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Olympic Ceremonial, Protocol and Symbolism

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Book cover Managing the Olympics

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Abstract

The Olympic Games are not only a multi-sport competition, they also serve to commemorate the aspirations of the Olympic Movement (OM) by way of ceremony and symbolism. Indeed, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has established protocols for Games organizers, who are expected to effectively manage officially sanctioned rituals and conventions that aim to publicly demonstrate and validate Olympic ideals. This chapter, therefore, focuses on what is expected of Games organizers in terms of ceremony and symbolism, keeping in mind that these aspects of the Olympics have a variety of purposes — pedagogical, ideological and aesthetic. Four of the most prominent Olympic rituals are examined: the lighting of the Olympic flame and the torch relay, the opening ceremony, the awarding of medals and the closing ceremony. The chapter does not deal in any detail with the artistic programmes at the Games, nor the Cultural Olympiad; it is concerned with ceremonial practices that are prescribed by the Olympic Charter and, therefore, the responsibility of an OCOG to address.1

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Authors
  1. Daryl Adair
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  1. University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

    Stephen Frawley  & Daryl Adair  & 

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© 2013 Daryl Adair

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Adair, D. (2013). Olympic Ceremonial, Protocol and Symbolism. In: Frawley, S., Adair, D. (eds) Managing the Olympics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230389588_11

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