I
love everything about the Olympics – the overwrought opening ceremonies, the
parade of nations, the competition of athletes and the Olympic ideal that
conflicting national policies have no role in the camaraderie of men and women
in pursuit of a common goal. There is a
noble quality to the nature of the Olympics that draws me in each time. I was fortunate enough to attend the Winter
Olympic Games in the great city of Vancouver, British Columbia and it was an
once-in-a-lifetime experience. Last
month, I was in Greece, the home of the modern Olympics and the experience made
me more excited for the Games. As I
watch the Olympics in London, however, I’m struck by several things and sadly,
not all of them positive.
There
seems to be a great deal more crying and a general lack of graciousness among
certain athletes. On several occasions,
I’ve seen silver medal winners reacted in such a way that undermines the
importance of sportsmanship. That is not
to say that disappointment is unreasonable – indeed, it is expected. However, how one addresses their fellow
competitors, coaches and the public as a whole has not been shown in the best
light. In the gymnastic events, the
Russian women did not afford themselves very well and American Mckayla Maroney
treated the congratulations and condolences of her fellow vaulters as an
imposition when she unexpectedly won silver in her singular event. Yes, she just lost a gold that everybody and
their mother assumed she would win but it does not excuse the behavior. Thankfully, in interviews after the fact, she
was appropriate but it does not erase the post-competition or medal stand
behavior or demeanor.
Contrast
that with the post-race behavior and demeanor of American runners Dawn Harper
and Kellie Wells who typified the very best of graciousness and class as they
respectively won the silver and bronze in the 100 meter hurdles. There was the brave face shown by dominant
Swiss cyclist Fabian Cancellara after crashing during his time trial race. How classy was Jamaican Shelly-Ann
Fraser-Pryce when she congratulated American Allyson Felix, who won gold in the
200m final. Romania’s Catalina Ponor
lost a heartbreaker to American Alexandra Raisman but still showed class in
defeat. There are so many more who are
displaying the Olympic spirit.
I
was certainly not alone in my admiration for and attention to South African
racer Oscar Pistorius. However, the
American broadcasts seem to miss the entire specialness of the man and his
efforts. Throughout the Games and NBC’s
broadcasts, there was a constant focus on the prosthetics and the uniqueness of
the situation. With every race or every
story, NBC highlighted the differences that Mr. Pistorius has worked so hard to
cast aside and render irrelevant. Yes,
the man and his achievements are historic and it certainly does require some
mention but the attention that, at times, seemed ad nauseum was a case of
missing the point and pigeon-holing the young South African runner as an oddity
rather than as an accomplished athlete working to make his dreams come
true. His mother never treated him
differently – it is too bad the media does.
On
another note of what is and what is not talked about, there has been some talk
about the weight comments of Australian female swimmer Leisel Jones and
American female weight lifter Holley Mangold with the addendum that no one
would ever make a comment about the weight of a male athlete. Any fan of any male sport will tell you
weight is often talked about. If we are
to treat athletes without consideration of gender or condition, we must allow
for analysis that cuts across the gender line.
At a time when we are considering the London Games as the games of the
women with more female participation than ever before, we are reverting back to
a place where women are fragile, emotionally-damageable creatures in need of
kid gloves.
The
one thing that strikes me the most is the representation of one’s country. In particular, I love seeing the efforts of
small national delegations who are heroes for their Olympic struggles. While political and economic factors might
label one country as more important and news-worthy than another, on the field
of competition, athletes are the same in their path and skills toward a particular
event. The widow of one of the slain
Israelis of the 1972 games talked about her husband and his approach of some fencers
from Lebanon and Syria. She said she was
aghast but to him, they were all athletes and indeed, she witnessed
camaraderie. That is part of the magic
of the Olympics. While they represent
their respective countries, they are equalized as athletes.
I
could go on as there is much to talk about.
Perhaps, this is a good time to begin writing another Olympic
article. Or, perhaps people are done
with the Olympics. This Sunday, the
closing ceremonies will bring to an end to a special time. Already, my wife is talking about going to
Rio de Janeiro in 2016. I must admit I’m
intrigued. I hope in the meantime that
some current and aspiring Olympic athletes learn the true nature of the spirit
of the Games and learn that their endeavors are not about them but something
greater.
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