‘Athletes first’ is a slogan the International Olympic Committee often touts, but the reality is very different, as pre-eminent Olympics expert Jules Boykoff shows in this book. While the world’s attention is riveted by the triumphs and tribulations on their screens, there is much that goes on behind the scenes that is deeply troubling: athletes are increasingly voicing concerns over physical, mental, and sexual abuse, and they are collectively expressing grievances around equity and human rights.
Outside the stadiums, problems range from the democratic deficit and corruption surrounding the awarding of the Games, to displacement of people and gentrification of neighbourhoods to make way for Olympic venues, to the environmental damage that Olympic construction inflicts and then tries to greenwash away.
Boykoff tells us that radical steps are required if the Games are to be fixed and only then will they be truly ‘athletes first’.
Table of Content
Introduction
1. How Do the Olympics Work Today?
2. A Brief Political History of the Olympics
3. Problems with the Olympics
4. Can the Olympics Be Fixed?
About the author
Jules Boykoff is a professor of politics and government at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. His writing on the connection between politics and sport have appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Nation, the Los Angeles Times and New Left Review. He is also a former professional soccer player who represented the US U-23 men’s national team in international competition.
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