Flags of several nations and the Olympic rings in the sky are seen at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan during the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games on Oct. 10, 1964. (AP Photo)
The Summer Olympics are the one time every four years when millions of people tune into track and field and swimming; stars from rival basketball and soccer clubs come together to represent their respective countries; and people learn (and then forget) the rules of synchronized swimming and the difference between platform and springboard diving. But the Olympics are also fraught with problems, from corruption to doping to the costs and impacts of hosting, including environmental damage, displacement, and intrusive policing. And the Games can be a stage upon which racism, homophobia, and sexism play out. Can the Olympics be rebuilt? What lessons can we take from the history of the modern Games?
Olympic gold medalist and activist Greg Louganis, Olympic medalist Lashinda Demus, athlete and ASU sports historian Victoria Jackson, and Donna Lopiano, athlete and former CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation, visit Zócalo to discuss possible futures for the Summer Olympics.
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The Takeaway
Love the Games or Loathe Them, the Olympics Need to Do Better by Competitors and Local Communities
From Displacement to Doping, Athletes Argue for More Moral and Engaged Leadership
The Olympic Games need to overhaul their governance and give more decision-making power to athletes if they are ever going to address their many failings, from the costs they impose …