Tag Archives: Olympics

December 9, 2016

The most important race of their lives

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Excerpted from Six Minutes in Berlin: Broadcast Spectacle and Rowing Gold at the Nazi Olympics, by Michael J. Socolow A few hours later, with the Germans having already compiled one of the most impressive regatta records in Olympic history, Riefenstahl’s … Continue reading →

September 14, 2016

Release Party: The Rise and Fall of Olympic Amateurism

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For decades, amateurism defined the ideals of the Olympic movement. No more. Today’s Games present athletes who enjoy open corporate sponsorship and unabashedly compete for lucrative commercial endorsements. Our new book by Matthew P. Llewellyn and John Gleaves analyze how this astonishing … Continue reading →

August 17, 2016

Caster Semenya and Sex Testing

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As track and field portion of the Olympic Games gets up to steam, all eyes turn to Caster Semenya, the South African middle distance runner who took the silver in the 800 meters at the 2012 Games. Semenya is considered a strong … Continue reading →

August 15, 2016

Sex Testing Is Too Jive

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          Sex testing. It goes on in sports all the time. But it only makes headlines during the Olympics, when a giant for-profit sports behemoth famous for corruption and bribery interrupts its tireless quest to sell every … Continue reading →

August 11, 2016

Throwbacklist Thursday: Seven Ring Circus

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Whether you consider the Olympic Games a triumph of human endeavor and achievement, or an appalling cesspool of corruption and drug experimentation, it is that rare mega-event that always grabs the world’s attention. The University of Illinois Press maintains a longstanding dedication to … Continue reading →

May 23, 2016

Release Party: Cold War Games

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Olympic advertising is in full swing. It is a good time to recall that, not long ago, an Olympic year meant far more than corporate tie-ins and moody video of winsome young athletes. The Olympic Games meant war, albeit by other means, … Continue reading →

May 20, 2016

Q&A with Sex Testing author Lindsay Parks Pieper

Posted by sfast
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Lindsay Parks Pieper is an assistant professor of sport management at Lynchburg College. She answered some questions about her book Sex Testing: Gender Policing in Women’s Sports. Q: Given the colorful history of cheating in the Olympic Games, vigilance from IOC … Continue reading →