scholarly journals The Olympic Games: The Experience of a Lifetime or Simply the Most Important Competition of an Athletic Career?

2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Rune Dall Jensen ◽  
Ask Vest Christiansen ◽  
Kristoffer Henriksen

AbstractAs a multi-sport event that only takes place every four years and is accompanied by intense media coverage, the Olympic Games are often described by athletes as a defining moment in their careers. The objectives of the present study were: 1) to describe differences in expectations of Olympic debutants towards the Olympics and their actual experiences while they were at the Games; and 2) to describe how the athletes negotiate the balance between performing at and enjoying the experience of the Olympic Games. Further, we will discuss the athletes' stories in light of the differences between the goals and expectations of the elite sport system and those of the individual athletes. Data was collected through a qualitative interview study with a pre- and post-Olympic competition design.Using a semi-structured interview guide, we interviewed 14 Danish Olympic debutants about their Olympic goals and expectations within a month preceding their departure for the Olympic Games and about their actual experiences within a month following their return.Condensed narratives from two Olympic debutants represent the spectrum of the athletes' expectations and experiences: one failed in his performance but had a great experience; the other was successful and won a silver medal but was truly unhappy with her experience. The debutants emphasize balancing their desire to perform with a desire for social experiences. They also discussed the challenges posed during preparation and goal setting.Olympic debutants are caught in a very real dilemma between the Olympics as the “most important competition of their athletic careers” and “the Olympics as the experience of a lifetime.” This dilemma is linked to a wide rift between the perspectives and goals of the sport organization and those of the athletes.

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Fernando Ledesma Perez ◽  
Maria Caycho Avalos ◽  
Juana Cruz Montero ◽  
Andrea Ayala Sandoval

Citizenship is the exercise of the fundamental rights of people in spaces of participation, opinion and commitments, which can not be violated by any health condition in which the individual is. This research aims to interpret the process of construction of citizenship in hospitalized children, was developed through the qualitative approach, ethnomethodological method, synchronous design, with a sample of three students hospitalized in a health institute specializing in childhood, was used Observation technique and a semi-structured interview guide were obtained as results that hospitalized children carry out their citizenship construction in an incipient way, through the communication interaction they make with other people in the environment where they grow up.


Author(s):  
Natalie V. J. Aldhouse ◽  
Helen Kitchen ◽  
Sarah Knight ◽  
Jake Macey ◽  
Fabio P. Nunes ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Alopecia areata (AA) is characterized by hair loss that can affect the scalp and body. This study describes the psychosocial burden of AA. Methods Participants diagnosed with AA who had experienced ≥50% scalp hair loss according to the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) were identified by clinicians. A semi-structured interview guide, developed with expert clinician input, included open-ended questions to explore patients’ experiences of living with AA. Data were thematically analyzed to identify concepts and relationships. Results Participants (n = 45, 58% female, mean age 33.3 years [range 15–72], mean SALT 67.2 [range 0–100]) described the AA diagnosis as “devastating”. Both males and females reported emotional and psychological impacts of AA including feeling sad/depressed (n = 21), embarrassed/ashamed (n = 10) and angry/frustrated (n = 3). Patients felt helpless (n = 5) due to the unpredictability of disease recurrence, and anxious (n = 19) about judgement from others. Many patients avoided social situations (n = 18), which impaired relationships and increased isolation. Coping strategies included concealment of hair loss through wigs or make-up, although fear of the displacement of these coverings also caused anxiety and the avoidance of activities that could result in scalp exposure (n = 22). Some patients became more accepting of AA over time, which lessened the emotional impact, though efficacious treatment was still desired. A conceptual framework was developed, and a conceptual model was created to depict the relationship between the physical signs/symptoms and the associated psychosocial effects of AA. Conclusion AA impairs patients’ emotional and psychological wellbeing, relationships and lifestyles. Greater disease awareness and effective treatments are needed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Persico ◽  
Salome Grandclerc ◽  
Catherine Giraud ◽  
Marie Rose Moro ◽  
Corinne Blanchet

