INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

“I felt that the British would vote for the restoration of the
Olympic Games only on the condition that the participants
answered the definition of amateurism”. 11
With this bond, it was possible to give both a positive and
alternative image from sports of that era, which were marked by
professionalism, gambling and tricks. In the same way, the links
cultivated with Ancient Greece ensured the support of intellectuals 12 .
Here stands the ambiguity. Apparently central to Olympism,
amateurism seems in fact to have been a tool at the disposal of Baron
Pierre de Coubertin for furthering his goals. Additionally, the concept
of amateurism itself is difficult to define and points of disagreement
are more numerous than the consensuses. As Lincoln Allison wrote:
“with amateurism the tension at the core is between the criteria of
payment and the idea of loving or liking an activity” 13 . Thus the
debate has consisted in pushing back or reinforcing the limits between
what is and what is not authorized for an amateur athlete. Regularly,
new definitions are developed. In order to have a more precise idea of
amateurism, let us look to some of the numerous writings of Avery
Brundage (President of the I.O.C. from 1952 to 1972) on the subject:
“White is white - black is black, and an amateur is an amateur,
one who engages in sport solely for the pleasure and physical,
mental or social benefits he derives therefrom and to whom sport
is nothing more than an avocation. No one can change the
amateur rule. An athlete is an amateur only so long he is
competing for the love of the sport.” 14
“Today the name ‘amateur’ is probably used more often
incorrectly than correctly. It is often used as a synonym for
beginner, tyro, neophyte or someone who is inexpert, instead of to
describe one who does things because he loves to do them. […]
Amateurism has nothing to do with age, experience, wealth, social
standing, or ability. An amateur can be old or young, he can be
rich or poor, he can be a beginner or a veteran, he can be
uneducated or a doctor of philosophy, he can be a dub or a
champion, as long as he does what he is doing for the pleasure
that he obtains from it and not for any material rewards, direct or
indirect.” 15
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