A Reality Check for the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games

  1. Carlos García Martí 1
  1. 1 Universidad Europea de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Europea de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/04dp46240

Libro:
Playing Pasts

Editorial: Manchester Metropolitan University

ISBN: 978-1-910029-56-5

Año de publicación: 2021

Páginas: 106-119

Tipo: Capítulo de Libro

Resumen

Over the years, the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games have simultaneously become a founding myth of Spanish democracy and Spanish sport and the paradigmatic example of an Olympics Games with a positive legacy. After almost thirty years since its celebration, the time may have come to analyse to what extent this myth corresponds to reality. To do this, we will first analyse the different levels in which it has operated: as an example of the economic modernization of the country; as evidence of the democratic consensus in Spain; as a success story of elite sports policy; and as an example of urban renewal. The subsequent critical analysis will try to make emerge those aspects that the myth omits or hides. It is not about denying the positive aspects of those games, but to help clarify the debates about the sustainability of the main sports mega-event on the planet.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • [1] For example, the opening phrase in the article about the 1992 Olympic Games of the Encyclopedia Britannica online version states: ‘The 1992 Games were perhaps the most-successful modern Olympics’. ‘Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games’, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019.
  • [2] The climax of the construction issues were the water leaks at the inauguration of the Olympic Stadium at the World Athletic Coup on September 9, 1989. See for example M.A. Santos, ‘La Ceremonia de La Confusión’, El Mundo Deportivo, 9 September 1989.
  • [3] Miquel De Moragas, ‘La Cultura Mediterránea En Los Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona’ 92’ (Barcelona, 1993).
  • [4] Jesús J. Sebastián Llorente, ‘La Idea De Europa De Ortega Y Gasset’, Revista de Estudios Políticos 83 (1994): 221–45.
  • [5] Carles Sirera Miralles, ‘Neglecting the 19th Century: Democracy, the Consensus Trap and Modernization Theory in Spain’, History of the Human Sciences 28, no. 3 (20 July 2015): 51–67.
  • [6] The show was created by the Catalonian comedy group Els Joglars and aired on Spanish public television on November 4th, 1989. See Rosana Torres, ‘Albert Boadella Presentó Anoche Su ‘Sarcástica’ Serie’, El País, 31 October 1989.
  • [7] John Hargreaves, Freedom for Catalonia? Catalan Nationalism, Spanish Identity and the Barcelona Olympic Games (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000).
  • [8] Joan Botella, ‘Los Juegos Políticos. Actores y Estrategias En Torno a Los Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona 1992’, in Las Claves Del Éxito1, ed. Miquel de Moragas and Miquel Botella (Barcelona: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 1996), 177–87.
  • [9] For an overview of the democratic transition, see for example Javier Tusell, La Transición a La Democracia (España, 1975-1982) (Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, 2007); Álvaro Soto Carmona, Transición y Cambio En España: 1975-1996 (Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 2005).
  • [10] Falange was the dictatorship’s official party and the only one legal during that time.
  • [11] Juan Antonio Simón, ‘El Mundial de Fútbol de 1982: Escaparate de La Nueva Democracia Española= The World Cup 1982: A Showcase of the Spain’s New Democracy’, Materiales Para La Historia Del Deporte 10 (2012): 87–104.
  • [12] In 1982 there were active the Basque separatist terrorist group ETA, the extreme-left terrorist group GRAPO and the government death-squads Batallón Vasco-Español.
  • [13] Manuel Llanos, ‘Así Colaboró El Comité Olímpico Español En El Éxito Del 92’, in Las Claves Del Éxito, ed. Miquel de Moragas and Miquel Botella (Barcelona: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 1996), 68–87.
