The 28th Modern Olympic Games begins this week, having been delayed a year by the pandemic. For the athletes it has been a long wait, but the IOC and Tokyo’s decision to go forward could prove troublesome, given the limited vaccination rate to date in Japan and through much of the world.
I had the good fortune to have an inside view of the Barcelona and Atlanta Games, at least as to the Yachting (now Sailing) events. The athletes and volunteer officials that I knew appreciated their chance to be a part of the pinnacle of their sport and seemed to embody the “Faster, Higher, Stronger” motto of the Games. Many may have been the best in their country, but were far from the sport’s elite. Despite that difference, the best and the rest competed equally and respectfully from all I could see.
In the 25 years since the Atlanta Games, the IOC and related sports federations have suffered from the growing need for, and the corrupting effects of, the enormous amount of money it takes to put on more than 400 events in an ever-increasing number of sports. Many have suggested solutions which the New York Times reviewed today.
One thing television gets right with the Games is its focus on athletes and the competition. What isn’t shown is how much of Olympic attention and funding goes toward pleasing sports and other dignitaries as well as the media. Athletes’ facilities paled in comparison to theirs in my time, and I’m sure the same is sadly still true today.
The Atlanta Games were marred by the park bombing on July 27. The next morning my first task at the Savannah Yachting venue was to make sure every athlete’s and official’s boat was checked for any such risk. Like others at each venue, I did my job to assure the safety of the athletes who had dedicated so much of their lives to compete there.
Forty-five years ago today, a 14 year-old Nadia Comaneci scored the first perfect 10 in Women’s Gymnastics, to the thrill of all who watched. It as a magical moment. Certainly the Olympics needs to reform. Still, we can hope for more magic in the coming days.
