An Olympic roundup of blog posts

By Alice Northover

It’s been a long, hard road to London 2012 and while the closing ceremony brings an end to the sporting events and spectacle, we all know it’s not truly the end. The Paralympics begin in a few weeks. There will continue to be reports, analysis, and even a few more blog posts from us. Let’s take a look back on Olympic news, analysis, context, and history from the past few months.

And we’ll see you in Rio de Janeiro in 2016!

Exactly how modern is the Olympics?
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens | This Day in World History (6 April 1896)

Why did the Olympic cafe change its name to the Lympic cafe?
Why is there a ban on advertising activity in and around the Olympic Games? by Phillip Johnson

Money is corrupting true athletics… an age old problem?
The Money Games by David Potter

Will you take away my baby’s knitted Olympic Rings jumper?
How not to infringe Olympic intellectual property rights by Rachel Montagnon

What do we have in common with the athletes, coaches, and spectators of the past?
The Ties That Bind Ancient and Modern Sports, a video interview with David Potter

What is the lasting effect of the Olympics in the local London area?
What is the health impact of the 2012 London Olympic transport plans? An interview with Mark McCarthy

Did you know that music and poetry were once part of Olympic competitions?
The Olympics and Music: then and now by Lucy Allen

Why did Mayor of London Boris Johnson recite a poem in Greek at the Royal Opera House?
The Victory Odes of Pindar, an excerpt from the introduction by Stephen Instone to The Complete Odes by Pindar, translated by Anthony Verity

Who were the great sportsmen and women of Britain’s Olympic past?
British Olympic lives By Mark Curthoys

When did North and South Korea begin competing as separate countries?
Olympic confusion in North and South Korea flag mix-up by Jasper Becker

Amazing, beautiful, frightening, and a little confusing… Who was that supposed to be exactly, Danny Boyle?
An ODNB guide to the people of the London 2012 opening ceremony By Philip Carter

You, me, three corgis, a helicopter, and the greatest theme song ever made.
James Bond at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony by Jon Burlingame

From 17th century masque to Dizzee Rascal…
Music and the Olympic Opening Ceremony: Pageantry and Pastiche by Ron Rodman

What do you know about performance-enhancing drug testing?
Test Your Smarts on Dope by Leslie Taylor

How do Americans versus Brits approach the Games with music
Music and the Olympics: A Tale of Two Networks by Ron Rodman

The corrupting influential of private funding… in Ancient Rome.
Funding and Favors at the Olympics by David Potter

What is the relationship between athletics and music?
Excelling Under Pressure by Gerald Klickstein

You hate the Olympics! Do you love Harry Potter?
Anyone for Quidditch? by Adam Pulford

Casey’s English teacher is at the bat.
Baseball: America’s national language? by Allison Wright

Football or soccer. (Ha! I mentioned it.)
The language of the beautiful game (just don’t mention the S-word) by Owen Goodyear

Can you count the wickets?
Of chanceless innings and textbook shots: the language of cricket and what it says about the game by Jean Pierre de Rosnay

Golf is the best way to ruin a good walk.
Brassies, bunkers, and bogeys: celebrating The Open by Fiona McPherson

ANDY MURRAY IS A GOLD MEDALLIST!
Anyone for tennis? by Fiona McPherson

From Jesse Owens to Gabby Douglas…
African Americans at the Olympic Games by Robert Repino

Do you know your Mandeville from Mandeville? Medieval and early modern England in London 2012.
Where are the ‘Isles of Wonder?’ by Anthony Bale

What does ‘great’ mean in sports, ancient and modern?
Olympic Greatness by David Potter

What is cheating?
The Science Behind Drugs in Sport, an audio interview with Chris Cooper

How to ensure your blog editor loses sleep…
The Oxford Companion to the London 2012 Opening Ceremony by Alice Northover

Still to come…

Understanding Olympic design

An analysis of the closing ceremony

An analysis of Olympic knock-offs

Alice Northover joined Oxford University Press as Social Media Manager in January 2012. She is editor of the OUPblog, constant tweeter @OUPAcademic, daily Facebooker at Oxford Academic, and Google Plus updater of Oxford Academic, amongst other things. You can learn more about her bizarre habits on the blog.

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Image credit: Pictured London2012 mascots Wenlock and Mandeville. Athletes and local children first on completed track Picture taken 03.10.11 by David Poultney for LOCOG.