  • [14] Botella, ‘Los Juegos Políticos. Actores y Estrategias En Torno a Los Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona 1992’.
  • [15] Lluis Millet i Serra, ‘Los Juegos de La Ciudad’, in Las Claves Del Éxito, ed. Miquel de Moragas and Miquel Botella (Barcelona: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 1996), 232–49.
  • [16] Pere Duran, ‘Turisme: Els Impact Del Jocs i de La Seva Imatge Sobre El Turisme’, in Barcelona: L’herència Dels Jocs, ed. Miquel de Moragas and Miquel Botella (Barcelona: Editorial Planeta, 2002), 275–94.
  • [17] Crony capitalism and corruption were widespread during both the Francoist dictatorship (1939-1975) and the monarchic period (1874-1931) where local political leaders controlled the elections through political patronage.
  • [18] Ana Carbajosa, ‘España Supera Por Primera Vez a Italia En Riqueza Por Habitante’, El País, 18 December 2007.
  • [19] Antonio Martín Sanabria and Bibiana García Medialdea, ‘Lending Calling. Recession by over-Indebtedness: Description and Specific Features of the Spanish Case’, Panoeconomicus 63, no. 2 (2016): 195–210, https://doi.org/10.2298/PAN1602195M.
  • [20] Fernando J. Pérez, ‘Governing Popular Party and Its Ex-Treasurer, Sentenced in Massive Corruption Case’, El País, 24 May 2018.
  • [21] In the last Eurobarometer, 69% of Spaniards thought Spain membership was a good thing generally speaking, but only 42% considered that their voice counted in the EU. See European Parliament, ‘Spring Eurobarometer 2019. Closer To the Citizens, Closer To the Ballot’ (Brussels, 2019).
  • [22] For a critical reprisal of La Transición see Juan Carlos Monedero, La Transición Contada a Nuestro Padres (Madrid: Catarata, 2017); Guillem Martínez, CT o La Cultura de La Transición (Barcelona: Debolsillo, 2012).
  • [23] The Partido Popular has refused several times to condemn Francoism, the last time in 2018. See Alejandro Torrús, ‘PP y Ciudadanos No Se Suman a La Condena Del Franquismo Aprobada Por El Senado’, Público, 21 November 2018.
  • [24] Sam Jones, ‘Spanish Parties Enlist Support of Far-Right Vox to Control Madrid’, The Guardian, 15 June 2019.
  • [25] Juan Mora, ‘Gómez Navarro Quería Unos Laboratorios ‘Tipo RDA’’, El País1, 13 October 1988.
  • [26] ‘ADO: Un Proyecto Único’ (Madrid, 1993).
  • [27] José Lui Barbería, ‘El Tour Castiga Al ONCE Con La Exclusión de Saiz y Del Médico Del Equipo’, El País, 17 June 1999.
  • [28] ‘La UCI Rehabilita a Moreno de Su Caso de ‘Doping’’, El País, 28 November 1991.
  • [29] ‘Tarradellas, Del ADO, Abandona El Ciclismo Porque Dice Que Le Han ‘Dopado’’, El País, 27 November 1991.
  • [30] Robert Álvarez and Rafael Carbonell, ‘El Presidente de La Federación Catalana Denuncia Cuatro Casos Más y La Existencia de Una Mano Negra’, El País, 21 September 1991.
  • [31] Carlos Arribas, ‘La Fallida Investigación a Jesús Losa’, El País, 20 October 2009.
  • [32] Carlos Arribas, ‘La Federación de Ciclismo Fichó Al Doctor Ferrari Para Dopar Al Equipo de Pista En Atlanta 96’, El País, 17 April 2018.
  • [33] Eduardo Rodrigálvarez, ‘La Enésima Batalla’, El País, 16 December 2000.
  • [34] Carlos Arribas, ‘El Juez Entrega Las Bolsas Pero Absuelve a Eufemiano y Labarta’, El País, 15 June 2016.
  • [35] Rodrigo Pardo and Dominique Bodin, ‘Análisis de Prensa de Los Casos de Dopaje de Marta Domínguez y Alberto Contador: ¿héroes o Villanos?’, Historia y Comunicacion Social 17 (2012): 297–316.
  • [36] idealista.com, main real state Spanish webpage shows mean price went from 11.6 euros/m2 to 17.5. Natalia Bravo, ‘Así Ha Evolucionado El Alquiler En Barcelona En Los Últimos Diez Años’, idealista.com, 2018 www.idealista.com/news/inmobiliario/vivienda/2018/03/01/764561-asi-ha-evolucionado-el-alquiler-en-barcelona-en-los-ultimos-diez-anos.
  • [37] Clara Blanchar, ‘Barcelona Mayor Introduces One-Year Ban on New Tourist Accommodation’, El País, 2 July 2015.
  • [38] Horacio Capel Saez, ‘¿En Qué Ha Fallado Barcelona?’, Finisterra, XLV, 90 XLV, no. 90 (2010): 173–204.