Britain and the Olympic Games

Book excerpt: London 1948 created the economic model for the Olympic movement for the twentieth century. More importantly, it taught us that sport matters to society. As the Olympic Games returns to Britain in 2012, the parallels in context with 1948 are stark. For the Berlin airlift, read Afghanistan and Iraq. For political manipulation in Berlin 1936, read Beijing. Domestically, financial recession, public debt and questions of infrastructure legacy challenge the 2012 Organising Committee in the same way they were challenged in 1948. Britain needs a boost. Father and son team, Matt Rogan and Martin Rogan closely examine the key themes connected to the Games – from winning the Olympic Games for London to the practical realities of delivering gold medal performance, coaching and funding athletes to the business model of the Games. They interview a breadth of people – from 2012 hopefuls to Olympic Gold Medallists, Sports Coaches to NHS doctors, 1948 veterans and 2012 BBC commentators to stadium constructors, current World Champions and British Olympic Team Managers. If London 1948 changed the model for the Olympic Games and the social climate in Britain for the remainder of the twentieth century, the same will be true of London 2012 for the twenty-first century.