Olympic Athletes: Amateur or Professional?

In the 1970s and 80s The Soviet Union's athletes dominated the gold, silver and bronze of the Olympics. Those athletes were supported by the government and required to train as if it were their job. But they still signed the required paperwork saying they were amateur athletes.

In 1986 the professional/amateur requirement was deleted from the Olympic charter to prevent the further monopoly of the Soviet athletes, allowing "all the world's great male and female athletes to participate."

Since then, we've seen professional athletes sweep the world with their predictable wins as well as no-names setting world records.

Did professionalism take over the Olympics?

Let's take, for example, current Olympic/professional athletes that make up the 2006 USA Men's Hockey Team (click to see the roster with their NHL team). The National Hockey League took a break in its season to allow its selected players into the games. Obviously the USA wanted to send its absolute best to compete with other nations such as Canada or Sweden. But is this the best way?

Men's Basketball has also sent All-Star Teams including Jordan's Dream Team in Barcelona. But what about baseball? Major League Baseball does not allow its players time off, but instead sends AAA or AA players who have not made it to the highest professional level.

Or for sports where the Olympics is "the next level," such as softball. Being on the Olympic Softball Team is the highest level you can take fast-pitch softball. They are the professional athletes, that is until the IOC voted it down along with baseball for the 2012 games.


Or Gymnastics. Everyone recalls Kerri Strug who helped the USA win the gold in 1996. Her dream was to become an Olympic Athlete. Isn't Kerri Strug exactly what the Olympics is about?

Now it’s become about drugs and which enhancements are allowed by the IOC and which are banned. Who's kicked out after four year's of training and who just slipped by with the right kind.

All Olympic athletes are required to take the Olympic Oath, now swearing against illegal substances, when it used to be about the glory of the sport.

Let's take the Olympic Games back to what they are supposed to be: competing for the love of the sport, showing your dedication to something you love and representing your country, making yourself, your family, your country proud.