Skip to main content

The Case against the Olympic Games: The Buck Stops with the IOC

  • Chapter
  • 1372 Accesses

Abstract

The contributors to this book have provided a comprehensive, critical examination of a range of Olympic issues. In this concluding discussion, I focus on four significant, interrelated themes that Olympic industry officials have addressed in the last two decades, usually with limited success: leadership; transparency and accountability; social responsibility; and sporting mythology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • ABC News (2008) ‘Govt. Adds Fuel to V8 Race Debate’, 2 December, at: www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/02/2435698.htm?site=news.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Government, Australian Sports Commission and Department of Health and Ageing (2008) Participation in Exercise, Physical Activity and Sport, Annual Report (Canberra: Australian Government).

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Sport: The Pathway to Success (2010) Report of the Independent Sport Panel Report, Department of Health and Ageing, 11 May, at: www.sportpanel.org.au/internet/sportpanel/publishing.nsf/Content/crawford-report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, R. and N. McKenzie (2010) ‘Secret Millions Grease World Cup Bid’, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 June, 1–2.

    Google Scholar 

  • BBC TV: Panorama (2010) ‘FIFA’s Dirty Secrets’, 29 November 29, at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/default.stm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berkes, H. (2011) ‘IOC Scrutinizes Vancouver Olympics Bidding Deal’, NPR, 24 February, at: www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134015260/ioc-scrutinizes-vancouver-olympics-biddingdeal?sc=emaf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair, T. (2010) A Journey: My Political Life (Toronto: Knopf).

    Google Scholar 

  • Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) (2007) Fair Play for Housing Rights: Mega-events, Olympic Games and Housing Rights (Geneva: COHRE), at: www.cohre.org/topics/mega-events.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, A. (2010) ‘Successful Games Will Boost India’s Olympic Hopes’, Reuters, 3 October, at: www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6920P420101003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornell, A. (2010) ‘David Crawford and the Olympians’, Australian Financial Review Magazine, 30 April, 34–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • ‘FIFA Sees No Political Meddling in France’, 1 July 2010, AFP, available at: http://hello.news352.lu/edito-53185-fifa-sees-no-political-meddling-in-france.html.

    Google Scholar 

  • First UN-IOC Forum in Lausanne (2010) UN Sport for Development and Peace, at: www. un.org/wcm/content/site/sport/home/template/news_item.jsp?cid=13311.

    Google Scholar 

  • FitzSimons, P. (2010) ‘Australia’s World Cup Bid an Expensive Mistake’, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 July, 14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fong, P. (2009) ‘IOC Boss to Toronto: Keep Trying’, Toronto Star, 14 February, S6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, A. (2006) Foul: The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals (London: HarperSport).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, A. (2008) ‘FIFA “Misled” Detective on Trail of Missing £45m Paid for World Cup TV Rights’, Daily Telegraph, 29 July, at: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/ international/2470897/Fifa-misled-detectives-on-trail-of-missing-45m-paid-for-World- Cup-TV-rights.html.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kothari, M. (2010) Presentation to the Global Health Forum, Health, Housing and Human Rights: Exploring the Connections in Canada and Globally, University of Toronto, 21–22 January.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leicester, J. (2008) ‘Calls Mount for Olympic Ceremony Boycott’, Associated Press, 18 March, at: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080318/D8VG3QDGO.html.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenskyj, H. (2000) Inside the Olympic Industry: Power, Politics and Activism (Albany: State University of New York Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenskyj, H. (2008) Olympic Industry Resistance: Challenging Olympic Power and Propaganda (Albany: State University of New York Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Linden, J. (2010) ‘IOC Urges FIFA To Act Over Vote-Selling Claims’, Reuters, 26 October, at: www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE69P2KB20101026.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnay, J. (2009) ‘Medal Push: Sport Chiefs Want Extra $100 m a Year’, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 February.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie, R. and N. Baker (2010) ‘Tortuous Trail of Our World Cup Bid’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, M. (2009) ‘Tree Felling for V8 Supercars Gets Black Flag’, Sydney Morning Herald, 31 July.

    Google Scholar 

  • ‘Sport Eyes Leg Up Towards Olympic Status’ (2010) Toronto Star, 11 December, S4.

    Google Scholar 

  • University of Western Sydney, Australia (1998-present) Challenging Racism: The Anti- Racism Research Project.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walters, S. (2010) ‘Boris Kicks FIFA Chiefs out of The Dorchester: London Mayor Takes Revenge for THAT Vote by Scuppering £1,000-a-Night Olympic Junket’, Daily Mail, 6 December, at: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335787/Boris-Johnson-kicks-FIFAchiefs-Dorchester-London-2012-Olympics.htm

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Copyright information

© 2012 Helen Jefferson Lenskyj

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lenskyj, H.J. (2012). The Case against the Olympic Games: The Buck Stops with the IOC. In: Lenskyj, H.J., Wagg, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Olympic Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230367463_36

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics