Welcome to the Issue
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Welcome to the Issue Volker Kluge Editor With the lighting of the Olympic flame on 12th March, the only received diplomas. Tomizawa’s hope that the IOC countdown to the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo might strike a medal for each individual member was has begun. Philip Barker reports from the ceremony in disappointed. He had to accept that the regulations in Ancient Olympia. force at the time were part of history too. There have been doubts over the celebration of the Austrian skiing legend Karl Schranz, enjoyed a career of Games before. In 1916, 1940 and 1944, neither Summer over 17 years but chased Olympic gold. He too has had to nor Winter Games were possible because of the World come to terms with it. When the 2020 Olympic marathon Wars. In other years, the build up to the Games has and race walking competitions were moved from Tokyo been overshadowed by political and economic crises, to Sapporo, it brought back memories of the 1972 Winter epidemics and pandemics. In 2016, the spread of Zika was Games, including the “Schranz case” in particular. This considered a threat and now it is coronavirus. The IOC, was because he was the only athlete to be excluded from Tokyo 2020 and the World Health Organization remain the IOC due to a violation of Rule 26. In this edition you optimistic that they will able to overcome this challenge. can read how Schranz feels 48 years later. In part four of his series on the history of the Olympic Nobody is concerned about the rule on amateurism. films, David Wallechinsky examines 1988 to 1996, when it It was relaxed somewhat in 1981 and then completely was believed that the Cold War was over. Today we know abolished. At present the focus is on Rule 50 of the that the world has not become more peaceful since then. Olympic Charter, which prohibits the participants One of many unresolved problems has been the from demonstrations or political, religious or racial relationships between Israel and Palestine. San Charles propaganda at the Olympic sites. IOC Doyen Richard W. Haddad’s book The File: Origins of the Munich Massacre Pound argues that by retaining it, there is no restriction deals with it. In this issue, he has written the first of a of the fundamental right to freedom of expression. His series of articles on the them and it is hoped that these article describes it as an element of mutual respect and will promote dialog within the Olympic family. the conviction that a better world, with a balance of Roy Tomizawa looks at Japan’s Olympic traditions. rights and associated responsibilities, is possible. In 1964, when Tokyo hosted the Games for the first Natalia Camps Y Wilant and Kamil Potrzuski provide time, the gymnasts retained the team gold medal won a retrospective look at three architects of Polish by Japan in Rome. But only a single gold medal was modernism. Kevin McCarthy makes a plea for the 1904 awarded to the entire team because the IOC had classified All-round Olympic champion Tom Kiely to be listed as the competition as “artificial”. The team members ‘Irish’ in Olympic statistics. ISOH Executive Committee | 2016-2020 President David Wallechinsky (USA) Vice-President Dr. Christian Wacker (GER) Secretary-General Markus Osterwalder (SUI) Treasurer John Grasso (USA) Members Philip Barker (GBR) Secretary-General Dr. Kostas Georgiadis (GRE) Markus Osterwalder Volker Kluge (GER) Eggweg 6 9100 Herisau Leif Yttergren (SWE) Switzerland on behalf of the IOC Richard W. Pound (CAN) Phone: +41 71 351 77 19 ex-officio Dr. Bill Mallon (USA) E-mail: [email protected] JOH 1 | 2020 1 Message from the President David Wallechinsky ISOH PRESIDENT In January 2020, the International Olympic Committee Norman of Australia. When “The Star-Spangled Banner” (IOC) issued specific guidelines relating to where and was played, Smith and Carlos bowed their heads, and when athletes will be prohibited from expressing political each raised one black-gloved hand in the Black Power views during the Games. In light of these rules, it is worth salute. They later explained that their bare feet were a taking a look at the history of athletes making political reminder of black poverty in the U.S. They bowed their statements at the Games, how they were treated at the heads to express their belief that the words of freedom in time and how these protests would be treated under the U.S. national anthem only applied to Americans with today’s rules. white skin. The rules will prohibit protests and demonstrations The IOC told the U.S. Olympic Committee that if Smith at an Olympic venue, in the Athletes Village and during and Carlos were not banned and expelled, the entire USA official ceremonies. Athletes will be allowed to express track and field team would be barred from competition. their political views during press conferences