Ernest Riveras: "Social media can destroy some athletes' careers."
Author of 'The Hidden History of the Olympic Games'
BarcelonaWhen you think of the Olympic Games, it's hard not to imagine the voice of Ernest Riveras (Barcelona, 1964). The Catalan journalist has a wealth of experience from many editions, some as a special correspondent and others as a commentator. His experience has allowed him to write The hidden history of the Olympic Games (Almuzara), a book full of anecdotes that emphasizes the geopolitics of sport.
Where does your passion for the Olympic Games come from?
— It was a passion I had, and I didn't know where it came from. When I started writing the book, I discovered I had just watched the '76 Olympics. I was 12 years old. My mother enjoyed watching a lot of sports on La2. A year later, she gave me a book by Andreu Mercé Varela that summarized the '76 Games. Reading it, I realized I had seen the Games, but I hadn't heard the stories. I fell in love and couldn't stop.
The Games manage to put the spotlight on sports that have very limited audiences during the rest of the year.
— There are sports that many people don't watch for four years, and then wake up early to watch them. I wanted to focus, hence the title of the book, on people who want to know more about the hidden side of the Games. I'm not referring to the shady side, but rather to the stories that have been hidden from the mainstream media. There isn't time to tell all the little stories associated with obscure sports.
He likes to use the expression "What was not seen on the news"...
— Exactly. There are many. I've tried to tell many of the things that haven't been told. There are 150 or 200 stories that may have been mentioned, but that needed to be better investigated. There are stories of overcoming challenges, of women, or of the LGBTI community that haven't received the attention they deserved. There are people who followed the 16 days of competition at Paris 2024 and didn't hear about many things.
The first part of the book focuses on geopolitics.
— Sport is a key element in recounting international power struggles. The current scenario, with Donald Trump, the team of refugees fleeing conflicts, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine... Don't mix sport and politics is a mantra constantly repeated to politicians who use sport for their own ends. Politics are always present. Of course, the International Olympic Committee has shielded itself from politics because it holds the keys to an event where everyone wants to be. It can set the rules. If there's political interference, the country can face consequences. But sometimes the balance is a bit strange. Sport isn't apolitical, but politics doesn't dictate the Olympics.
The next Olympic Games will be in Los Angeles, and no one knows how Donald Trump will influence them.
— He has signed many agreements that could affect the Games, but he didn't have much impact on the Club World Cup we just saw. I don't think he will have much impact on the 2026 World Cup either, since he's a close friend of Gianni Infantino. The Olympic Games are an event that doesn't cost money and brings prestige. Donald Trump will open the Games and take advantage of the opportunity to boast. It's unpredictable, but his policy will cause problems for athletes and journalists in some countries. We'll have to see what happens with trans athletes, who currently wouldn't be allowed to enter the United States. The conversation with Kirsty Coventry will be key because the one he had with Thomas Bach was discouraging.
We've never had a female president at the head of the IOC.
— Kirsty Coventry was elected by a majority in the first round and, therefore, is a consensus figure. Perhaps I'm a bit naive, but I think the Olympic movement is in very good health. The sponsorship program has undergone changes, but it continues to add new members. It's true that the geopolitical landscape, with many ongoing conflicts, isn't easy, but I see it as being in excellent health. One of the challenges is the debate on trans athletes, which is a topic on the table. Everyone has an opinion, but it must be addressed together. Now, each federation has its own rules.
Can you imagine a very different Olympic Games in the coming years?
— They are always changing, but the core of the Olympic Games remains intact. Its classicism provides stability. The IOC always tries to expand its horizons and attract young audiences, which is everyone's main objective. Urban sports will gradually become more common. Each organizer introduces specific sports, and now we'll see disciplines like lacrosse, he flag football, baseball and softball, cricket, and squash. Esports will be left out and will have their own event.
What is the relationship between athletes and social media?
— Social media has wonderful qualities and gives you notoriety. Some athletes have stories and know how to tell and communicate them. The problem is that they're also a chasm that gives prominence to all kinds of people. ranchersThere are three athletes who have suffered a lot: Rachael Gunn, the Australian from breakdancing who was massacred for her performance; Imane Khelif, the boxer who was accused of being transgender; and Valentina Petrillo, a trans athlete who participated in the Paralympic Games. All three received 80% of the hate. Federations are starting to put up firewalls to prevent this from happening, monitoring some accounts. Hate can affect you a lot, including journalists. I'm 60 years old and I've been a commentator for 40 years, so I take a lot of things on my shoulders, but imagine all the criticism we get. Anonymity allows many people to spit hate and many campaigns against athletes to be targeted. Donald Trump, for example, used images of Imane Khelif in his election campaign. We must control social media. They can destroy the careers of some athletes.