Einleitung

As the modern Olympic Games have evolved to become a global spectacle, attracting international media attention, their prominence has also come to hold allure for terrorists, as a means to promote political agendas. This article traces the relationship between the Olympic Games and terrorism from 1972 to the present, and demonstrates how Olympic security has been affected by the 'precautionary principle', a concept summed up by the aphorism 'better safe than sorry'. This article starts by defining and highlighting trends in modern terrorism. It suggests that major sporting events may be desirable terrorism targets due to the relationship between sport mega-events and the mass media. After discussing sport and terrorism, this article focuses on the summer Olympics from 1972 to the present and their variable efficacy in applying the precautionary principle.