and Although Smith and Carlos’ protest would ultimately earn interviews and in digital and traditional media. The new them worldwide praise, the IOC’s response would be guidelines are a bit vague about distinguishing between exactly the same today as it was in 1968. “protests and demonstrations” [bad] and “expressing Also in Mexico City, when gymnasts Vera Cˇáslavská views” [not so bad]. Specific examples of forbidden of Czechoslovakia and Larisa Petrik of the Soviet Union messaging include signs, armbands, gestures such as shared first place in the floor exercises event, two months kneeling and refusal to respect Ceremonies protocol. after the Soviet army invaded Czechoslovakia, Cˇáslavská The first protest took place at the 1906 Intercalated bowed her head during the playing of the Soviet national Games in Athens. Irish athletes were angry that they anthem. were listed as competing for Great Britain. When Peter In 1972, U.S. runners Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett O’Connor earned the silver medal in the long jump, the earned the gold and silver medals at 400 metres. At the British Union Jack was raised in his honour. medal ceremony, Matthews and Collett showed little While Irish teammate Con Leahy stood guard on the respect for the proceedings, talking and fidgeting during ground, O’Connor climbed the flagpole and unfurled the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The IOC a green Irish flag. His protest went unpunished, but banned the two from further competition. according to the 2020 guidelines, he would be sanctioned At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the silver medal by the IOC. winner was Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia. As he approached At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Koreans Sohn Kee-chung and crossed the finish line, he clenched his fists and and Nam Seung-yong finished first and third in the crossed his forearms in the X shape that had become marathon. Because Japanese troops were occupying the symbol of support for the Oromo people, hundreds Korea, Sohn and Nam were forced to compete wearing of whom had been killed by the Ethiopian government. Japanese uniforms and using Japanese names. At Although his gesture at the finish line was against the IOC the medal ceremony, they bowed their heads during rules at the time, as it is today, IOC President Thomas Bach the raising of the Japanese flag and the playing of the presented Lilesa with his award at the medal ceremony. It Japanese national anthem. It is not known if, in 2020, is doubtful that such an exception would be made again. the fact that Sohn and Nam bowed their heads would be Finally, there is the case of German cyclist Judith Arndt, considered a breach of Ceremonies protocol. At the Berlin who earned the silver medal in the road race at the 2004 Games, it was not. Athens Olympics. As she crossed the finish line, she made The most famous example of athlete protests took an obscene gesture, a protest against the German cycling place at the 1968 Mexico City Games, when U.S. sprinters federation’s treatment of her partner, Petra Rossner, who Tommie Smith and John Carlos, having placed first and was not selected for the 2004 team. The International third at 200 metres, staged a non-violent protest at the Cycling Union fined Arndt for her “one-fingered salute.” medal ceremony. Mounting the dais barefooted, they It is unclear whether her gesture would be considered a wore civil rights badges, as did silver-medal winner Peter violation of the current rules. 2 The Olympic Flame Returns to Tokyo after 56 Years By Philip Barker For the second time, an Olympic flame has set out for Tokyo but in very different circumstances to the relay that carried it there in 1964. Daily bulletins about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have overshadowed much sport throughout the world, forcing widespread cancellation of many events. The crisis forced organisers to stage the Tokyo 2020 lighting ceremony with only a small group of invited guests. Normally the ceremony in Ancient Olympia attracts thousands of spectators. “In this ceremony regretfully, we had to downsize turnout to protect public health.” said Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos. As a further precautionary measure, school groups did not take part in the ceremonies as they had done in the past. On a cloudless day, the flame was kindled in the ruins of the Temple of Hera by high priestess Xanthi Georgiou. She was performing the role for the first time in Olympia. Olympic Committee and a recent recruit to the IOC “Apollo, god of sun She had previously lit the flame for the Lausanne 2020 membership. He said: “The Japan Olympic Committee and light, send your Youth Olympic Games but that ceremony took place in has been working with various organisations in order rays and light the Athens.