Why do professionals compete in the olympics

This began a gradual shift towards allowing pros into the Olympic Games. One year later, the IOC decided in to allow professional athletes under the age of 23 to compete in tennis, soccer, and hockey for the upcoming games, per the Times.

While it was considered a temporary decision that would take effect just for the Winter and Summer Games in South Korea, the decision stuck. During the Seoul Summer Games, tennis was open to all professionals , setting the stage for pro athletes like Venus and Serena Williams to compete.

Changes to the amateur rules continued to follow, and soon household names were competing for the gold. Even into the 21st century, the rules were still changing. Even if they're eligible, pro athletes are still beholden to their leagues' and teams' whims. Each sport also operates on its own schedule, which complicates participating in the games. Prior to the Winter Olympics, the NHL announced in April that its players would not be competing in the PyeongChang Games in February , after the league and the IOC had failed to reach any agreements on the participation conditions.

Hockey is deep into its season when the Winter Games come around every four years, which is also a consideration for players. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.

Print Subscriptions. Deseret News homepage. Filed under: Opinion Letters. Letter: Why do we let professional athletes compete at the Olympics?

Reddit Pocket Email Linkedin. Nicole Bingham Ogden. Sign up for the newsletter Morning Edition Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping. Thanks for signing up! The NBA players will start training for their upcoming season, and tennis players will more than likely train for the US Open if they haven't already. My point is this. As an American, there was nothing better than watching the men's 4x meter relay in which the underdog US just barely beat the favorite French in perhaps one of the greatest realys ever in the Olympics.

In Gymnastics, could you not feel any better for the American men, who won a bronze when they weren't really in medal contention? Yes, Michael Phelps is the favorite everytime he even gets near a pool. But does that mean you cheer for him any less in his pursuit of perfection?

My biggest problem definitely has to be in basketball. These are guys who get paid millions of dollars a year. Their faces are on SportsCenter every day, even when basketball season is out of season. Everyone else including Michael Phelps , is on TV for just a couple days every 4 years.