditions. Select 2 of these inventions and discuss what the intended purposes of the inventors were. Provide examples concerning how these were taken up in future Olympics to celebrate national (or other kinds of) goals?
· No event in the history of modern sport has been more significant in either its impact or implications than the 1936 Summer Olympics. The Berlin Olympics illustrated Nazi ideology. · The games served as powerful propaganda tool for Nazi Germany. As mired as the 1936 Olympics were, there were a number of Olympic traditions that stemmed from Berlin. · The torch relay originated from the Berlin Games in 1936. · Hitler wanted to instill a sense of Araynism with the German people · The Nazis viewed themselves as pure Aryan people - inheritors of Greek culture, entailing physical prowess and beauty, white skin, blonde hair... (white supremacy) · The torch relay was originally designed to connect German Aryanism with Greek landscape and the beauty of Greek athletes in the past - Route from Olympia to Berlin planned to run through 7 countries that ironically would be soon be occupied by German troops in WW2 · The 5 rings that are a staple in today's Olympic Games shown as its symbol. Originally designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1920, symbolizing the first 5 Olympic Games · Leni Riefenstahl a filmmaker that chronicled Hitler's rise to power, carved the rings into a stone alter in Delphi, an ancient Greek city - creating the myth that these rings were the symbol for the games in ancient times. · Hitler used this as more propaganda, claiming these rings for Nazi pageantry. · Today, the torch relay is used to carry the flame to and from different cities within the hosting country, concluding in the host city where the cauldron will be lit signifying the beginning of the games. · Today, the 5 rings represent the logo of the Olympic Games - one of the most iconic symbols in sports today. The rings, interlocking with one another, represent a unified world and connection with other countries during duration of the Games.