Objective: The siblings of patients suffering from Anorexia Nervosa (AN) are potentially affected by a disturbed emotional experience that often remains undetected. In order to bring them a psychological support, the Maison de Solenn proposed a support group program for these siblings. The current research explores their mental representations of AN and their emotional experience in the support group named “sibling group.”Method: This exploratory study is based on a phenomenological and inductive qualitative method. Four girls and three boys aged between 6 and 19 participating in the “sibling group” were included in a one-time focus group session using a semi-structured interview guide. The thematic data analysis was performed by applying the methods of interpretative phenomenological analysis.Results: Themes that emerged from the interview fall into four categories: AN explained by siblings; the individual emotional experience of siblings; the family experience of siblings and the experience inside the “sibling group.”Discussion: According to our participants, the “sibling group” thus functions as a good compromise between keeping an active role in the anorexic patient's care and taking a step back to avoid being eaten up by the illness. Sibling-group participants retrieved a sense of belonging, which is normally one of the functions of being a sibling. It is important to note that the “sibling group” is part of the comprehensive (or global) family-based approach included in an institutional multidisciplinary integrative care framework.


2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S192-S192
Author(s):  
Nils Sjöström ◽  
David Berg ◽  
Sofia Johansson ◽  
Eva Andreasson ◽  
Margda Waern

Abstract Background In the recent years person-centered methods have been developed to involve relatives in the care of their next of kin. The Early Signs Action Plan (ESAP) was developed to facilitate relatives’ participation in the care of their next of kin in psychiatric outpatient units specialized in the treatment of persons with schizophrenia and similar disorders. The aim was to investigate relatives’ experiences regarding the activation of the action plan for their next of kin. Methods The study is a qualitative interview study using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were conducted with relatives (N=13) to outpatients whose Early Signs Action Plan had been activated. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. The material was then analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results ESAP was positively received by the relatives and most of them experienced that they were participating in the planning of the care of their next of kin’s. Participating in the care also implied a feeling of security and awareness about their next of kin’s early warning signs and what to do in case of a relapse. Relatives also indicated that the ESAP is vulnerable during on call time and during vacation periods. Outdated paths to get in contact with psychiatric services on call time were reported as problematic since this information is crucial for getting in touch with care outside of office hours. Discussion ESAP seems to be a useful tool for the involvement of relatives in the care of their next of kin.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
Natalia Organista ◽  
Zuzanna Mazur

During the last Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Polish female representatives won sig-nificantly more medals compared to men. This fact made the authors examine whether female athletes received proportionate media coverage compared to men. In the course ofresearch, articles from the two largest Polish dailies were analysed (“Gazeta Wyborcza” and “Fakt Gazeta Codzienna”). With the use of content analysis, 197 articles were analysed in order to check whether any quantitative and qualitative differences can be observed in describing women's and men's sport. The results show underrepresentation of press coverage regarding women's sport. The results of qualitative analysis also point to a number of differences when portraying women's and men's sport.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Rasmussen ◽  
Claus Vinther Nielsen ◽  
Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt

Abstract Background: Being active is vital and a source of well-being. However, 18 months after hip fracture (HF), progress seems to have come to a halt. Aged adults may feel vulnerable, experiencing ongoing dependency and limited possibilities for socializing. How they experience the meaningfulness of being active during these circumstances is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of the meaningfulness of being active for aged adults 18 months after HF. Methods: A phenomenological-hermeneutic methodology based on the philosophies of Heidegger and Gadamer was applied. Data were collected using individual interviews conducted in participants’ homes. The study was part of a longitudinal study, and three former interviews helped build trusting relationships with participants and focus the semi-structured interview guide. An existential theory of well-being and suffering considering health to be a balancing of mobility and dwelling was applied. Participants were nine aged adults 65 years or older with pre-fracture dependency included in the study 18 months earlier while still in hospital after HF. The interpretation was a process of analyzing data by moving between the parts and the whole as a means of gaining a deeper understanding and continuously testing pre-understandings. The analysis followed five steps: a) getting a sense of the whole b) delineating and condensing meaning units, c) interpreting meaning units, d) relating to study purpose, and e) developing themes and sub-themes. Results: Two main themes emerged. The main-theme “Feeling the continuity of life“ had four sub-themes: “Gratitude for present possibilities,“ “Connected with earlier life-experience,“ “Thoughtfully managing vulnerability,“ and “Belonging with other people.“ The main-theme “Feeling vulnerable“ had two sub-themes: “Thwarted“ and “Sad and regretting lost continuity in life.“ Conclusions: Eighteen months after HF, aged adults seem to be struggling on their own to be active in meaningful ways. To maintain hope, relieve the strain in everyday life, and maintain a sense of safety and self-confidence, they may need help. However, to avoid suffering, there is a need to balance additional training and a struggle for progress with well-being experiences in terms of feeling gratitude, restoring a sense of normality, and feeling kinship with other people.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwaseyi Aina ◽  
David McGillivray ◽  
Sandro Carnicelli ◽  
Gayle McPherson

