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A Gold Medal for the Market: The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the Reagan Era, and the Politics of Neoliberalism

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Abstract

The 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles are widely viewed as a transitional moment when the Olympic movement retreated from the idea of government-supported organisation in favour of a new model of private-public partnerships, built heavily on corporate sponsorship. Olympic supporters have viewed this transition as a story of success and salvation. The market-oriented approach introduced in Los Angeles is said to have ‘saved’ the Olympics by lessening the financial burdens on host cities and increasing the economic attractiveness of the Olympic Games as an international event.1 The years since 1984 have seen the continued growth of revenues for Olympic sport as the IOC has evolved into a sophisticated corporate organisation with a clear understanding of how best to commercialise the Olympic ‘brand’.

Keywords

Olympic Game Gold Medal International Olympic Committee Reagan Administration Summer Game 
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© Rick Gruneau and Robert Neubauer 2012

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