Sample Answer
Question 30 a (8 marks – 2012 HSC PDHPE Exam)
Explain the impact on athletes and the Australian public, of Australia’s use of sport for political purposes.
Explain the impact on athletes and the Australian public, of Australia’s use of sport for political purposes.
There are many instances when sport has been used for political purposes. The impact has been varied in its impact on athletes and the Australian public.
An early example of this was during the Depression in the 1930s where the sporting success of Donald Bradman became a focal point of interest amongst the Australian public. No doubt his exploits against the British and achieving great sporting success provided a welcome distraction for people struggling in their day-to-day lives.
Between the 1970s and 1990s, the Australian government joined international political boycotts of all sporting events against South Africa in protest against apartheid – eg cricket and rugby. The impact on the athletes was that they were unable to play against high-standard athletes from South Africa. The issue of apartheid and the human rights abuses that went with that had an impact on the Australian public by highlighting the issues and broadening the understanding.
The Olympic Games has been an event that has seen many instances of political views and stances being raised by both athletes and governments. During the 1968 Mexico Olympics, an Australian runner was involved in a very significant political stance made by two black African American runners know as the ‘Black Power salute’. Peter Norman came second in the race and to show his support for the Americans wore a human rights badge at the medal ceremony. The controversy that ensued resulted in Norman being banned from ever representing his country again. The impact on him as an athlete was huge and cut short the career of a world-class sprinter.
Another example where politics has been used was the Moscow Olympics of 1980. USSR (Russia) had invaded Afghanistan and many countries boycotted the games. The Australian government put a lot of pressure on the athletes to not attend and even offered money to athletes to convince them to not participate. Many athletes chose to participate but experienced death threats and were put down by the media. At the last minute, the team marched under the Olympic flag instead of the Australian flag. This meant that Australia was not supporting the USSR invasion of Afghanistan. The athletes were happy to march under the Olympic flag because for them, the focus was on sport not politics. The Olympics are often used as a forum for international political issues where countries can voice their opinions and send messages to the world.
The Australian government created the AIS because of the decrease in sporting achievement in the 1970s and 1980s eg Montreal Olympics. The aim was to provide better support for its athletes so they could be more competitive at an international level. Sporting success fits closely to nationalism and patriotism and many politicians recognise this link for them to achieve political success. Politicians involved certainly gained when the 2000 Olympics went well and this proved to be a good political decision for them. The positive impact for athletes was the development of great facilities and home ground advantages. For the Australian public – great waves of pride and nationalism. Politicians recognise the need to have good news stories and often will attend sporting events to ensure their support is widely recognised and reported on. Good press is always important for their public image. A more recent example of this is the cancelled national cricket tour of Zimbabwe in 2007 as a protest against the human rights violations by the Zimbabwe government. Cathy Freeman running with the Aboriginal and Australian flag is another example of individual athletes highlighting their own political points of view. This was a symbolic show of reconciliation on a very large stage – Olympic Games.
An early example of this was during the Depression in the 1930s where the sporting success of Donald Bradman became a focal point of interest amongst the Australian public. No doubt his exploits against the British and achieving great sporting success provided a welcome distraction for people struggling in their day-to-day lives.
Between the 1970s and 1990s, the Australian government joined international political boycotts of all sporting events against South Africa in protest against apartheid – eg cricket and rugby. The impact on the athletes was that they were unable to play against high-standard athletes from South Africa. The issue of apartheid and the human rights abuses that went with that had an impact on the Australian public by highlighting the issues and broadening the understanding.
The Olympic Games has been an event that has seen many instances of political views and stances being raised by both athletes and governments. During the 1968 Mexico Olympics, an Australian runner was involved in a very significant political stance made by two black African American runners know as the ‘Black Power salute’. Peter Norman came second in the race and to show his support for the Americans wore a human rights badge at the medal ceremony. The controversy that ensued resulted in Norman being banned from ever representing his country again. The impact on him as an athlete was huge and cut short the career of a world-class sprinter.
Another example where politics has been used was the Moscow Olympics of 1980. USSR (Russia) had invaded Afghanistan and many countries boycotted the games. The Australian government put a lot of pressure on the athletes to not attend and even offered money to athletes to convince them to not participate. Many athletes chose to participate but experienced death threats and were put down by the media. At the last minute, the team marched under the Olympic flag instead of the Australian flag. This meant that Australia was not supporting the USSR invasion of Afghanistan. The athletes were happy to march under the Olympic flag because for them, the focus was on sport not politics. The Olympics are often used as a forum for international political issues where countries can voice their opinions and send messages to the world.
The Australian government created the AIS because of the decrease in sporting achievement in the 1970s and 1980s eg Montreal Olympics. The aim was to provide better support for its athletes so they could be more competitive at an international level. Sporting success fits closely to nationalism and patriotism and many politicians recognise this link for them to achieve political success. Politicians involved certainly gained when the 2000 Olympics went well and this proved to be a good political decision for them. The positive impact for athletes was the development of great facilities and home ground advantages. For the Australian public – great waves of pride and nationalism. Politicians recognise the need to have good news stories and often will attend sporting events to ensure their support is widely recognised and reported on. Good press is always important for their public image. A more recent example of this is the cancelled national cricket tour of Zimbabwe in 2007 as a protest against the human rights violations by the Zimbabwe government. Cathy Freeman running with the Aboriginal and Australian flag is another example of individual athletes highlighting their own political points of view. This was a symbolic show of reconciliation on a very large stage – Olympic Games.
