On July 27 and August 29 the Olympics and Paralympics open respectively. Following on from the European Cup during June we are having a deluge of sporting activity on our TV screens.
It is generally assumed that sport is one of the few arenas where
equality is achieved, albeit that separate events are held for men and women
and the Paralympics are just open to disabled athletes – recognising that in
order to have a equality at a substantive level it may be necessary to have
“separate but equal” provision. But within each of the necessarily separate
sporting events, athletes/participants are selected based on objective
achievement; and ultimate success is based on the “best past the post”
principle. But is this really true?
No doubt once you are in the race, so to speak, then “first past
the post” achieves an equitable outcome. But this is not the whole story by any
means. To gain recognition in any sporting area and to represent your country
all sorts of socio-economic hurdles have to be jumped (apologies for another
sporting metaphor!) which are completely independent of the abilities or
potential of individual athletes – with huge differences in opportunities
between, and within, countries who make up the Olympic movement.
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“I have often seen very
successful athletes struggle to get sponsorship. In the Beijing Olympics I
was the only athlete in the final who had a full-time job to support my
Olympic dream of winning a medal”
Larry
(Onochie) Achike
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I have always been intrigued as to why there are not more black
swimmers or participants in horsy-type events and sailing. But the answer is, I
think, really quite simple: swimming pools, horses/stables and yachts are
expensive to provide and maintain (particularly to Olympic standards), as is
the paraphernalia of clubs and coaches required to succeed (unless there is
significant governmental support or private sponsorship for such sports). There
are also strong class-based biases attached to these sports – thus effectively
excluding many poorer people and nations from participating.
Many countries – particularly in developing ones (all, on whole,
“non-European”/white”) cannot really compete with wealthier nations or private
income.
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“I think racism is everywhere, however if
you reach the selection standards on your event and achieve that time and/or
distance then racism cannot really come into play as your performance cannot
be argued with”
Tasha Danvers
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On the other hand sports such as running (and athletics more
generally) can, theoretically be open to all – as this requires few if any
expensive facilities (although clubs and coaching or governmental or private
sponsorship are still necessary to reach the highest level) and, at the end of
the day, truly outstanding talent has the potential to come to the fore and
succeed. Is this why East African nations (Ethiopia/Tanzania), alongside Black
Americans and poorer nations do relatively well in these sports?
When undertaken equality training I have sometimes asked
participants why Black people appear to do well in athletics and white people
in swimming. I have been surprised by the number of those who put this down to
genetics rather than social/economic factors – despite almost universal
scientific consensus for over 60 years that there are few genetic differences
worth speaking of between the groups – and certainly nothing to suggest that
genetics explains differential performance in different sports. Some Black
participants also believe the stereotypes - demonstrating how in a society in
which Black peoples’ achievements are rarely celebrated or apparent, success in
international athletics is something to hang on to and link with “Blackness” –
thus demonstrating that prejudices are held universally by people of all
racial groups – although the nature of the prejudices may differ!
Despite the continuation of inequalities, in terms of both
access and substantive equality, the Olympic ideal is nevertheless worth
treasuring in a world which is increasingly cynical about it due to the escalating
costs of hosting it, the growth of dubious and unethical commercial sponsorship
and the growing levels of corruption. But it precisely because of such cynicism
that we must hold on to our ideals and not let those who would undermine them
get the better of us.
For the record it is worth re-stating the principles of the Olympic movement as follows:
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The
fundamental of Principles of Olympism:
1. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a
balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with
culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the
joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility
and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.
2. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the
harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful
society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
3. The Olympic Movement is the concerted, organised, universal
and permanent action, carried out under the supreme authority of the IOC, of
all individuals and entities who are inspired by the values of Olympism. It
covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing together of
the world’s athletes at the great sports festival, the Olympic Games. Its
symbol is five interlaced rings.
4. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must
have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind
and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit
of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
5. Recognising that sport occurs within the framework of
society, sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall have the
rights and obligations of autonomy, which include freely establishing and
controlling the rules of sport, determining the structure and governance of
their organisations, enjoying the right of elections free from any outside
influence and the responsibility for ensuring that principles of good
governance
be applied.
6. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a
person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is
incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.
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These principles are worth having, cherishing and promoting more widely. Is this an antidote to the cynicism which is so widespread? At the end of the day, though, sit back and enjoy the spectacle of people form all over the world participating in an event which signals the potential for the world to unite and work together for common human endeavour.
The schedule of events for both the main Olympic and the
Paralympics’ can be found here:
Olympic Schedule:
http://www.london2012.com/schedule-and-results/
Paralympics: http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/schedule-and-results/**********
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