FROM OLYMPISM TO COLD WAR SPORT POLITICS: THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT AT THE HELSINKI 1952 OLYMPICS

Autors/ores

  • Mehmet Yıldız Gazi University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Türkiye

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v13i5.6799

Paraules clau:

The 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, the Cold War, the Soviet Union, Olympic politics

Resum

The aim of this study is to examine the 1952 Helsinki Olympics within the framework of the political, ideological, and diplomatic dynamics of the early Cold War period, revealing its historical role in the transformation process of the Olympic movement. The study specifically evaluates the effects of the Soviet Union's participation in the Olympic movement on the politicization of international sport, the association of medal competition with discourses of ideological superiority, the fragility of the Olympic universality concept in the face of geopolitical tensions, and the function of the Olympics in cultural diplomacy and the production of symbolic power. The research is structured within a historical methodology framework based on a qualitative research approach; it utilizes historical document analysis, discourse-focused analysis, and contextual historical interpretation techniques. The primary data sources for the research consist of The Official Report of the Games of the XV Olympiad Helsinki 1952, archival news from The New York Times of the period, and academic studies on Cold War sports history, Olympic policies, and the Soviet sports system. The findings demonstrate that the Helsinki 1952 Olympics represent a significant turning point in modern Olympic history, not only in terms of sporting achievements but also in terms of political and ideological transformation. The success achieved by the Soviet Union in its first Olympic participation, in particular, contributed to the interpretation of Olympic competition in terms of international prestige, systemic superiority, and ideological representation. Furthermore, the spatial separation of delegations, media discourses, and debates surrounding Olympic amateurism highlighted the impact of the Cold War on the structural elements of the Olympic movement. Consequently, the Helsinki 1952 Olympics marked a crucial historical turning point in the Olympic movement's transformation from a discourse of universal unity and political neutrality to a more political, ideological, and symbolic international organization shaped by Cold War dynamics. This process contributed to a more prominent role for the Olympics in international visibility, cultural diplomacy, and symbolic power struggles.

Biografia de l'autor/a

  • Mehmet Yıldız, Gazi University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Türkiye

    Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Yıldız is a faculty member at the Faculty of Sports Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sports Education at Gazi University. He completed his undergraduate education at Hacettepe University, School of Sport Sciences and Technology, Department of Recreation, received his master’s degree in Physical Education and Sports Education from Gazi University, and completed his doctoral studies at Gazi University Institute of Educational Sciences. His doctoral dissertation focused on the employment, studies, and impacts of foreign experts invited to Türkiye in the field of physical education and sports during the Republican period (1923–1973). Dr. Yıldız’s academic research primarily focuses on physical education and sports pedagogy, sports history, Turkish educational history, sports sociology, and the modernization of physical education in Türkiye. His studies particularly examine the historical development of physical education and sports institutions, foreign experts in Turkish sports history, educational reforms in sports sciences, and contemporary approaches in physical education teaching. He has published numerous academic articles, book chapters, and books on sports history, physical education teacher training, educational policies, artificial intelligence applications in sports sciences, and the historical development of Turkish sports institutions. Among his notable works are Türkiye’ye Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Alanında Gelen Yabancı Uzmanlar (1923–1973) and studies related to the history of wrestling and sports education in Türkiye. In addition to his academic studies, Dr. Yıldız has served in various academic and administrative positions, including Vice Dean, Deputy Head of Department, and Deputy Director at the Faculty of Sports Sciences, Gazi University. He continues to teach undergraduate courses related to physical education teaching methods, Turkish educational history, research methods, and sports sciences.

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Descàrregues

Publicat

2026-06-17

Número

Vol. 13 Núm. 5 (2026)

Secció

Articles

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