http://www.eurasiareview.com/05072016-the-not-so-beautiful-game-the-corruption-that-dogs-the-olympics-oped/ tells about the corruption that is now part of the Olympics.

”Russia could easily claim the gold for its spectacular mishandling of the Sochi Olympics, which included everything from rumors of bribes that it had paid out to win the bid away from Austria, to shoddy construction standards and allegations that Putin’s cronies cremed off the most lucrative contracts. And the string of controversies didn’t end there, but made a comeback earlier this year when clear evidence of industrial scale athlete doping was revealed to the New York Times by Grigory Rodchenkov, the director of Russia’s anti-doping laboratory during the Sochi Olympics.”

“The financial problems the Games is causing for Brazil are already well-documented, as is the fact that poor Rio inhabitants are being forcibly pushed aside to make way for the Games.”

“The 2018 Winter Games in South Korea are already tinged by controversy, … as South Korea’s president, Lee Myung-Bak pardoned chairman of Samsung and IOC member Lee Kun-Hee for tax evasion, making it quite clear that he hoped this kindness could be returned when it came to assessing his nation’s Olympics bid. With the bid now confirmed, the team is already facing resignations of key players and even more corruption allegations.”

When I was seven in 1932, the Olympics came to my town of Lake Placid, NY. There was no Olympic Village. The athletes were amateurs who came to Lake Placid and looked for a place to stay. My artist uncle created the designs on the ice for the figure skaters and supervised the creation of the rink. The achievements of the individual athletes were more important than the number of medals won by a particular nation. The Stevens brothers won the bobsled competition and were back at work in their garage the next day.

In 1936 the Nazi Olympics were held in Berlin. Goebbels initiated the torch bearing, and the Olympics were completely transformed to an arena of international rivalry rather than friendly competition. In my opinion the Olympic cheating, commercialism, nationalism and corruption cannot be corrected. The Olympics should be ended.

I second this, David.

Some people take life far too seriously. Others are just miserable buggers.

' n my opinion the Olympic cheating, commercialism, nationalism and corruption cannot be corrected' yep the adamic nature David f just like yours and mine.

The Olympics lost me when they opened up it's ranks allowing professionals to participate, when previously it was strictly for amateurs. When the pro's were permitted then corruption started to rear it's ugly head, as does any activity where sadly, filthy lucre is a force to be reckoned with.

The question, whether they should disband the Olympics altogether? No, but it should be inverted back, to the days of a strictly amateur competition, thus dissuading those with the big money, from getting involved at all.

Dear o sung wu,

It would be fine if they could go back to a purely amateur contest, but I don't think they can. There would still be advertising, national competition with competitors rewarded in some manner, broadcasting rights etc. Olympics would be held with professional athletes masquerading as amateurs. That's the way it is with some supposed amateur university sports in the USA.