“The peace spirit of the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics is urgently needed.”
This is how Lee Jung-woo, a professor of physical education at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, expressed the situation of international sports in the post-COVID-19 era when he presented “The Promise of the Olympic Games: A Global Festival in an Era of Geopolitical Turmoil” at the 2023 Pyeongchang International Olympic Research Center conference held at Bliss Hill in Pyeongchang Resort, Gangwon Province, on the 28th.
From the Russian-Ukrainian war to the Israeli-Hamas conflict to the hegemonic struggle between the United States and China, the international situation is chaotic.
Under these dynamics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is facing challenges and crises, according to Lee’s analysis.
The IOC’s predicament is reflected in its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This is a far cry from the stance taken in 2022, when sanctions against Ukraine for its aggression threatened to expel them from international sports.
The Ukrainians are now accusing IOC of “siding with Russia,” while the Russians are accusing IOC of being an agent of the United States.
The IOC Charter states that its main goal is to “build a peaceful and better world”.
To this end, it remains committed to the autonomy of sport, solidarity, unity and non-discrimination.
But the Olympics can also be a stage for international political hegemony.
In the case of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, there was a campaign by U.S. politicians and calls by human rights organizations to boycott the Games.
There is also a case to be made that China is using the Games to solidify its position as a regional hegemon.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shortly after the Beijing Winter Olympics in pursuit of “old glory” highlights the political stakes of sport.
If we look for shining examples of the Olympic movement in the midst of chaos, the Seoul 1988 and Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games are two of them. ” 토토
The 1988 Seoul Olympics opened the door for reconciliation between East and West after the Cold War halves of Moscow and Los Angeles.
The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics sent a message of peace to the international community through efforts to resolve the conflict between North and South Korea.”
Last year, the IOC organized the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Munich “Black Olympics” with Germany, and Israeli Yael Arad was elected to the IOC at this year’s Mumbai Congress.
“I’m proud to be Jewish,” says Kathy Wesserman, president of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
On the other hand, IOC has not taken a position on the recent war between Israel and Hamas.
“If the political situation after the Cold War led to the growth of the Olympic movement, in the post-COVID-19 era of multipolarity, there is talk of an Olympic crisis,” says Lee.
It is challenging whether IOC can continue to be a symbol of peace. The world should learn from the Korean Olympic experience.”
“If the political situation after the Cold War led to the growth of the Olympic movement, in the post-Cold War era of multipolarization, there is talk of an Olympic crisis.
IOSI faces the challenge of whether it can continue to be a symbol of peace.
The world should learn from the Korean Olympic experience.”
“International political relations are much more complex than in the past and there are many factors to consider,” said Prof. Jang Ik-young (Physical Education), Director of the Olympic Research Center at Korea Gymnastics University.
But whenever that happens, sports can play a role in mediating disputes.
IOC should play a bigger role in the run-up to next year’s Paris Olympics.”
The conference also featured discussions on “Coach-Athlete Relationships: Paternalism, Ethics, Safe Sport and Exploitation” (Angela Schneider) and “Mental Health and Wellbeing of Olympic Athletes, Coaches and Staff” (Paul Willman).
“The guardianship of coaches over young athletes in elite sport can lead to a deceptive sense of protection and compromise athlete autonomy,” said Angela, while Wilman, a professor at the University of Bruges in Belgium, emphasized the role of sports “welfare managers” for athletes and others.
