The Olympics

Like many others right now, I have been excitedly watching the Olympics. As I have been spinning yarn and preparing for the Cool Art, Hot Jazz show, I have had the TV on, tuned to the Olympics. I have also been interestedly reading Olympics-related stories online.

I always feel bad for those countries that don't win that many medals. I'm proud of the US team and glad when they win medals. I've certainly been glued to the TV during every swimming final that Michael Phelps has been in. I sit in my living room and cheer for him as if my thoughts and good wishes will somehow create a wave to push him that much faster to the finish line. I certainly would love to see him win 8 gold medals and think it is wonderful that he is now the winningest Olympian in history. But, would I feel any differently about that if he were from a different country? I don't think that I would. And as fascinated as I am with watching him finish race after race in world record time, I'm equally fascinated by people like the Mexican synchronized divers who won Mexico's first medal (and only so far) in the 2008 games, which I believe was also the country's first medal in the event. Or Abhinav Bindra, who won India's first individual gold medal ever and the first gold medal for the country since 1980. I think that is one of the great things about the Olympics. I watch and root for the underdogs and feel sad for those who lose, regardless of what country they are from. I wonder sometimes what it would be like to be from a country that never leads with the most medals and how much people from those countries may be pulling for their athletes.

I have been thinking quite a bit about gymnastics. It was so great to watch the elation of the men's team when they won the bronze medal. And it was so sad to me to watch the disappointment of the women's team when they won the silver. Not sad because the didn't take gold but sad because winning a silver medal at the Olympics, a SILVER MEDAL wasn't enough to make them happy. It makes me sad that there is all this pressure that says to them "you aren't good enough" when they didn't win a gold. Yes, I understand that drive to win, and that is probably what makes them top athletes. I also understand being disappointed about not winning a gold. What bothers me is how some of the media is portraying this like it is a tragedy. From one article I read it sounds like the team has moved past their initial disppointment, which is good.

Another interesting thing about the Olympics is that I will watch sports that I normally would have no interest in, like basketball. I just love the Olympics, the spirit it is intended to have and instill, and therefore I will watch just about any sport (I have to say that I really couldn't get interested in water polo). I'm looking forward to much more Olympics viewing and am excited for the track and field events to start.