Recently, there has been growing concern about the lack of intentionality of mega sport event (MSE) organisers in ensuring that child rights are adequately respected, protected and promoted before, during, and after the events take place. In the context of the summer Olympic Games, reported child rights infringements have been on the rise, both in relation to abuse in sport itself and the negative consequences associated with planning and delivering the Games. In response to reports of child rights infringements, a coalition of actors, including non-governmental and civil society organisations have sought to pressure event owners and organisers to strengthen protections in the planning and delivery of their events. To date, however, child rights commitments have not been fully embedded in policies and principles guiding the planning and delivery of the Olympic Games. In this article, we explore the field of child rights in the context of the Olympic Games, focusing on a case study of the Tokyo 2020 edition. Drawing on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with Tokyo 2020 stakeholders and affiliates, detailed appraisal of the planning process was undertaken. Findings show that while the Japanese authorities have signed up to international child rights conventions and embedded some child participation strategies in Games-related activity, there was little evidence that Tokyo 2020 organisers had developed or implemented robust policies, principles or practises to respect, protect and promote child rights in Games planning. This absence, we argue, is because there was no requirement to embed child rights commitments during the bidding or planning phases, as the IOC had yet to enshrine human rights in its host city contract when the Games were first awarded to Tokyo. In conclusion, we argue that it is imperative the IOC embeds child rights principles and protocols in the bidding and planning processes to ensure that the risks to children are foregrounded and acted upon by host cities and their partners, elevating human rights to a position equal to other Games requirements. This study is of international significance as the evidence will aid future host city bidders to ensure children's rights are embedded in MSE policies for each nation.


MedienJournal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-121
Author(s):  
Lars-Ole Wehden ◽  
Nathalie Schröer

A maximum amount of media coverage is desirable for every sport to attract potential fans, new active members, and sponsors. The Olympic Games draw large audiences and are therefore a chance for niche sports to enter the big media stage. Large time differences between the hosting city and the audiences’ home countries sometimes limit the amount of live coverage viewers can consume – increasing the importance of summarizing coverage formats like bulletins and news shows. This study analyzes this type of coverage about the Olympic Games 2018 on German TV and tries to find predictors for variances in coverage time, with the help of news values theory. Results show that the success of national athletes is by far the strongest predictor, while simplicity, identification, and surprise play a lesser role and tradition and gender seem to make no significant difference in the amount of summarizing coverage a competition yields.


Author(s):  
Petr Studnička ◽  
Pavel Attl

Olympic Games have already been the top worldwide followed sporting event for 120 years. Until recently the Olympic Games were in terms of tourism associated exclusively with visitors' passive follow up. That status started to change with the emergence of an entirely new phenomenon called the Olympic parks. Based on this phenomenon is a research focusing on establishing an Olympic Park 2016 in Lipno nad Vltavou, Czech Republic. Part of the research was to analyze the impact of the Olympic Park it had on the region and the authors evaluated both positive and negative effects. The result of this research was to determine the main impacts of the Olympic Park on the destination, in the short and long terms. The authors concluded that the construction of the Olympic Park was a major impulse for the development of tourism in the area.


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