Looking to dive into some fascinating sports scholarship? Check out our multimedia reading/listening list, featuring podcast episodes from our show, The UPside, that focus on articles from the Journal of Olympic Studies! Each episode and article centers on both sides of three forums that were featured in different issues, including COVID-19, esports, and transgender athletes. You can listen to all the podcast episodes from this list in a playlist here.

The Price of Pandemic: The IOC and the Fallout from Tokyo 2020

• Read: “Tokyo 2020 and Its Postponement: An Economic Prognosis” by Andrew Zimbalist (Free to Access from June 1 to August 31, 2025)
• Listen: Podcast with contributor Dr. Andrew Zimbalist

Dr. Zimbalist joined the podcast to discuss his article on the economic impacts of the COVID-19 postponement on the Tokyo Olympics, as well as his own academic background, the challenges and history involved with choosing Tokyo as a host city, Olympic budgeting, and more. His article from the forum in Vol. 2, Iss. 1, on “The Price of Pandemic: The IOC and the Fallout from Tokyo 2020,” goes even more in-depth on the economics behind the unique situation.

• Read: “Infection is One Thing, Mortality Another: The Olympic Movement In Extremis” by John J. MacAloon (Free to Access from September 1 to November 30, 2025)
• Listen: Podcast with contributor Dr. John MacAloon

In his contribution to the Vol. 2, Iss. 1, forum, which was written in September 2020, Dr. MacAloon breaks down the behind-the-scenes challenges to the delayed Olympics and the inevitable result of an experience of “social solidarity” of an Olympics that signals a possible recovery from the worldwide pandemic. However, he contrasts this with the complicated moral situation of Beijing 2022 in light of the radical oppression of the Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in Zinjiang by the Peoples Republic of China. He expands upon his thoughts on these events in the podcast episode.

• Bonus Reading Material:

Vol. 3, Iss. 1, of Journal of Olympic Studies was a special issue centered around John J. MacAloon’s scholarship. Articles include “John J. MacAloon and the Communitas of the Great Symbol” by Cesar R. Torres, “Every Athlete an Anthropologist: John J. MacAloon’s Vision for Sport” by Bruce Kidd, and more.

The Future of Esports at the Olympics

• Read: “Esports Will Not Be at the Olympics” by Jim Parry (Free to Access from December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026)
• Listen: Podcast with contributor Dr. Jim Parry

In his contribution to a forum on “The Future of Esports at the Olympics” in Vol. 2, Iss. 2, Dr. Parry takes a strong stance against their inclusion, arguing that the most popular current esports are not “Olympic-type sports,” despite their popularity, institutionalization, and ethical status. He joins the podcast to define esports and sports, discuss the IOC’s official ruling, and give a preview of the article.

• Read: “The Esports Question for the Olympic Movement” by Andy Miah (Free to Access from March 1 to May 31, 2026)
• Listen: Podcast with contributor Dr. Andy Miah

In Dr. Miah’s contribution to the Esports forum in Vol. 2, Iss. 2, he discusses the historical development of the complex relationship between esports and the Olympics. Miah focuses on the various disputes and development of both movements that have taken place since Rio 2016 and offers the solution of including esports as a part of the cultural program of the Olympics, rather than the sports program. He discusses his background in esports, the international origin of esports, the arguments for and against “non-physical athletes” participating in the Olympics, and more in the associated podcast episode.

Transgender Athletes and the Olympic Games

• Read: “Trans Women Are Women, and Sport Is a Human Right” by Veronica Ivy (Free to Access from June 1 to August 31, 2026)
• Listen: Podcast with contributor Dr. Veronica Ivy (or view transcript)

Dr. Ivy provides a strong argument in favor of allowing transgender athletes in Olympic sport, as well as her own perspective as a trans athlete and activist in her contribution to the forum “Transgender Athletes and the Olympic Games” in Vol. 4, Iss. 2. Ivy discusses her contribution further on the podcast episode, pointing out logical inconsistencies in arguments that trans athletes have a “competitive advantage,” pointing out the unspoken misogyny in many discussions on the topic, and speaking out on her experiences being on the receiving end of transphobia.

• Read: “The Negligence of Biological Reality” by Ask Vest Christiansen (Free to Access from September 1 to November 30, 2026)
• Listen: Podcast with contributor Dr. Ask Vest Christiansen (or view transcript)

In his contribution to the forum in Vol 4, Iss. 1, and on his episode of the podcast, Dr. Christiansen provides an alternative perspective and discusses his concerns about biological advantages when trans athletes are allowed to compete in sport and the perceived difficulties of balancing inclusion and fairness.

Find Out More

The Journal of Olympic Studies is the official publication of the Center for Sociocultural Sport and Olympic Research Conference, and aspires to be the preeminent international multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed scholarly journal in the field of Olympic research.

• Subscribe to the Journal of Olympic Studies on our website.
• Recommend this title to your library with our online Library Request Form.
• Ready to see your work in the Journal of Olympic Studies? Submit your work here.
• Looking for more sports scholarship? Check out the Journal of Sport History.
• The UPside is now also on Spotify! Check it out here.