The Olympic Games Aren't Just for Sport

The Takeaway | Aug 2, 2016

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview.

Like separation of church and state, the separation of sports and politics has never been cut and dry. Bans and boycotts have existed since the earliest days of the Olympic Games.

With the opening ceremony in Rio just days away, David Goldblatt, a renowned sports writer and author of "The Games: A Global History of the Olympics," reminds us that the games are more than just fanfare and competition — they're a proving ground of sorts for new refugee teams and emerging societies where admission is an inroad to exploring identity and nationalism.  

In 1896, the opening ceremony in the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece welcomed 280 athletes from 13 nations. On Friday, more than 200 countries will participate in the opening ceremonies in Rio.

Here, Goldblatt examines the modern evolution of the Olympics. 

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

Mamdani calls for crackdown on NYC's worst drivers after series of hit-and-run deaths

A troubling number of fatal hit-and-runs this summer had street safety advocates calling for the mayor to release his administration's plan to reduce traffic deaths. He released one on Tuesday that centered on a crackdown on reckless motorists.
Gothamist |

2026 Fall Schedule Change

Please Advise: A Pop Up Show from WNYC |

The U.K. Sanctions Israeli Settlements

The Brian Lehrer Show |

Data center spills 5K gallons of diesel into New Jersey Meadowlands

The spill affected a tributary of the Hackensack River. Authorities say cleanup is underway.
Gothamist |
YOU ARE ONLINE