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From archery to gymnastics to table tennis, the summer Olympics gives athletes the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise on a world stage. But the influence of the Olympic Games reaches far beyond the athletic spotlight, into social, economic, political, and personal territories. Before choosing your favorite Olympic sports to watch this summer, read these cross-disciplinary excerpts from Human Kinetics Library and learn more about the games and the influence they have had on the world since they began in ancient Greece.
While the earliest Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals with participation limited to Greek city-states, they later evolved to become international events drawing competitors from around the world. Today, the games are one of several international competitions that make global impact, including the World Cup, the Wimbledon tennis tournament, and the Tour de France bicycle race.
This chapter from the cross-disciplinary text History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Activity traces the history of international sports with a focus on the Olympic Games themselves: the revival of the Olympics as a worldwide event in the late 1800s, the evolution of the philosophy of Olympism, and the globalization of modern sport.
From Barcelona to Beijing, cities around the world vie for the opportunity to host the Olympic Games; and the games themselves make an indelible impact on those locales for years to follow. Sport and Public Policy: Social, Political, and Economic Perspectives is the only text that examines some of the most compelling policy issues affecting the sports world from perspectives that include economics, history, politics, and philosophy.
Read this chapter about the political economy of the Olympic Games, and how the event contributes to both a city’s urban revitalization and the global economy
Many say there’s no greater test of will and endurance than training for the Olympic Games; and with that commitment to excellence comes extraordinary pressure to succeed. As a result, even the best coaches and athletes can overtrain past the physical and emotional breaking point. Overtraining Athletes: Personal Journeys in Sport examines the complex subject of overtraining from different perspectives, helping athletes, coaches, parents, and sport science professionals understand the dangers as well as preventive steps.
This chapter gives readers a firsthand testimonial from a former Olympic triathlete who describes the powerful allure of the gold medal, and how the journey to win it can become all-consuming.
If it’s true that an athlete is only as good as their coach, then Olympic coaches are in an elite class of their own. But at all competitive levels, athletes deserve coaches who create positive environments, foster skill development, and build character.
In this chapter from Coach Education Essentials, coach and professor Cameron Kiosoglous explores coaching at the professional and Olympic levels, examining the complexities of guidance and leadership within these high-intensity contexts and lending insight that will change the way you watch the summer games.
At every competitive level, coaches, managers, and athletes are called upon to understand the ethical and moral issues of their sport. This latest edition of the fundamental text Ethics in Sport presents readers with the complex challenges involved when working in the competitive field.
In the world of professional and Olympic sports, the spectre of doping continues to require careful oversight. Read this chapter about the roots of anti-doping policies to learn about how the controversy has altered the landscape of the Olympic Games.
When the Summer Olympic Games were reimagined as an international event in 1896, nine sports were featured. Over the years, the list has steadily grown to include more than 40 sporting events, including newer competitions like BMX racing and skateboarding. Since then, the list has steadily grown to include diverse events from BMX racing to skateboarding.
Whether you’re a fan of traditional or new-school sports, watching a competition becomes even more captivating after learning more about the training and skill-building involved. Before you watch your favorite competitor this summer, learn about the fundamentals of popular Olympic sports including archery, weightlifting, tennis, swimming, and more.
Archery dates back thousands of years, to a time when proficiency with a bow and arrow was key to survival. Today, competitive archery requires balance, coordination, precision, and the ability to stay calm and composed during high-intensity moments.
Before watching Olympic athletes let their arrows fly, read this chapter from competitor and coach Teresa Johnson’s guide Archery Fundamentals, and learn about the training involved in helping archers strengthen their skills and hit the bullseye.
In running, speed and endurance both depend on form, and elite runners work to improve theirs throughout the course of their competitive careers. In his book Running Form: How to Run Faster and Prevent Injury, world-class coach and manager Owen Anderson presents best practices for analyzing and improving a runner’s form to maximize performance.
This sample chapter compares everyday and elite runners, describing the science behind what we see when we watch Olympians on the track.
Olympic weightlifting tests the limits of human strength like no other event. Whether competitors are attempting the snatch or the clean and jerk, success depends on mobility as well as explosive strength. Michael Boyle, one of the world’s leading sport performance coaches, presents concepts and methods that maximize athletes’ movements in his book New Functional Training for Sports, now in its second edition.
Read Boyle’s chapter on Olympic lifting to learn about the training and skills required for athletes pursuing the gold medal in this powerful sport.
With 37 different competitive races as of 2024, swimming has the second-highest number of medal-contested events in the summer Olympics, requiring a unique combination of skill, technique, and endurance. In the guide Developing Endurance, published in collaboration with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, 11 top experts offer training programs to help athletes achieve winning results.
In this chapter, coaching experts Will Kirousis and Jason Gootman give context to the world of competitive swimming, and the intense training athletes undergo to qualify for the summer games.
Bicycle motorcross (BMX) racing became an official Olympic event in 2003 after enjoying decades of international popularity. Now, the adrenalin-infused sport features riders from around the world competing on a track with challenging jumps, turns, and corners.
In this chapter from Cycling Science, Manuel Mateo-March and Cristina Blasco-Lafarga explore the rules and challenges of BMX racing, from track design to the unique neuromuscular profile required to be an Olympic level competitor.
