Olympic Future- Empirical Investigations During The Olympic Games In Sydney 2000 And Salt Lake 2002. From The Spectators Perspective- What Threatens Future Olympic Games?

Introduction
The XXVII. Olympic Summer Games in Sydney 2000 and the XIX. Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City 2002 have been a great
success for the responsible organisation committees. Due to certain dangers that have threatened the past and even the just staged
Olympic Games - what significance have these threats for spectators at the Olympic Games?

Methods
The "Research Team Olympia" from the University of Mainz/Germany had favourable conditions for an empiric
investigation with spectators at the modern pentathlon venue at Sydney and the biathlon venue at "Soldier Hollow". A
total number of 1677/1130 spectators in Sydney/Salt Lake answered the questionnaire. These respondents do not
represent the Olympic spectator in the whole but as far as they were viewing other kinds of wintersport in Salt Lake,
some of their attitudes reflect a wider experience than just Biathlon. The spectators received on site a standard
questionnaire, which has been used in a similar way in previous games.

Results
More than a fifth (21.3%) of the questioned used to be spectators of Olympic Games traditionally, so there has been a high number of
"experts" being part of the investigation. A high number of well-educated persons, 54% passed the university, took part as well.

Discussion/Conclusion
The Olympic Spectators do recognise certain threats that effect the staging of Olympic Games. These results are
significant points of the spectators’ sensibility for dangers within the Olympic Movement. The frequencies vary due to
problems, which took effect in the particular Olympic year or in the pre-phase of the survey. They even vary on the
main nationalities of the questioned spectators. In conclusion these results will give an example on how spectators
realise dangers for the Olympic Movement.

References
[1]. Buchwalder, M. A. (2004). Olympiabezogene Einstellungen und Sozialstruktur von Biathlon-Zuschauern bei den
Olympischen Winterspielen in Salt Lake 2002 im Vergleich mit Pentathlon-Zuschauern in Sydney 2000 -
Ergebnisse standardisierter Befragungen. Unpublished academical thesis. University of Mainz/Germany, 2004.
[2]. Mueller, N. et al. (2000). Sydney 2000 - from the spectators’ perspective. In: OR XXVII - 45, 5-8

NOTA: O texto com a iconografia está no anexo.

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