DID THE OLYMPICS INCREASE PARTICIPATION LEVELS?
No-one would dispute that the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games were important sporting events in Australia’s history. We have heard about the success of these games in terms of our medal tallies, the stimulation of the economy and increased tourism. But did the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games have an impact on the level of participation in sport and physical activity of the general Australian population? It has long been suggested that such a ‘trickle down’ effect occurs, whereby people are inspired to become more active due to the successes of Olympic athletes and the staging of such high profile events. However, a counter hypothesis has also been suggested; that is, some have argued that the sporting excellence on display at major sporting events may actually discourage the average person from participating in physical activity due to the perceived gap between their level of ability and that of the elite athlete.
To date, little empirical evidence exists to support either hypothesis.
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