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

Mehmet Yıldız

Abstract


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research is structured within a historical methodology framework based on a qualitative research approach; it utilizes historical document analysis, discourse-focused analysis, and contextual historical interpretation techniques.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.

Keywords


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

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v13i5.6799

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