| Summary: | The Olympic Games' deviation from their goal of promoting simultaneously sportsmanship and human values has been demonstrated over the years, with exceptional examples of chauvinism, as well as ideological, political and economic pursuits. Tough competition has prevailed instead of cooperation, or creative communication, both in sports and other fields. IIluminating examples are boycotts, non-participant countries, and high levels of commercialization. This thesis constitutes a thorough historical examination of the two official proposals that were submitted by the Greek Government in 1976, and 1980, while in 1984 there was a reminder of the original proposal of 1976 by President Karamanlis of Greece to the International Olympic Committee (lOC), proposing the permanent holding of the Olympic Games at one site. The study introduces into the public domain for the first time information regarding the political and economic negotiations which took place in that period. The use of the personal archive of the former Prime Minister and former President of Greece, Constantine Georgiou Karamanlis, represents the basis of the study. Analyzing this archive in combination with elite interviewing constitutes the qualitative research methods adopted in this thesis. Specifically the interview, as part of the research, with the former British Ambassador to Moscow, Paris, Warsaw, and Athens (1996-1999) Sir Michael Llewellyn Smith, who was the only individual who had previous access to this archive, was deemed valuable for the nature of this research. This is the first time in the international literature that this particular issue will be thoroughly examined. The conceptual framework of the study asks whether the proposal of hosting the Olympic Games at one site is an expression of nationalism in sport. Furthermore, consideration is given to what happens.when the global idea of the Olympic Games meets the perspective of a permanent site, again with particular emphasis on issues of nationalism in sport. Within this context the issues that will be examined include: Tension between the global idea of the Olympics and the Games held at one site; The proposal as an expression of nationalism in sport; The changing nature of the Olympic Games as a political tool. The study provides a new perspective on issues of globalization and nationalism in sport. The unique primary source of evidence that has been used offers a new basis of data for the research, while it highlights the relationship between Greece and the Olympic Movement.
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