The modern era of the Olympics can be accredited to 1896 as this was the first games hosted by the International Olympic Committee. Though there were a few different precursors to this games throughout Europe, Athens can be called the birthplace of the Olympic Games.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about how this year’s Olympic Games are going to be a flop and an embarrassment. In fact, the other day I read a trending Facebook post that claimed that, “The 2016 Olympics are already a disaster. And they haven't even started yet.” Yes, there are some issues with the 2016 games: the zika virus, for obvious health reasons, water pollution, again for obvious health reasons and Russia’s removal, because what would a national event be without international political tension? So, maybe Rio wasn’t the best location for the games, but that doesn’t make them any less important.
Sure, there are these negatives, but they are overshadowing the positives of this year’s Olympics. A 20-year-old young woman is representing the Syrian Refugees at this year’s Games despite having to face the struggle and toil of simply trying to survive against the odds. The Games has competitors ranging from age 16 to 61, spanning generations.
The International Olympic Committee has worked to recognize 205 different nations throughout the history of the sporting event. Plain and simple, the Olympics bring people together. Through war between country and race, the Olympics have persisted; they remain intact and strong despite hate and oppression. The Games call people to set aside violence and hate for a higher, good willed competition.
In 2002 I got the opportunity to attend some of the events at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was five at the time, so my memory of the experience is a little bit blurred, but I do remember trading pins, being fascinated by curling and one man from somewhere in Europe that we met at the nordic skiing events.
This man kept yelling, “Hup, hup, hup!” whenever his country’s skiers would pass by. So, naturally, we started talking to him and he explained that the phrase was equivalent to, “Go, go, go!” in English. We had never even seen this man before, but he was more than willing to befriend a five and seven year old to exchange a small bit of culture.
This camaraderie is why the Olympic Games is the greatest sporting event in the world. Set aside the amazing feats of these athletes, the Games stand for something higher than just a sporting event. So, maybe instead of looking at all that might go wrong in the world, we should try to find what is encouraging for humanity. Every Games, from the 1936 Games when Jesse Owens rivaled Germany’s Aryan claim, to 2012 when Michael Phelps appeared as the most decorated Olympian in history with 22 medals, has something noteworthy to appreciate. This year should be no different.
