---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not enough to say that the Olympics…"
description: "\"It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it's not. The Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to re..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/richard-gere-3534_athletic_it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics_3223094.jpg"
---

#  It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic…

![“It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it's not. The Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to recreate how they are viewed in the world and how they view themselves.” quote by Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/richard-gere-3534_athletic_it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics_3223094.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/richard-gere-3534_athletic_it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics_3223094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/richard-gere-3534_athletic_it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics_3223094.jpg)

> “It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it's not. The Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to recreate how they are viewed in the world and how they view themselves.”

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The Olympics are used by nations, especially China, to shape international image and self‑perception, making the event inherently political.

**In simple terms:** Sports events can serve as political propaganda.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question political motives.

Themes

politics national image sports diplomacy

Mood

critical inquisitive

Type

analysis commentary

When to use this quote

- international relations
- sports marketing
- government policy
- public perception

Key Concepts

soft power media framing

Questions to Reflect On

- What narratives does a country promote through sport?
- How can audiences stay critical of politicized events?

A Different Perspective

Ignoring political context can lead to naive consumption of events.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Athletic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletic/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Contests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contests/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Outside Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-politics-434831/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-chinese-6067706/) [Say Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-olympics-2624147/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Using Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using-olympics-6067707/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [No player will say no to an Olympics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-r-sreejesh/no-player-will-say-no-to-an-olympics/)

[P. R. Sreejesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-r-sreejesh/)

> [ I am the Olympic Ambassador. I always promote Olympics. I just want to say, Olympics is Olympics. \[You\] cannot mix with politics. Olympics for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-am-the-olympic-ambassador-i-always-promote-olympics-i-just-want-to/)

[Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/)

> [How do you say one actor is better than another actor? You can definitely say that in the Olympics if it's the same race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/how-do-you-say-one-actor-is-better-than-another-actor-you-can/)

[Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/)

> [There is a lack of leadership outside the Beltway, outside of politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-glover/there-is-a-lack-of-leadership-outside-the-beltway-outside-of-politics/)

[Danny Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-glover/)

> [Somehow we can't live outside the politics of race. There's something very deep in all of us, that is taught to us when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/somehow-we-can-t-live-outside-the-politics-of-race-there-s-something/)

[Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/)

> [A better way to mutual respect is to engage directly with the moral convictions citizens bring to public life, rather than to require that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/a-better-way-to-mutual-respect-is-to-engage-directly-with-the-moral/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [Political change does not really lead to any fundamental change for most of the people, indeed because politics (even if it calls itself democratic)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/political-change-does-not-really-lead-to-any-fundamental-change-for/)

[Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/)

> [“Washington was no politician as we understand the word," replied Ratcliffe abruptly. "He stood outside of politics. The thing couldn't be done today. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/washington-was-no-politician-as-we-understand-the-word-replied/)

[Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/)

> [Religion gives us a place to stand outside politics, and without it we're vulnerable to a system in which the state defines everything, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-r-reno/religion-gives-us-a-place-to-stand-outside-politics-and-without-it-we/)

[R. R. Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-r-reno/)

> [Actually being able to show who you've been over a period of time, the growth, the consistency, all of these things at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zohran-mamdani/actually-being-able-to-show-who-you-ve-been-over-a-period-of-time-the/)

[Zohran Mamdani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zohran-mamdani/)

> [My family has always gone to church. I like to think that faith has been a part of my life since I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-goepper/my-family-has-always-gone-to-church-i-like-to-think-that-faith-has/)

[Nick Goepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-goepper/)

> [The time given to athletic contests and the injuries incurred on the playing field are part of the price which the English-speaking race has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cabot-lodge/the-time-given-to-athletic-contests-and-the-injuries-incurred-on-the/)

[Henry Cabot Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cabot-lodge/)

> [I like to think that faith has been a part of my life since I was a lot younger. It's definitely a part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-goepper/i-like-to-think-that-faith-has-been-a-part-of-my-life-since-i-was-a/)

[Nick Goepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-goepper/)

> [My husband, a.k.a. Swede, and I both come from athletic backgrounds, so once we identified the goal - get book published - we attacked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/my-husband-a-k-a-swede-and-i-both-come-from-athletic-backgrounds-so/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [A baseball club is part of the chemistry of the city. A game isn't just an athletic contest. It's a picnic, a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-baseball-club-is-part-of-the-chemistry-of-the-city-a-game-isn-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Richard Gere

> [Anything that's expanding the mind and heart is happiness. But it's not a goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/anything-that-s-expanding-the-mind-and-heart-is-happiness-but-it-s/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [People have a different idea of how movies are made than they really are. On a certain level, everyone throws ideas into the hopper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/people-have-a-different-idea-of-how-movies-are-made-than-they-really/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [ Julia \[Roberts\]. She's got two kids and animals, and I think she's a night nibbler. There'd be crumbs everywhere. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/julia-roberts-she-s-got-two-kids-and-animals-and-i-think-she-s-a/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [I meditate. Daily practice is essential to my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-meditate-daily-practice-is-essential-to-my-life/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [Things come out of nowhere, and you start evaluating the director, the cast, and all those other things going into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/things-come-out-of-nowhere-and-you-start-evaluating-the-director-the/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [I'm a 50 year-old guy and I'm not in shape like I was when I was 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-m-a-50-year-old-guy-and-i-m-not-in-shape-like-i-was-when-i-was-30/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [It's nice to have money, but the first thing I did with money was buy my father a snow-blower, because my job was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/it-s-nice-to-have-money-but-the-first-thing-i-did-with-money-was-buy/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [I meet human beings who are flawed, who are mentally ill and have enormous problems, but I don't think I've ever met someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-meet-human-beings-who-are-flawed-who-are-mentally-ill-and-have/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [Relationships are like sharks. They've got to keep going into deeper, colder water, sometimes scarier, darker territories ... to stay alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/relationships-are-like-sharks-they-ve-got-to-keep-going-into-deeper/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [One of the joys of being an actor is that you're always learning new things. And I've been doing this since I was 19,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/one-of-the-joys-of-being-an-actor-is-that-you-re-always-learning-new/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [I think people do want to relate their entertainment to what's going on in their lives. Not everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-think-people-do-want-to-relate-their-entertainment-to-what-s-going/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [I can see the character in a photograph, in the way a guy stands or holds his hands, the way he buckles his belt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-can-see-the-character-in-a-photograph-in-the-way-a-guy-stands-or/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [Certainly there have been better actors than me who have had no careers. Why? I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/certainly-there-have-been-better-actors-than-me-who-have-had-no/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [My first encounter with Buddhist dharma would be in my early 20s. Like most young men, I was not particularly happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/my-first-encounter-with-buddhist-dharma-would-be-in-my-early-20s-like/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [The reality is, we can change. We can change ourselves. We can change our minds. We can change our hearts... and therefore the Universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/the-reality-is-we-can-change-we-can-change-ourselves-we-can-change/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

[Explore all 128 Richard Gere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

## More Athletic quotes

> [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/)

[Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/)

> [I had no musical or athletic ability, and I wasn't particularly good looking. Comedy was something I could do for attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/i-had-no-musical-or-athletic-ability-and-i-wasn-t-particularly-good/)

[Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/)

> [I'm pretty cautious and not very athletic, so I've only had really dumb injuries, like sprained ankles and allergic reactions. I did have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-m-pretty-cautious-and-not-very-athletic-so-i-ve-only-had-really/)

[Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/)

> [I love finding something. For me it's not just about the athletic challenge, it's about finding new things. When I'm not doing that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sharma/i-love-finding-something-for-me-it-s-not-just-about-the-athletic/)

[Chris Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sharma/)

> [Players at the top level are generally more athletic, stronger and more thoughtful. They have a quicker turn of pace but more than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-murray/players-at-the-top-level-are-generally-more-athletic-stronger-and/)

[Glenn Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-murray/)

> [Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It's dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-jean-king/natural-talent-only-determines-the-limits-of-your-athletic-potential/)

[Billie Jean King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-jean-king/)

> [I was very, very large as a kid and never athletic, and my home life was a little upside down and I never felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-garrett/i-was-very-very-large-as-a-kid-and-never-athletic-and-my-home-life/)

[Brad Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garrett/)

> [There are a lot of athletic trends that I don't have. I feel like I have a bigger heart and desire than most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-hillis/there-are-a-lot-of-athletic-trends-that-i-don-t-have-i-feel-like-i/)

[Peyton Hillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-hillis/)

> [If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only ever give 90% when it matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/if-you-only-ever-give-90-in-training-then-you-will-only-ever-give-90/)

[Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/)

> [Most amateurs are so worried about mis-hitting the shot or hitting it off line, they don't make an aggressive move. You'd be surprised how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-bradley/most-amateurs-are-so-worried-about-mis-hitting-the-shot-or-hitting-it/)

[Keegan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-bradley/)

> [I do a lot of things well, I'm very athletic, I play against guys who are also very athletic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiggins/i-do-a-lot-of-things-well-i-m-very-athletic-i-play-against-guys-who/)

[Andrew Wiggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiggins/)

> [I do have high expectations for Alex Riley. He seems athletic, articulate and intelligent. Only time will tell how far he goes, but Riley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/i-do-have-high-expectations-for-alex-riley-he-seems-athletic/)

[Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/)

> [Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/love-is-when-you-realize-that-he-s-as-sexy-as-woody-allen-as-smart-as/)

[Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/)

> [The five S's of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-doherty/the-five-s-s-of-sports-training-are-stamina-speed-strength-skill-and/)

[Ken Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-doherty/)

> [Sex, whatever else it is, is an athletic skill. The more you practice, the more you can, the more you want to, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/sex-whatever-else-it-is-is-an-athletic-skill-the-more-you-practice/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

[Browse all 619 Athletic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletic/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it's not. The Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to recreate how they are viewed in the world and how they view themselves.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Gere"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics-is-an-athletic-contest/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Athletic"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics-is-an-athletic-contest/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/richard-gere-3534_athletic_it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics_3223094.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/richard-gere-3534_athletic_it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics_3223094.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/317/richard-gere-3534_athletic_it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics_3223094.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it's not. The…” — Richard Gere",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Richard Gere",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's not enough to say that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics-is-an-athletic-contest/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/it-s-not-enough-to-say-that-the-olympics-is-an-athletic-contest/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
