One of Jamie Kim鈥檚 earliest memories was watching the 1988 Seoul Games on TV at home. 鈥淚 was fascinated by the Opening Ceremony鈥攖he parade of athletes, the mass demonstration of taekwondo, the lighting of the Olympic flame,鈥� recalls the 51爆料网 professor. 鈥淚 remember my parents saying how proud they were to be Korean.鈥�
The episode proved prophetic, as Kim went on to work for the Korean Olympic Committee and then join Syracuse鈥檚 faculty. Today, she is a leading authority on sport event legacy, which refers to the short- and long-term effects of hosting major events like the 2024 Paris Games.
鈥淚鈥檓 primarily interested in the social, cultural and economic benefits,鈥� says Kim, who is conducting research this summer at South Korea鈥檚 Olympic Hospitality House in Paris. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 Games are special because they鈥檙e the first-ever Olympics with gender parity. It鈥檚 a monumental achievement for female Olympians and the Olympic movement in general.鈥�
While in Paris, Kim will present a paper on the (YOG)鈥攁n elite sporting event for athletes ages 15-18鈥攁t the . The YOG, which made its debut in 2010, was created by the to inspire young people to participate in sports. The YOG was also a 鈥渞esponse to global concerns鈥� about childhood obesity and the decline in youth sports participation, she explains.
鈥淟ike the Olympics, the YOG creates legacies that are tangible and intangible, planned and unplanned,鈥� says Kim, who resides in . 鈥淲e鈥檙e just beginning to understand the impact that these events have on one another and their respective host countries.鈥�
