Introduction: more than sports—the politics of the Olympics from the ancient times to Paris 2024
摘要
This introductory article provides an overview of the dual function of the Olympics. It illustrates that the Olympic Games are not only the largest sports/ athletic event in the world, but also a prime political setting, where the global meets the local; a setting that can have profound influence on international relations and diplomacy, identity formation, local development and protest politics, to name a few policy areas. Within the article, I describe the different policy fields, which the Games have influenced from ancient times until now. As such, this overview sets the stage for more in-depth exploration in the other articles of this special issue.