Article
Details
Citation
Dimeo P, Hunt TM & Bowers M (2011) Saint or Sinner?: A Reconsideration of the Career of Prince Alexandre de Merode, Chair of the International Olympic Committee¡¯s Medical Commission, 1967-2002. International Journal of the History of Sport, 28 (6), pp. 925-940. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2011.557912
Abstract
This article explores the role of Prince Alexandre de Merode in heading the IOC¡¯s fight against drugs from the 1960s to 2002. History has not served de Merode very well. He has been presented in simplistic ways that emerge from context rather than evidence ¨C as either a saint or a sinner. IOC-sanctioned accounts cast him in the mould of the saint: a moral and intelligent man who saved sports from doping. In contrast, sports academics have tended to portray him as a sinner: an ineffectual leader who did not develop either the testing systems or the punishments required to prevent doping and who deliberately concealed evidence of high-profile doping cases. This article assesses both representations before presenting information to support a richer and more complicated interpretation.
Keywords
International Olympic Committee; Prince Alexandre de Merode; International Olympic Committee; Olympics History; Doping in sports
Journal
International Journal of the History of Sport: Volume 28, Issue 6
Status | Published |
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Publication date | 30/04/2011 |
URL | |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
ISSN | 0952-3367 |
eISSN | 1743-9035 |
People (1)
Professor, Sport