Sep 26 / Warren Lucas

Reflections of the Olympics for today’s High Performance athletes

What does the Olympics tell us today?

The 2024 Olympic Games have imparted several valuable insights to the sporting community, which can influence future developments in all types of athletic performances. Notably, the incorporation of action sports popular among young people into the Olympic roster has played a vital role in captivating younger viewers and broadening the range of sporting competitions (1,2). This action recognises the necessity of responding to shifts in the sporting world's demographic makeup and preferences. 

Second, examining the enduring effects of previous Olympic events, such as those held in Tokyo in 1964, on sports engagement underscores the importance of large-scale sporting competitions in shaping and encouraging athletic participation at a country-wide level (3). This highlights the 2024 Olympics' capacity to act as a driving force for boosting sports involvement and interest.

Third, Olympic athletes and teams require comprehensive support, including the expertise of sport psychologists, to address the considerable pressures associated with the Games. The complex process of preparing for the Olympics involves managing various challenges, necessitating psychological guidance to cope with the intense stress of competition (4). This emphasises the need for comprehensive mental health and performance support in athletes to ensure optimal outcomes. 


Moreover, the concept of a sports participation legacy, as seen in the aftermath of the London 2012 Olympics, underscores the importance of leveraging mega-sports events to promote sustained sports engagement and development (5). For host cities and nations aiming to bolster their sporting culture, this enduring impact can serve as a significant benefit. 


Lastly, to achieve a lasting Olympic sports participation legacy, it is essential to implement long-term strategies and foster cooperation among diverse stakeholders. This approach is crucial for ensuring enduring effects on sports engagement and involvement (6). This highlights the necessity of strategic partnerships and coordinated initiatives to maximise the benefits of hosting major sporting events, such as the Olympics.  


To sum up, the 2024 Olympic Games provide crucial lessons for the sporting community, highlighting the need to embrace changing trends, utilise major events for sustained athletic development, place emphasis on the welfare of competitors, and encourage joint initiatives to generate enduring effects on sports involvement and interest.

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References

  1. Thorpe H, Wheaton B. “generation x games”, action sports and the olympic movement: Understanding the cultural politics of incorporation. Sociology. 2011;45(5):830–47.
  2. Wheaton B, Thorpe H. Action Sport Media Consumption Trends Across Generations: Exploring the Olympic Audience and the Impact of Action Sports Inclusion. Communication and Sport. 2019 Aug 1;7(4):415–45.
  3. Aizawa K, Wu J, Inoue Y, Sato M. Long-term impact of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games on sport participation: A cohort analysis. Sport Management Review. 2018 Feb 1;21(1):86–97.
  4. Arnold R, Sarkar M. Preparing athletes and teams for the Olympic Games: Experiences and lessons learned from the world’s best sport psychologists. Int J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2015 Jan 2;13(1):4–20.
  5. Kokolakakis T, Lera-López F, Ramchandani G. Did London 2012 deliver a sports participation legacy? Sport Management Review. 2019 Apr 1;22(2):276–87.
  6. Shi P, Bairner A. Sustainable Development of Olympic Sport Participation Legacy: A Scoping Review Based on the PAGER Framework. Vol. 14, Sustainability (Switzerland). MDPI; 2022.
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