Olympics and pro cyclists: when did the rules change?

[54ny77]

Was having discussion the other day with someone about pros in Olympic sports, and they were complaining about it no longer being amateur competitors only.

I don't know if Michael Phelps, for example, is a "pro" (is he?), or what constitutes being a pro synchornized swimmer, but we all know that there's pros that competed in basketball, cycling, and tennis, for example.

Curious if anyone knew when cycling permitted pro athletes to compete on behalf of their home country, and what the background might be on allowing it.

What do you think of the idea of allowing pros in olympic sport, or should it be amateur?

[Fixed]

We did it in Atlanta
Cheers :)

[Mark McM]

The IOC decided to start allowing professional athletes into the Olympics in 1988, although they allowed the individual International Federations to decide if professionals were allowed for their particular sports. One of the first sports to allow professionals was tennis. The first year the UCI allowed professional cyclists to compete in the Olympics was 1996.

I think the two main reasons for allowing professionals to compete are that: 1) The Olympics are supposed to represent the best in sports, so why exclude a large group of people that are so good that they can actually earn a living at it; and 2) the line between amateur and professional sports has become so blurred that it is hard to define exactly what these terms mean.

[rice rocket]

Let's be honest, it's the TV dollars they're after and pros with recognizable names draws a bigger audience.

[Llewellyn]

Let's be honest, it's the TV dollars they're after and pros with recognizable names draws a bigger audience.

Yep, I think it has more to do with money and getting people to watch the telly than any "noble" Olympic ideal about having the best athletes competing

[Germany_chris]

I think it's another way te test some urine/blood and show that the USG/IOC/USADA are actually in in charge. Now that they have your urine/blood they're free to test it until it runs out, by then I'n sure they'll be able to test to see if you've ingested any drug so they'll come grab grandpas hair than test that. It's a power play plain and simple real politik.

[fogrider]

The IOC decided to start allowing professional athletes into the Olympics in 1988, although they allowed the individual International Federations to decide if professionals were allowed for their particular sports. One of the first sports to allow professionals was tennis. The first year the UCI allowed professional cyclists to compete in the Olympics was 1996.

I think the two main reasons for allowing professionals to compete are that: 1) The Olympics are supposed to represent the best in sports, so why exclude a large group of people that are so good that they can actually earn a living at it; and 2) the line between amateur and professional sports has become so blurred that it is hard to define exactly what these terms mean.

yes, but the real impact was the dream team in basketball! the issue is that for the most part, most of these sports people aren't interested in paying to watch them. I think the diamond league made a go of it with track and field in Europe. but how many of you are willing to pay to see rowing, archery, and other olympic events.

[Fixed]

yes, but the real impact was the dream team in basketball! the issue is that for the most part, most of these sports people aren't interested in paying to watch them. I think the diamond league made a go of it with track and field in Europe. but how many of you are willing to pay to see rowing, archery, and other olympic events.

Me
Cheers :)

[jpw]

The IOC is just yet another sports business hiding behind the protection Swiss jurisdiction and banking secrecy laws.

[torquer]

What do you think of the idea of allowing pros in olympic sport, or should it be amateur?
The whole "amateur" thing has been problematic from the start.
The "gentlemen" who were behind the modern olympic movement had a caste-based distaste for professionals (mostly lower/working class) who might sully their "pure" sporting ideals. Jim Thorpe, among others, would fall afoul of this standard, having played minor-league baseball prior to his appearance in the games.

In later years, it was the eastern blok that took up a cynical attitude towards professionalism: their amateurs were full-time soldiers or state workers whose duties included little else but training. I don't think it was a coincidence that the removal of barriers to professional participation coincided with the fall of the Soviet empire.

[xjoex]

If I recall correctly Prefontaine was a huge critic of the amateurs only model. He was angry that if he wanted to appear in the olympics he could not accept a sponsorship and was forced to live like a pauper .

-Joe

[Aaron O]

While TV money certainly played a role, I think it also had a lot to do with the blurring of amateur vs. pro...for instance, the USSR teams that were submitted as amateurs pissed a lot of folks off and they got tired of losing to state funded "amateurs". I actually liked it better before the pros - who I can see anyway. I find the whole dream team thing boring and I actually tend to root against the US Goliath in basketball. Maybe it's an underdog thing, but I don't enjoy watching Kobe Bryant dunk on a 6'2 Lithuanian.

Some countries take the olympics far too seriously...as if it means something. It's a nice athletic competition...and it's almost become a surrogate for winning armed conflicts. Congratulations to the Chinese for dominating everyone in ping pong :rolleyes:.

[goonster]

Amateur status is almost impossible to define and enforce.

The standard Prefontaine was held to was unjust and exploitative. The athletes are still exploited, but as long as there is some commercial interest in their sport, they are at least allowed to make some money to pay the bills.

I think one of the last areas where amateur status is strictly enforced is U.S. collegiate sports. The NCAA holds athletes to extremely strict standards (which are seemingly tightened all the time), while TV contracts fill everyone else's pockets. It will stay that way, because college sports enjoy a sanctified status, and the big names go on to fabulous wealth in the pros.

Soccer has an interesting, but entirely arbitrary, method to ensure the Olympics don't encroach on the World Cup's turf too much: all but three members of the roster have to be under 23 years of age.