Dr. Heather Dichter
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hdichter.bsky.social
Dr. Heather Dichter
@hdichter.bsky.social
6.9K followers 220 following 630 posts
Associate Professor of Sport History & Sport Management
📚 Bidding for the 1968 Olympic Games; Soccer Diplomacy; Diplomatic Games; Berlin Sports
🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧, or traveling somewhere
www.dmu.ac.uk/heatherdichter
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hdichter.bsky.social
Dr. Heather Dichter @hdichter.bsky.social · Nov 8
Berlin Sports was a fun book to put together with my excellent co-editor Molly Wilkinson Johnson. I wanted to share what’s inside it. I could just post the TOC but I’ll make a 🧵 instead. The intro from Molly & me addresses sport’s important role throughout Berlin’s history since the 19th c. 1/10 🗃️
hdichter.bsky.social Dr. Heather Dichter @hdichter.bsky.social · Oct 19
Hot off the press & just out this week - I edited a book with Molly Wilkinson Johnson called Berlin Sports - an edited collection with case studies on different sports ⚽️🎾🎽🏇 and more in Berlin from the late 1800s to the present 🗃️

www.uapress.com/product/berl...
hdichter.bsky.social
More from @bytimreynolds.bsky.social on Elana Meyers Taylor’s 🥇 #olympics

Elana Meyers Taylor nearly lost hope. Her team, her husband and the Spurs helped her to Olympic gold

apnews.com/article/olym...
February 17, 2026 at 9:44 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
Gold for Elana! Meyers Taylor, 41, wins Olympic monobob title at Milan Cortina Games - from @bytimreynolds.bsky.social #olympics

apnews.com/article/olym...
Gold for Elana! Meyers Taylor, 41, wins Olympic monobob title at Milan Cortina Games
Elana Meyers Taylor has won her first Olympic gold in women’s monobob, and she made history as the oldest American woman to do it at the Winter Games.
apnews.com
February 16, 2026 at 9:21 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
Follow @bytimreynolds.bsky.social for all of the best stories about bobsled #olympics
February 16, 2026 at 6:22 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
In case anyone missed the final decision - Ukrainian skeleton racer loses his appeal over helmet honoring war victims at the Olympics from @bytimreynolds.bsky.social

apnews.com/article/ukra...
Ukrainian skeleton racer loses his appeal over helmet honoring war victims at the Olympics
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has lost his bid to overturn an Olympic disqualification tied to a planned helmet tribute.
apnews.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
mitchgoldich.bsky.social
🥇 Pinheiro Braathen just won Brazil’s first ever medal at the Winter Olympics, and it’s a GOLD in the giant slalom.

It’s actually the first medal of any kind at the Winter Olympics for any country in all of South America.
February 14, 2026 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
olyphil.bsky.social
It's hard to make sense of the incomprehensible. My story forb NBC Olympics.

www.nbcolympics.com/news/many-qu...
Many questions, few answers for Malinin in Milan
Maybe it was a lot harder going into his first Olympics with enormous expectations than Ilia Malinin had imagined.
www.nbcolympics.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
coldwarpod.bsky.social
#BOOKGIVEAWAY - The Moscow Playbook: How #Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Power with @beastofberglund.bsky.social

Follow @coldwarpod.bsky.social , then reshare this post for a chance to win a book

T&C's coldwarconversations.com/giveaway/

#coldwar #sports
February 14, 2026 at 9:45 AM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
coldwarpod.bsky.social
NEW EPISODE - The #Moscow Playbook: How #Sovietunion & #Russia Used, #Abused, and Transformed #Sports in the Hunt for #Power with @beastofberglund.bsky.social

Listen here 🎧 coldwarconversations.com/episode443

#olympics #doping #sportsscience #Coldwar
February 14, 2026 at 8:05 AM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
hdichter.bsky.social
Oh hey I’m quoted in this AP article!

Olympians toe line between solidarity and sacrifice. Ukrainian banned over helmet the latest example
#olympics #sporthistory #skystorians

apnews.com/article/ukra...
Olympians toe line between solidarity and sacrifice. Ukrainian banned over helmet the latest example
Ukrainian ski racer Dmytro Shepiuk highlights the pressure athletes face when the Olympics and politics collide.
apnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:51 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
Oh hey I’m quoted in this AP article!

Olympians toe line between solidarity and sacrifice. Ukrainian banned over helmet the latest example
#olympics #sporthistory #skystorians

