d Games, American athletes and athletic associations were not particularly interested in participation. They often felt that the Games were little more than an historical relic best left forgotten. Appeals to sportsmanship and the potential of the Games to foster understanding among diverse peoples (leading to world peace and harmony) were disregarded (Fulton 52-58). Only when American athletes began to do well in the Olympics did a majority of other athletes and organizations decide that participation has some real benefit. Therefore, it is suggested that political as well as competitive motives fostered American involvement.
             American involvement in the Games, has had many long lasting effects on the Olympic system. It has been stated that Western sports and ideals have dominated many facets of the Olympics. Ruud Stockvis, a Dutch sociologist, states the popularity of any given sport in any given country depends upon the development of the positions of economic and political power among the natio
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