Academic literature on the topic 'Olympic and Paralympic Game'

This thesis presents a sociological critique of the concept of legacy as it surrounded the London 2012 Paralympic Games. A sociological approach was adopted to challenge much of the spontaneous sociology that surrounds the ascendancy of legacy within the Olympic and Paralympic space. Legacy, disability and the Paralympic Games are the predominant structures of the research problem. The literature review attempts to present a sociology of the sociological approaches in these fields. Underpinning the research design is Bourdieu et al. s (1991) epistemological hierarchy which consists of and proceeds from the break , the construction of a conceptual framework to the empirical design. This hierarchy contributed to the repositioning of legacy from the pursuit of cause and effect, or rather away from the pursuit of legitimacy and illegitimacy, of London 2012 to a study of the proposed and imposed causes and effects, legitimations and illegitimations of it. Aligned to this repositioning is the primary collection of data through interviews with five different institutional fields: government, media, corporate sponsors, disability sport and disability institutions. The research findings present a positional analysis of the inter- and intra-relations of these respective fields. In the discussion key symbolic struggles and issues are presented for each field with particular attention given to the development of the positive leaning and legitimising best ever Paralympic narrative and to the commercial and political legitimacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. It is concluded that legacy is ultimately a symbolic struggle of different visions of respective agents and institutions that are unable to achieve these absolute visions or ends.

Despite a growing body of literature concerned with the sustainability of sports mega-events, there is relatively little analysis examining environmental sustainability commitments at the Olympic Games, and the environmental impact of the Olympics on the host communities. Research to date has lacked an explicit theoretical underpinning and in particular, the use of theoretical perspectives from the sociology of the environment literature to analyse the intersections between the economy, the environment and locality at the Olympic Games, and the environmental impact of the Games on the host communities. This thesis develops a theoretical framework that combines elements of a „Critical/Marxist‟ perspective, Næss‟ philosophical conceptualisation of „shallow‟ and „deep‟ ecology, and Ecological Modernisation Theory (EMT) in order to better understand the relationship between the environment, sustainability and the Olympic Games. Adopting a three-phase qualitative approach which utilises interviews, focus groups and an analysis of secondary sources, the thesis investigates three main topic areas pertaining to environmental sustainability and the Olympics: the International Olympic Committee‟s (IOC) recent commitment to the environment; local governmental perceptions of the environmental impact of the London Games; and local residents‟ and businesses‟ perceptions of the environmental impact of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The research critically assesses the „shallow‟ ecology/light green and EMT perspective historically adopted by Olympic Games organisers and the power relations that have helped to shape this. Within the context of London 2012 there was a perceived shift in priorities as the Games drew closer with the prioritisation of economic concerns and corporate interests over those of local people. Most notably, the ambiguity of „sustainability‟ was identified as a key factor which influenced local perceptions of the environmental impact of the Games. This original theoretically and empirically informed study makes a contribution to the growing body of research on sustainability and the Games, and to our understanding of the environmental impact of the Olympics on host communities.

Research Project (M.R.M.) - Simon Fraser University, 2007.<br>Theses (School of Resource and Environmental Management) / Simon Fraser University. Senior supervisor: Dr. Peter Williams -- School of Resource and Environmental Management. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Travel behaviour change is traditionally regarded as being difficult to achieve, with strategies and initiatives often generating only slow and incremental shifts in behaviour amongst the population. There is an emerging discussion in the literature that more radical approaches to travel behaviour change are needed, to contribute to achieving challenging decarbonisation targets. If a step change is required then one potential source of learning is the study of disruptions to systems of mobility provision, which may provide valuable insights into how more radical travel behaviour change is achieved and, potentially, sustained. This thesis provides an innovative approach to examining major-event disruption, in this case arising from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to understand the potential for change from such large, disruptive events. A four-wave longitudinal panel survey was applied to establish the extent, and longevity, of change in response to the Games. The research uses the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to critically examine travel behaviour. The results show that change was extensive during the Games (54% made at least one change); however change was not often sustained afterwards. Reducing, relocating and re-timing were the most common changes. The key elements of the TTM were not well suited to studying change in such a context, however less commonly used constructs of the model contributed to the identification of four clusters within the sample that provided valuable insight into the behaviour observed. This research makes a valuable contribution to the growing literature around the potential for learning, and opportunities for change, when there is an imperative to do so. Whilst the longevity of changes to travel were limited, the research provided greater understanding of the adaptability and planning involved in response to major-event disruption, and what this means for future travel planning. The clusters generated helped to show the psychological constructs important for supporting different types of change, which can contribute to approaching and understanding travel behaviour change in broader contexts, when there is an imperative to change.

This paper studies the difference in number of tourist arrivals between the Olympic games and the Paralympic games in the hosting countries. Using the difference-in-differences method, results show that there is a difference in the number of tourist arrivals between the summer games and winter games, and that hosting the games have a bigger impact on smaller city than on bigger one. They also show that since Vancouver 2010 the Olympic games always attracted more tourists than the Paralympic games. The main conclusion of this paper is that there is definitely a difference in the tourist inflow between the Olympic games and Paralympic games and that the Olympic games attract more tourists than the Paralympic games.

Equestrian sport has been present on the Modern Olympic programme since 1900 with Para-Equestrian Dressage making its debut at the 1996 Paralympic Games. Due to the combined governance of Olympic and Paralympic versions of the sport, the mixed gender of competition and the potential age range of competitors, equestrian sport provides an opportunity through which to understand a unique context of athlete experience. This thesis has sought to identify and evaluate athlete experience within the context of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to place this experience within the wider career histories of members of the British Equestrian Team. This study utilised a combination of a systematic literature review methodology and ethnographic data collection and analysis with a critical realist approach, creating a framework that values interpretive insights into how the subjects perceive and construct their world whilst at the same time considering ways in which the literature and individual subjects identify, comment on, and frame the reality of the world of equestrian sport. This study has resulted in the emergence of six themes pertaining to experiencing the games; equestrian sporting culture, identity, values, challenges, performance support and success. Results show many similarities and shared experiences for both the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian athletes. The differences regarding the lived experience for these athletes are predominantly associated with the development of the sport, the relative short Paralympic history of equestrian sport in comparison to the Olympic disciplines, and the place of the Games in the context of the riders career histories. Recognising and understanding the kinds of satisfactions and challenges that individuals experience, the significant features of their athlete identity, and the structural constraints and opportunities of their environment may help identify and design the services and provision required to support the athletes through this elite sporting experience.

This Master Thesis develops the challenges of travel modeling during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, more specially for the Paris Olympics in 2024. This problem as been set by IDFM (Île-de-France Mobilités), the transport organisation authority of Paris and its region, that has therefore to deal with public travel during the Olympics. A very simplified model was already in use, but is no longer sufficient. The exceptional nature of this event, considered as a mega-event, requires a precise understanding of the subject as well as a different and adaptive modeling process. Thus, this work presents a detailed methodology for public transport travel modeling in Paris and its surroundings during the Olympics. This model will become more and more refined until the end of this mega-event, in order to present results or advert the multiple stakeholders around the topic of the Olympic Games transportation (event organizers, transport operators). The two significant parts of the model are distinguished and described: the Olympic Games related trips and the background demand, which require two very different approaches. The OG demand needs several assumptions which are often in constant evolution: the versatility of the parameters is a very important point to take into account. On the other side, the background demand prediction is a significant challenge because it differs from what is usually done. Both of these parts are adapted from the principle of the four-step transportation model and reuse parts of the IDFM model, ANTONIN 3, specifically calibrated for the Île-de-France region. It is also necessary to conceive with the will to adapt as much as possible the available transport data and the tools already in operation, such as the model already in use. Suggestions for further improvements are also mentioned to refine the results until the final day which will be possible thanks to enhancements of the input assumptions over time, such as ticketing data for instance.

Mega events such as the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games present unique opportunities to increase the economic and social capital required by destinations to be competitive on the global tourism stage. Engaging Games and community stakeholders in the networks needed to organize and deliver such events is central to creating sustained and positive legacies. Network building and maintenance can occur at a variety of levels and scales. Effective and sustained networks depend on and are shaped by the social and reputational capital created through the process of managing various dimensions of the event. One of the more recent Games’ dimensions used as a vehicle for creating social capital is the Cultural Olympiad. This dissertation creates and tests the utility of a conceptual model in identifying how event organizers strategically select stakeholders and nurture network relations to build the reputational capital needed for sustained competitiveness. It builds this model based on premises and principles emerging from literature related to corporate social responsibility, social capital development, reputational capital creation, Olympic mega-event legacies, tourism destination branding and community based sustainability planning. The study tests the model’s usefulness through a case study of the stakeholders, networks, and outcomes created in the development and delivery of Whistler’s portion of the 2010 Winter Games Cultural Olympiad – ‘Whistler Live!’. It explores the ways in which Whistler engaged its stakeholders and partners so as not only to meet its immediate Olympic goals, but also to contribute the longer term reputation and sustainability of the resort community.

O presente documento apresenta sucintamente os conceitos e definições das geotecnologias, com ênfase em duas ferramentas tecnológicas de suporte a utilização desta metodologia: o geoprocessamento e o sistema de informação geográfica (SIG). A proposta metodológica da utilização da geotecnologias teve como objetivo a observação dos fenômenos dos megaeventos esportivos, que serão sediados na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, a Copa do Mundo de Futebol 2014 e os Jogos Olímpicos e Paralímpicos de 2016, bem como atender as exigências de conclusão da tese de doutorado. Para tal, foram realizados dois artigos que observaram o fenômeno megaeventos esportivos no espaço geográfico da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. O primeiro verificou as mudanças urbanas com as características socioeconômicas ocorridas nas proximidades do parque olímpico, a partir de uma visão temporal da década de 2000. O segundo artigo observou o espaço geográfico da cidade junto aos sítios olímpicos e as mudanças climáticas que vêm ocorrendo nesses locais, através da observação da evolução da temperatura de superfície com a construção de mapas termais, e de dados meteorológicos.<br>This paper presents the concepts and definitions of geotechnology , with emphasis on two different tools to support the use of this methodology: geoprocessing and geographic information system (GIS ) .The use of this methodological proposal, the geotechnologies, had as objective at observing the phenomena of mega sporting events that will be hosted in the city of Rio de Janeiro, World Cup Football 2014 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016, as well as meet the requirements of completion of the doctoral thesis. To this end, two articles which observed the phenomenon sports mega-events in the geographic space of the city of Rio de Janeiro were performed. The first verified the urban changes with socioeconomic characteristics, which occurred near the Olympic Park, from a temporal view of the 2000s. The second article noted the geographic area of the city surrounding to the Olympic site and the climate changes that are occurring in these locations by checking the evolution of the surface temperature with the construction of thermal maps and weather data.