“The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.” — Olympic creed
By Kim Catley Illustration by Robert Meganck
W
hen Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894, he saw sports as a universal language that could bring together people from all over the world. He wanted the Olympic Games to be a platform from which to teach the values of fair play. In more recent times, however, as allegations of government corruption, staggering economic costs, and mass displacements of poor residents continue to arise, it can seem like the Games are anything but fair to the people who live in the shadows of the Olympic Village. Corruption around the Olympics and other major international sporting events like the World Cup isn’t new, but what is new is growing international scrutiny of host countries. Much of this attention began in 1998 when it was revealed that International Olympic
Committee members accepted bribes from the Salt Lake City bid committee in exchange for hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics. Rumblings of widespread corruption have continued, notably with the arrests of nine high-ranking FIFA officials and five sports marketing executives in May. Allegations of their corruption span two decades and involve more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks for media rights. During the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, allegations of corruption and bribery between government officials and construction companies, as well as human rights violations, seemed to get more press than any athletic feats. The $50 billion event was rife with construction delays and accusations of embezzlement, and the future use of many facilities remains unclear. Russia also suffered from a reinforcement of negative stereotypes in the media, as well as protests surrounding harsh anti-gay legislation.
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