By: Yasmin Coonjah,
on 8/16/2016
Sport has long had a fascination with blood. The blood of the Roman gladiators, mopped by a sponge from the arena, fed a profitable business; perhaps the athlete’s ultimate commitment to promoting their brand? Today blood is even more relevant to sport.
The post Bloody Olympics: Rio, 2016, and the history of illegal blood doping appeared first on OUPblog.
By: KatherineS,
on 8/12/2016
Enjoying Rio 2016? This extract from Sport: A Very Short Introduction by Mike Cronin gives a history of the modern Olympic games; from its inspiration in the British Public school system, to the role it played in promoting Nazi propaganda. The modern Olympic Games, and their governing body, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), came into being in 1894 and were the brainchild of Pierre de Coubertin. A Frenchman with a passionate interest in education, de Coubertin had visited England.
The post Facing the Führer: Jesse Owens and the history of the modern Olympic games appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Aviva LeShaw,
on 8/7/2016
We used to have to take time off from work --or at least leave work early-- to watch the Olympics on TV. Now we can thank the engineering marvels of DVR and web replay for protecting our love affair with the Games from our evil work schedules. We are, rightly, mesmerized by the combination of talent, discipline, skill, and genetics embodied by the world’s greatest athletes.
The post Should we watch the Olympics? appeared first on OUPblog.
