Olympic Diplomacy as Contestation

How can the Olympic vision, centered on mutual understanding among peoples and nations, be reconciled with an international scenario such as the contemporary one, marked by the crisis of shared institutions and norms, the contestation of US hegemony by a plurality of emerging powers, and a heightened risk of tensions and fragmentation in global governance? How does critique of dominant norms, principles and values translate into contestation in the stadiums, on the stands and on the playing grounds – and is it possible to arrive at a definition of a different and more shared, 'post-Olympic' conception of sport? These are the underlying questions posed by the special core Olympic Diplomacy as Contestation, edited by Emidio Diodato and Veronica Strina in the June 2023 issue of The International Spectator, which will be presented during a dedicated webinar on June 20, 5:30-7pm CEST.