Impacts of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on National Identity: Perspectives of Collegiate Athletes in Taiwan

Abstract

This article examines the impact of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on national identity in Taiwan with respect to the boosting of Chinese nationalism that developed around the Games. A survey was conducted on 2,176 collegiate athletes who participated in the 2007 National Intercollegiate Athletic Games in May 2007, and 1,929 responses were considered valid. Furthermore, 50 of the 1929 athletes agreed to attend individual interviews after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games terminated. The key research results are as follows: The contending national identities in Olympic movement between China and Taiwan still continues. Though Taiwan/ROC can participate in the international sporting arena in the name of ”Chinese Taipei,” participants referred the name of Taiwan occupied first position. Chinese nationalism has been successfully boosted by Beijing's hosting the 2008 Olympic Games, which aided to achieve the Chinese government's political goals domestically. However, relevant effects on Taiwanese collegiate athletes were not evident. The paper concludes that the development of Taiwanese collegiate athletes' political identity is difficult to be influenced by the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Nevertheless, the Games to some extent has strengthened Chinese cultural identity among some Taiwanese collegiate athletes who acknowledge and honor their Chinese heritage.