Let the Games Begin

Tomorrow, the Summer Olympics begin in London.  This is my favorite sporting event, and I plan to spend some time watching every day for the next two weeks.  To me, there is something about the Olympics that elevates it above the normal sport-watching experience.  One of the best moments is the Opening Ceremony, when all of the athletes parade into the stadium.  It can be jarring to see the differences in the number of athletes that each nation sends - the group from the U.S. seems to go on forever, while many nations only have a small handful of Olympians.

The first Olympics that I remember was the 1984 games in Los Angeles.  I have no memory of the 1976 games, and I imagine there was little coverage in America of the boycotted 1980 games.  In 1984, the Soviet Union and several other countries boycotted, which allowed the U.S to do exceptionally well in the medal count.  For a short time, Carl Lewis, Mary Lou Retton and many others were household names.

One thing that I find interesting about the Olympics is how certain sports gain prominence during the Games, but are then completely ignored (at least by most Americans) for the next three years and eleven months.  I guess we only have so much room for sports that aren't football, baseball, etc.

Back in 1996, the Olympics were held in Atlanta, and my Dad and I attended for several days.  It was an incredible experience.  We did get to see several of the "glamour" events, such as track and swimming, watching the badminton competition was equally compelling.  Seeing the athletes who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of Olympic glory was awe-inspiring.  But perhaps the greatest moment occurred at the track competition.  One of the event we saw was a women's long distance race (it may have been 10,000 meters) that involved many laps around the track.  As the race went on, one runner was hopelessly in last place, to the point were all the other competitors passed her and finished the race while she had a couple of laps still to go.  I don't remember this woman's name, or even which she represented, but as the bell rang to signify that it was her last lap, everyone in the stadium stood and cheered for her to finish the race, which she did.  This exhibition of sportsmanship remains one my fondest memories of watching sports.

Will the London Games give us a truly great moment that stands the test time?  I plan on watching to find out, and I hope you will too.