Do The Summer Olympic Games Belong in Athens?
My worthy opponent makes a strong case for moving the Summer Olympic Games to Greece permanently. However, he misses two critical points: It goes against the mission of the Olympics, and there are numerous benefits to host countries that implement the games correctly.
It is impossible to overstate Greece’s imprint on the games. Greece is the spiritual home of the Olympics, with origins dating back to 776 B.C. when sporting events were held on the plains of Olympia. But let us not forget that the Olympics of the modern era are the brainchild of a French baron named Pierre de Coubertin, and other members of the original International Olympic Committee (IOC) from around the world. (The official language of the Olympics is French, not Greek!)
These members envisioned the games as an instrument to promote international dialogue and peace. Although the inaugural games were held in Athens in 1896, de Coubertin and the founders of the modern Olympic movement always envisioned rotating the host country so that the Olympics could maximize its effect on spectators and athletes around the world.
Thus, limiting the Summer Olympics to Athens violates the mission of the IOC. Perhaps the Olympic flag should display only one ring, rather than the five rings that currently represent the diversity of athletes and spectators from around the world? What would happen to some of the Olympics’ most cherished rituals, such as the torch traveling to the host country?
But there is also an economic argument for rotating the games. Dr. Tsetsekos and I agree that the research on whether hosting the Olympics actually pays off for the host country has been equivocal, so our difference of opinion stems from our interpretation of the data. Some studies conclude that return on investment is negligible; others show substantial gains in trade or other outcomes. For example, one study published by The Economic Journal found international trade outcomes can be improved by up to 20 percent for host countries. Such a reputational bonus is corroborated by findings in some of my own research (conducted with my colleague Yoto Yotov and LeBow Ph.D. alumna Boryana Dimitrova ’12): We find that a country can improve its ability to export products by enhancing reputational signals for the quality of products and the trustworthiness of its people.
Perhaps the best evidence of the numerous ways in which countries stand to benefit is the strong desire to host the games. If it were really such a risky endeavor, we would expect interest to be quite tepid. In reality, we find the opposite; competition to become a host country is as heated as ever. Some of these cities will certainly perform better than others, but they all believe that the games hold the potential to create pride, build worldwide awareness, improve infrastructure and encourage investment, among other positive outcomes.
Moving the Summer Games to Greece would be a mistake based both on its charter and on the economic evidence.
Share the wealth, Greece!
Daniel Korschun, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of marketing at Drexel LeBow. Before entering academia, he competed in international competitions and Olympic qualifiers in fencing. He has lived in three countries that have hosted the Olympics (Canada, Italy and the United States) and will be cheering for all three during this year’s games.
Illustration by Aerin Lee, a student at Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
