Ch. 14 The Olympic Games: Ch. 14 The Olympic Games By Darlene Kluka in Women in Sport Notes by N. Bailey


The Olympic Movement: Toward Global Understanding : The Olympic Movement: Toward Global Understanding And Acceptance Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded modern Olympics in 1894 in Paris No women To encourage better understanding among nations through sport, art, education, culture The ancient Greek ideals: harmonious excellence: physical, moral, cultural, artistic


Overview of the Chapter: Overview of the Chapter Topics Covered: History of participation Performance enhancement drugs Governance Global understanding and acceptance


Early Summer Games 1900-1928: Early Summer Games 1900-1928 IOC controlled the program in 1896 Program for white male amateurs Members represented the IOC Apolitical – all men Melpomene, One who also ran in the 1896 games: 4 hours, 30 minutes


Organizing Committees : Organizing Committees Ran the events & established rules IOC no longer controlled events Next four organizing committees permitted women to participate: 1900 golf, tennis; 1904 archery; 1908 added skating, tennis, archery & demonstrations in aquatics & gymnastics


After Stockholm in 1912: After Stockholm in 1912 IOC took over control of events Dropped women’s sports that weren’t universally popular In Europe women were refused membership in the Sports Federations Women’s sports clubs organized in France Track & field.


1920 games: 1920 games IOC refusal to permit women in all venues Women organized their own track and field Olympic Games in 1922 65 women from 5 countries in 11 events 20,000 spectators 18 world records READ p. 259, Alice Milliat founder FSFI


IOC Outraged!: IOC Outraged! How dare those women do that In order to control somewhat, IOC directs International Amateur Athletic Federation to govern international competition for women IOC waffled on women participating By 1924 industrialized countries had track and field for women. Women controlled


Physicians Worried: Physicians Worried High level training bad for women: ruin health; masculinizes women; leads to sterility Competition detracted from femininity Spectators might have questionable motives Women might be viewed as sex objects


International Sport Federations: International Sport Federations Supported women’s participation in sport 1924 Paris: Women’s fencing, tennis, swimming The press: “muscle molls, muscle-bound, manly dames” re: fencing & tennis “graceful, feminine, feathered” re: swimmeres


Summer Games (1928 –48): Summer Games (1928 –48) 1928 – first official track & field for women in Amsterdam 100 meters, 800 meters, high jump, discus, 4 x 100 meter relay Ill fated 800 meters: 6 of 9 women collapsed; three carried off 40 years for 800 meters to be reinstated Never mind that Finnish man collapsed


1932 LA Games: 1932 LA Games Notable women & 4 new world records Attendance 60,000; 1.25 million overall Radio and press coverage best ever Babe Didrickson & three other women set records


1936 Berlin Games: 1936 Berlin Games Germany had withdrawn from the League of Nations Used Olympics to show case white male supremacy Jews were barred from German team


Summer Games (1948 – present): Summer Games (1948 – present) Post war games held in London First woman to win a gold won 4 gold medals Was a mother of two children


1952 Helsinki: 1952 Helsinki Avery Brundage tried to make Olympics apolitical Cold war: Communist Bloc countries saw advantage to support women for winning medals Supremacy through victory in sport grew Newspaper counted the medals: Soviets winning made big news


1956 Melbourne: 1956 Melbourne Women’s swimming sold out before the games began READ Wilma Rudolph, p. 263


1960 Rome: 1960 Rome Rivalries between women surfaced 800 meters returned Soviet woman won: 2:04.5


1964 Tokyo: 1964 Tokyo Women became newsworthy for the first time Dawn Fraser, Australian, a controversial woman The symbol for women in the games: talent + mischief!


1968 Mexico City: 1968 Mexico City Political turmoil Prior to opening ceremonies protesters killed in the streets Protesting poor country spending a fortune on the games American male track athletes protested differential treatment of African Americans in the U.S. as well as in Africa


Women Made News: Women Made News In 1968 Woman Mexican hurdler carried the Olympic torch into the stadium. A first! Woman Czech gymnast hid in the mountains preparing for the games: feared reprisal for political act of protest. Won 4 gold medals (signed manifesto against Russian aggression on Czechs)


1972 Germany: 1972 Germany Germans tried for the biggest, most expensive, most exciting What they got: tragedy Games remembered for 8 Arab terrorists killing 2 Israel team members & took 9 hostages; 5 terrorists, + hostages + 1 police officer were killed


1976 Montreal: 1976 Montreal Africa boycotted East German women did great


1980 Moscow: 1980 Moscow Soviets had invaded Afghanistan prior to the games – only 81 countries attended Boycotting: U.S., Canada, West Germany, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Israel, Turkey Political climate woven into the Olympic fabric


1984-1988-1992: LA, Seoul, Barcelona: 1984-1988-1992: LA, Seoul, Barcelona More nations competing, so more women Joan Benoit & official marathon: 2:24;52 Jackie Joyner competed Zola Budd & Mary Decker controversy Cheryl Miller, Mary Lou Retton, Valarie Brisco-Hooks & Evelyn Ashford READ p.266 1st Islamic Games woman


1996 Atlanta: 1996 Atlanta 35 countries had no women (Islamic countries) Germans asked IOC to ban those countries that discriminated against women “gender apartheid” after South Africa’s racial apartheid South Africa had been barred


2000 Salt Lake: 2000 Salt Lake Goal: equal participation between men and women. We will see


Performance Enhancing Substances: Performance Enhancing Substances Faster, higher, stronger = Olympic creed Men in the 3rd century used herbs 1960 Danish cyclist died of drug 1963 IOC – Medical Commission established & listed prohibited drugs 1966 Gender verification 1968 First drug testing; 2000 reversed sex test policy


East German Officials Sued: East German Officials Sued Trial continues into 2001 Between 1974 & 1989 German sport officials administered a state sponsored doping program on the women Sentence potentially: 10 years


Governance: Governance 1997- 1995 Women executive directors of organizing committees comprised 8.5% - 15.8% Women Presidents: 3.6 to 7.9% Presently 14 of 113 IOC members are women IOC adopted goals in 1996: equality in 2001


IOC Sponsored Women’s Conference: IOC Sponsored Women’s Conference World Conference on Women and Sport in 1996 March 2000 in Paris That is progress! READ p. 274


Olympic Solidarity Programs: Olympic Solidarity Programs Technical assistance and training grants Some women were included Rumor: Muslim countries applied for and received $ for training women; didn’t spend it for that One world trophy & 5 continental trophies for contributions to women’s participation in sport


Global Understanding & Acceptance: Global Understanding & Acceptance Vast differences of the place of women in various societies around the world Systematic hared and devaluing of women and a patriarchal system well entrenched in many countries


What Will It Tae To Get There?: What Will It Tae To Get There? The next generation of athletes and administrators: Know our history Create a fair environment


That’s All Folks: That’s All Folks The End.