Tales of countries

Participation in the Olympic Games is not just an individual, but also a collective issue.

The athlete, through his distinction, aims to promote not only his own skills, but also the wider group, social or national, in which he belongs. At the same time, the athlete distinguished in the Games often becomes a national symbol.

Many groups have used the Olympic Games as the symbolic stage to demonstrate their strength and as a means to promote and advertise nationalities that have struggled for recognition by the international community, social groups seeking better living conditions and states that wished to emphasize or improve their cultural role.

Besides athletic achievements, collective messages are communicated through the characteristic moments of the Games: the parade of national representatives, the celebratory award of medals, the emotionally charged statements of athletes and officials to the mass media.