Luís Henrique Rolim is only Latin American representative selected for research at IOC, in Switzerland
Photo: Matheus Gomes
School of Health and Life Sciences professor and researcher, Dr. Luís Henrique Rolim, has been selected for a research period at the Olympic Studies Center (OSC) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in Switzerland. Rolim does research at the Research Group into Olympic Studies (GPEO) of PUCRS, which is embraced by IOC’s international network of OSCs. He will receive funding for his period of studies in Switzerland.
Every year, IOC’s OSC opens a call for submission of research proposals for PhD candidates and young academics. Rolim, a young researcher, has been selected out of 22 proposals from 14 countries CEO. He is the first representative from Latin America to be awarded the grant. An evaluation committee consisting of seven researchers from around the world was responsible for the selection.
The research project approved by the IOC is titled Guardians of the Olympic Flame Rio 2016: Social-Cultural Legacy and Memories as Heritage of the First Olympic Games in South America. With the study, Rolim will study the memories of the Guardians of the Olympic Flame Rio 2016 as an intangible heritage and social-cultural legacy of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016. According to the researcher, the “Guardians of the Olympic Flame” are a group of men and women whose mission is to protect an Olympic symbol (the flame) during the entire torch relay route, but who today are “invisible ” in the light of history.
Rolim believes that the experience of the guardians may reveal aspects of an intangible legacy of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after five years of its realization, such as the acquisition of skills, knowledge and a network of contacts. Currently, public awareness of the legacy of Rio 2016 is focused on tangible aspects such as infrastructure and economic impact. The research proposes new elements for the legacy of the event.
With the initiative, PUCRS’ GPEO will conduct interviews to start a project to preserve the memory of Rio 2016 from the perspective of other characters hitherto unknown, such as guardians, volunteers, etc. This action will allow for a better understanding of the impact of the event and enable further research to preserve its memory for future generations.
“To promote internationalization has always been one of my goals when I joined PUCRS as a faculty member. The fact that we have been selected to search the IOC archives will make it possible to broaden the understanding of the Guardians’ role in other editions of the Olympic Games”, Rolim added.
GPEO’s line of research Sport, Culture and Society aims to develop historiographical and sociocultural projects in sports, Olympic and Paralympic fields. The idea is to explore the
practices and processes of building narratives, identities, representations, memory and social imaginary. Currently, the Rio 2016 Guardians of the Olympic Flame project is coordinated by Professor Rolim and Professor Nelson Todt, from the School of Health and Life Sciences. It relies on the assistance of a number of GPEO members and undergraduate researchers Gabrielle Viera (CNPQ PUCRS) and Laura Doering (BPA PUCRS), who are both Physical Education majors.
