Friday night marked the beginning of the 2016 Olympic Games. I am very excited to watch this year’s games, and am thus interested in everything that goes on around the games. The Olympics, both ancient and contemporary, truly fascinate me. I mentioned in a previous article of mine that the games have not been without a fair amount of controversy: Zika, doping, and economics just to name a few. A criticism I have heard is because the Olympics are elitist and privileged. In this article I provide brief commentary on social inequality in sport.
Last semester I wrote a research paper on the ancient Olympic Games. I will be using a few examples from the ancient games, so here is a very brief history of the games. The ancient Olympics, founded in 776, took place every four years in the summer time. They were contested in Olympus, Greece and honored the Greek God Zeus (Golden, 10). The games lasted just three days and consisted of just five events: Chariot and Equestrian, Pentathlon, Foot Races, Combat Games, and the Armor Race (Spivey, 85).
The first thing I would like to point out is the chariot races. This race was the most prestigious event in the ancient Olympics, because horse ownership was a symbol of status in ancient Greece. The actual "athlete" entering the event actually did not do anything. He just provided the horse and chariot, and hired a driver! He could enter as many times as he could afford (Spivey, 86). While the Olympics did not discriminate based on wealth, some argue that the chariot races were an event for the upper class,
Another historical example is the mandatory training period before the ancient games. Athletes were required to travel to the games a whole month ahead of the games. There the athletes would train at the facilities, and those deemed unfit or not good enough were sent home (Spivey, 76). Again, it is argued that this could have been a strategy to discourage lower classes from participating.
The Olympics are certainly a privileged and elite institution. Sure, there are cases of underprivileged athletes qualifying, and countries rallying in order to send them to the Olympics. There are also cases of underprivileged athletes making it through college on a scholarship and then being drafted to one of the major American sports leagues. However the United States are the only country with a major collegiate sports system.
The truth is that in order to be a competitive elite athlete it helps a whole lot to come from a financially privileged background. The factors are countless and financial burden huge. Athletes, who often times start young, must come from a household who supports their athletic endeavors. Poor parents will be more hesitant to accept a child who says, "I want to take the dangerous route and become a professional athlete" versus saying, "It to take the safe route and go to school to become a doctor.” Then an athlete must be able to afford equipment, travel costs for competitions, food and figure out how to take time off of work or school if they are at a high enough level.
This fact, however, should not discourage viewers from enjoying the Olympics. Class inequality will always exist to some level. Someone will always have an advantage. "Life is unfair,” as they say. The Olympics being privileged is definitely not a reason to shut down the games. Sport is incredibly culturally relevant all over the world. The Olympics face much more pressing issues.
Sources:
“The Ancient Olympics" by Nigel Jonathan Spivey (2004)
“Sport and Society in Ancient Greece” by Mark Golden (1998)
