The Spirit of the Olympics vs. Commercial Success: A Critical Examination of the Strategic Position of the Olympic Movement
Panagiota Papanikolaou

Abstract
“The Baron?s Dream” about the revival of the ancient Olympic Games was realised at a time when sport was an essential part of the education of young people, both in France -home country of Baron Pierre de Coubertin- and in England, where views on “the moral influence of physical culture” (Guttmann, 2002? Coubertin et al., 1897) where the leitmotiv in discussions amongst the aristocratic circles of the time, albeit, always within the context of amateurism. The ancient fundamental belief regarding the harmonious relationship of body, soul and mind, “the threefold harmony of Hellenism” (Chatziefstratiou & Henry, 2010) whish the Romans term ?mens sana in corpore sano?, became the essential axiom of Olympism: “for education, international understanding, equal opportunities, fair and equal competition, cultural expression, independence of sport and personal excellence embodied in the modern Olympic Games”. This moral and social dimension of the Olympic movement is what distinguishes the Olympic Games “from all other international sport events and institutions” (Girginov, 2010? Garcia, 2002).

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