Posted on 03/04/2002 12:24:39 AM PST by JohnHuang2
U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!
You couldn't get away from it. The crowds picked it up and waved flags with the rhythm.
The cadence was like the heartbeat of the games. It wasn't overwhelming, but there was a spirit in the air that was transmitted from the venue competition right through the camera to the home television screen.
We sure watched! The audience for the Olympics was beyond expectation. NBC salesmen must have thought they died and went to heaven and sponsors could finally justify the expense of those commercials!
Who dreamed such success after the early scandals of payoffs and graft? The idea of such scandal wasn't new, but this time there was hard evidence and people actually took the hit. Politically speaking, there was some satisfaction across the world that the scandal was in the United States. There was a certain relish that we were getting ours.
See, you guys aren't so special after all!
Yeah? Well, as it turned out, we are pretty special and all you had to do was watch television over the 17 days and see for yourself.
Not only did the whole event come off with scarcely a flaw, but it was visually spectacular and enabled by thousands of volunteers who made everyone feel welcome.
With all the concerns about security following Sept. 11 – and even the suggestion that the Olympics not be held – it worked. There was security – military, police and volunteer. It was neither pervasive nor invasive despite the fact that travelers had to be screened with tighter scrutiny.
I have it on good authority that a once in a lifetime event happened at these games: Members of the Secret Service actually chatted with civilians and they actually smiled!
Understand – those guys are trained not to smile or relate as human beings. They must have taken lessons for the games! Welcome to the real world, guys!
But the Olympic focus is the athlete, a world where a child becomes an adult and you're "old" at 29. It's a world where the body performs in ways we at home can scarcely imagine. It's a world where strength is disguised in grace, taut muscles and extraordinary control, and courage beats out stress.
Watching Sara Hughes as she skated to capture the gold, I was more in awe at her athleticism than in the gorgeous, graceful picture she presented.
Youth, simplicity and beauty in time with music – of course. Speed, intricate footwork and challenging choreography on ice – of course.
But what about raw strength? Consider those triple jumps – landing on one leg – forward or backward, it doesn't matter. What amazing strength it takes to make that landing and have it look easy and beautiful. Beneath grace and delicacy, that skater and all the others are incredibly fit, strong and disciplined athletes.
The scandalous flap over the pairs judging got media attention and good ratings but dishonored the athletes. At the core is a rot that needs more than duplicate medals.
The Canadian team, Sale and Pelletier, earned the gold the first time around but politics got in the way, as it too often does in judged events. The Russian team pouted carefully until it was certain their medal was solid, then there was lots of kissing and hugging but the damage was done.
There were protests about the winners of the women's singles and the dance teams as well, though without the same level of publicity. After the Games ended, Russian President Vladimir Putin called them "a flop." The Russian delegation filed protests and threatened to quit the Games. (They didn't.)
There were also protests filed in speed skating, cross-country and hockey. My side. Your side. Unfair! Politics!
Even now, as memories of Salt Lake City fade into a comfortable recollection, the race against the clock is on in Athens for the upcoming Summer Games.
And there is the next venue ripe for judging controversy – gymnastics. Tiny, conditioned, disciplined, incredibly strong athletes will engage in a sport where one false move could result in paralysis or death. Their competitive dreams will depend on judges who, as always, will be influenced by fairness and politics.
After Salt Lake City, there were proposals for a revised judging system for figure skating. Lets hope that these changes will also apply to gymnastics and any other sport dependent on the human eye and not the atomic clock.
Those athletes' dreams demand no less.
| To find all articles indexed using "Olympics List" | ||||
| click here >>> | SL 2002 Olympics | <<< click here | ||
| SL 2002 home page...(To view all FR Bump Lists, click here) | ||||
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.