apnews.com/article/ukra...
Olympians toe line between solidarity and sacrifice. Ukrainian banned over helmet the latest example
Ukrainian ski racer Dmytro Shepiuk highlights the pressure athletes face when the Olympics and politics collide.
apnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:51 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
The wave really takes a hit when an entire section are officials and above them are the media #olympics
February 12, 2026 at 8:29 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
CAS appeal filed:
Heraskevych argues “exclusion is disproportionate, unsupported by any technical or safety violation & causes irreparable sporting harm to him.” He “requests the annulment of the IBSF Jury decision” & CAS reinstate him immediately or he performs CAS-supervised official runs
MEDIA RELEASE WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES MILANO CORTINA 2026 SKELETON THE CAS AD HOC DIVISION REGISTERS APPLICATION BY VLADYSLAV HERASKEVYCH (UKRAINE) Milan, 12 February 2026 – The CAS Ad hoc Division has registered an application by Skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych (Ukraine) against the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF). The application challenges the IBSF Jury Decision to withdraw the Athlete from the Men’s Skeleton event with immediate effect from the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 (2026 OWG). Filed at 16:30 on 12 February 2026, the application challenges the IBSF Jury decision on 12 February 2026 stating that Mr Heraskevych intended to wear in competition a helmet displaying portraits of Ukrainian athletes who lost their lives in the war, which was considered as being inconsistent with the Olympic Charter and Guidelines on Athlete Expression. Mr Heraskevych had communicated earlier to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the IBSF that he would wear the helmet, even after he was informed that he would not be admitted under such circumstances. The helmet was used during 2026 OWG Skeleton training sessions. Mr Heraskevych argues that the exclusion is disproportionate, unsupported by any technical or safety violation and causes irreparable sporting harm to him. His application requests the annulment of the IBSF Jury decision and, by way of provisional measures, that CAS reinstates him in the 2026 OWG with immediate effect, or in the alternative, that the athlete performs a CAS supervised official run pending the final decision. A Sole Arbitrator has been appointed to consider the matter with urgency. An Operative decision (without grounds) is expected first, which will be announced. It is not possible to indicate a precise timeframe for an Operative decision at this stage. This is an unofficial summary for media use.
February 12, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
sarahspain.com
Team Ukraine after completing the team luge event.
Ukraine luge team kneeling with their helmets in the air
February 12, 2026 at 5:51 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
From @bytimreynolds.bsky.social - Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych out of Winter Olympics over banned helmet honoring war dead #olympics

apnews.com/article/hera...
Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych out of Winter Olympics over banned helmet honoring war dead
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is out of the Milan Cortina Games after he refused to stop wearing a banned tribute helmet.
apnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:54 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
Papers covered Terry Kubicka’s backflip at the US Nationals positively as it qualified him for the Olympic team but then his backflip didn’t go so well at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics. This was before the most famous Olympic backflip by Surya Bonaly in 1998 ⛸️ #sporthistory #skystorians 🗃️ #olympics
Black and white photograph of a skater flying through the air like a played butterfly from a page of the Sacramento Bee in 1976 Three photos of the same man attempting a backflip on ice skates but that did not go entirely as planned. The caption reads: “Flip Flops”
February 9, 2026 at 7:48 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
Indeed - as @orarunswild.bsky.social rightly points out, there used to be an Olympic Art competiton alongside the sport. Check out this @sportinhistory.bsky.social article to learn more! #olympics #sporthistory #skystorians 🗃️

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
February 8, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
roblivingstone.bsky.social
These five cities wanted to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, but they had second thoughts. How we got a "widespread Games" instead.
These five cities wanted to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, but they had second thoughts. How we got a “widespread Games” instead.
Eight cities wanted to bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Seven submitted applications to host the Games. Four cities withdrew from the race before the final vote.
gamesbids.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:21 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
Enjoying watching the exciting Parallel Giant Slalom snowboard event today but hearing this may be the last time it’s at the Olympics? It’s not a done deal - but will be determined after the Games end. #olympics

www.reuters.com/sports/snowb...
Snowboard-Riders campaign to save parallel giant slalom from Olympic axe
With the Olympic snowboard parallel giant slalom competitions approaching on Sunday, riders are wondering whether they will be racing in the discipline's last appearance at a Winter Games as a review ...
www.reuters.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:31 PM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
norlander.bsky.social
Incredible, and revealing, shot of a tragic result for Lindsey Vonn. Jacquelyn Martin of the Associated Press captured the picture that shows how Vonn's pole made contact with the right gate at an early jump, which led to the violent crash.
The start of Lindsey Vonn's crash in the women's downhill final on Sunday.
February 8, 2026 at 11:40 AM
hdichter.bsky.social
I don’t think I have ever screamed out loud watching skiing. But did when Vonn crashed out (sorry for ruining it for North Americans just waking up)
February 8, 2026 at 11:02 AM
hdichter.bsky.social
You might see the occasional Russian or Belorusian athlete at the 2026 Olympics but not in any team sport, & you didn’t see them march in the parade of nations since they are just neutral athletes & not repping their country #olympics

olympics.com/ioc/news/ind...
Individual Neutral Athletes to compete at Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games under same conditions as for Paris 2024
olympics.com
February 7, 2026 at 3:45 PM
hdichter.bsky.social
Excited after last night’s Opening Ceremony from Milan Cortina? Catch up on my thread of Winter Olympic fun facts & history (with some links to excellent #sporthistory scholarship too)
#skystorians 🗃️ #olympics
hdichter.bsky.social Dr. Heather Dichter @hdichter.bsky.social · 21d
The 2026 Olympic Games in Milan Cortina start in 10 days! I’ll share historical facts & related history
scholarship about the Olympic Winter Games daily until the opening ceremony 🧵
#olympics #sporthistory #skystorians 🗃️
February 7, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
orarunswild.bsky.social
Is the multiple site parade of nations a sign of things to come?
February 6, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
lukeknox.me
THREAD: Let’s talk about Roni, the outstanding raccoon mascot of the 1980 Winter Olympics …
1980 Winter Olympics poster featuring Roni, raccoon mascot
February 6, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Dr. Heather Dichter
jessicawluther.com
I know we're having a lot of fun with the whole penis doping thing, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't point out that this should be the scandal in ski jumping that everyone is screaming about apnews.com/article/olym...
An American skier is fighting to open up the last Winter Olympic sport off limits to women
U.S. Nordic combined athlete Annika Malacinski is leading the fight for gender equality at the Winter Olympics after women were excluded from the sport at the upcoming Milan Cortina Games.
apnews.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:02 PM