Ethics and the OlympicsNicki Hines, Chriss Joyce, Erica Mauter, Yuki

Wiertelak

Overview

•Background/History of Olympics•Culture

▫Breakout and Discussion Session 1•Environment

▫Breakout and Discussion Session 2•Athletes and Sponsorships

▫Breakout and Discussion Session 3•Conclusion•Q&A

Background & History

The Fundamental Principles of Olympism

• Philosophy of life.• Promote harmony across humankind through

sports.• The Olympic Movement• The practice of sport is a human right.• Autonomy to govern their sport without outside

influence.• Discrimination is incompatible• All activities must be compliant with the Olympic

Charter.

Ethics and the Olympics•The Olympic Charter•Establishment of the IOC Ethics

Commission▫Defining Ethical Principles▫Refining as needed▫Investigating breaches of conduct

Choosing a host city

•Two step process•Applicant city phase•Candidate city phase

Culture

“To promote a positive legacy from the Olympic Games to the host cities and host countries. To encourage and support initiatives blending sport with culture and education.”

~ The Olympic Charter

Definition:The impact of the Olympics on the people and infrastructure of the host city/country.

Olympic games – a net loss for host cities for three reasons:•1) bidding process favors

private interests •2) creates excessive building •3) typically doesn’t increase

tourism

Examples: •Beijing (2008) - $40B spent,

many buildings sit empty and unused.

•Los Angeles (1994) – vote for no public financing, slim budget, no new, used old = $215M profit.

Other cultural impacts

•Children inspired to be more active in sports

•World-wide display of host country culture

•Displacement of people and funds

Breakout Session I

Research and find examples of how your host city celebrated

their culture and how the Olympics had an effect on their culture. Take these examples to

craft your statement of how culture will be positioned in

your bid for the next Olympic host city.

Environment

IOC Definition

“To encourage and support a responsible concern for environmental issues, to promote sustainable development in sport and to require that the Olympic Games are held accordingly.”

~ The Olympic Charter

Evolution of Sustainability

En

viro

nm

en

t Environmental

Economic

Social

IOC's Sport and Environment Commission

Two-way impact:

•Environment on sports (mostly health of athletes, also natural areas in which to play)

•Sports on environment (mostly facilities: consumption of resources, pollution and waste generation, ecosystem disruption)

Positive Examples

•1994 Lillehammer•Reusing materials and

energy•Venues integrated into

landscape•Continued or reuse of venues

Negative Examples

•1932 and 1980 Lake Placid•damage to environment in spite of state law

•1968 Grenoble + 1998 Calgary + 2014 Sochi•venues not built to optimize environmental

conditions - too windy or too warm/low altitude

Breakout Session II

Research and find examples of how your host city incorporated

environmental concerns into their planning and the impacts that resulted from hosting the

Olympics. How will you position your bid for the next Olympic

host city?

Athletes and Sponsorships

Olympic DNA

Impact of Sponsorship Bans

Breakout Session III

Formulate how your city would position sponsorship

guidelines to celebrate culture, implement

sustainable practices, and support athletes

Conclusion

Q&A