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The Olympic Games, nation branding, and public diplomacy in a post-pandemic world: Reflections on Tokyo 2020 and beyond

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  • Yoav Dubinsky

    (University of Oregon)

Abstract

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were the first postponed Olympic Games, held in 2021, during an outbreak of a global pandemic, with strict restrictions and regulations and without international and domestic fans. Despite the challenges and the growing resistance, over 200 countries and delegations still saw value in participating in the most global event humanity holds. After covering or researching the Olympic Movement for over a decade including in four summer Olympic Games as an accredited journalist, the author shares ten reflections on nation branding and public diplomacy and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on the following issues: (1) The Olympic Movement is entering a new era, (2) questionable legacy, (3) bypassing democracy, (4) athletes-to-people diplomacy is trending, (5) Brand America still an Olympic Superpower, (6) athletic competitions as nation branding battlefields, (7) manifestations of political conflicts, (8) rethinking cultural diplomacy, (9) global challenges, and (10) inevitable backlash. These reflections expand multidisciplinary literature on the Olympic Games, nation branding, and public diplomacy, and provide insights practitioners and decision-makers should consider when holding international sports competitions or other mega-events in a post-pandemic world.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoav Dubinsky, 2023. "The Olympic Games, nation branding, and public diplomacy in a post-pandemic world: Reflections on Tokyo 2020 and beyond," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(3), pages 386-397, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:pbapdi:v:19:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1057_s41254-021-00255-x
    DOI: 10.1057/s41254-021-00255-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yoav Dubinsky & Lars Dzikus, 2019. "Israel’s country image in the 2016 Olympic Games," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(3), pages 173-184, September.
    2. Kambiz Abdi & Mahdi Talebpour & Jami Fullerton & Mohammad Javad Ranjkesh & Hadi Jabbari Nooghabi, 2019. "Identifying Sports Diplomacy Resources as Soft Power Tools," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(3), pages 147-155, September.
    3. Yoav Dubinsky, 2019. "From soft power to sports diplomacy: a theoretical and conceptual discussion," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(3), pages 156-164, September.
    4. Nicholas J. Cull, 2008. "Public Diplomacy: Taxonomies and Histories," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 616(1), pages 31-54, March.
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