The recent Winter Olympic Games in Sochi have once again confirmed the economic, political and geopolitical interests of organising such international competitions. At a cost of 36 billion Euros, these were the most expensive Olympic Games in history. Even the violence of the political events in Ukraine occurring just a few hundred kilometres from the Caucasian seaside resort could not dim the popular enthusiasm for the Games, nor affect their success. As for the new International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, maintained an apolitical façade.§§This special issue of Stadion is dedicated to the history of the Olympic Games examined against the backdrop of national and international political issues. Most of the papers were prepared for the conference 'Hosting, organising and celebrating the Olympics' (XIVth Carrefour d'histoire du sport) at the University of Rouen, France. The articles particularly highlight the threats to the Olympic movement and the strategies to bypass them.§§Keynote speaker Martin Polley presented the 1908 London Olympic Games in the context of the Franco-British Expo and underlined the low impact of the recent Entente Cordiale on the competitions.§§The Olympic Movement has repeatedly been challenged. The First World War put an end to the relations between Sweden and Germany that had developed after 1912 in the run-up to the 1916 Games set to be held in Berlin (A. Molzberger). This cancellation could have jeopardised the continuity of the Games after the war. The IOC then had to confront the sportswomen who, supported by feminist demands particularly in France, were asserting their right to practise sport and to compete in the Olympic Games (J. Williams).....