ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the geopolitical economy of sport related to the aftermath of the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014. This mega-event case is examined in the context of the soft power, soft disempowerment, and sportswashing frameworks but, unlike other studies, analyses the short-, medium-, and long-term reputational consequences of hosting the event. The public negotiating and remembering period from 2014 to 2022 is documented, including contrasting Russia’s attempts to use the Sochi Games to project an image of a new and cosmopolitan country, with the subsequent hard power crises and scandals that weakened the potential soft power effects. The chapter concludes with findings supporting soft disempowerment, within the context of complex and fluid reputational legacies.
