How have the olympics become more about politics than about sport?

Question

How have the olympics become more about politics than about sport?

Answer 1

It's always been that way.  I remember watching in the 70s and 80s, and it was always about who could win more medals, the Americans or the Soviet Union.

Answer 2

Because every countries best athletes are competing it's kinda like your kid in the football league you don't want him to suck. honestly i don't even care about the Olympics i prefer fun  

Answer 3

They always have been a combination, from back in the days when the ancient greeks suspended the wars between the city-states to hold the games and their warriors would compete against each other in sport.

As for the modern games, in 1936 Hitler used the games to make a political statement about the superiority of his perfect arians over the other races of the world. African American Jesse Owens showed him up by winning 4 gold medals over the Arian Germans as Hitler looked on. In the 1980's the US and USSR boycotted games as a political statement against each other. The Soviet Russians also had a history using steroids and testosterone to demonstrate the superiority of Russians over westerners.

In the most recent games, China considered this to be their moon-shot. The equivalent of 1969 when the US spared no expense to have the whole world look up at the moon and know an American was standing there looking back down at them.

Answer 4

because stupid politicians want everything to be political. And I'm talking about US politicians. The Chinese put on an awsome show. London will never surpass that show and when it comes around to the United States again, they won't either.

I find the arguing and whining to be most distasteful, especially since most of it came from the United States. Even the USbroadcasters were acting stupid.

"Oh lets start something" "we're the best" "oh they cheated"  - it sounded like fifth graders.

Those broadcasters made us look as dumb as they were.

Answer 5

Ask the Chinese.