What Happened to the Thrill?

Posted by Cynical Sarah on February 9, 2006

I don’t want to make myself sound old, but I remember way back when, when the Olympic games were an exciting event. Whether it was the winter or the summer games, I looked forward to finding out who was going to compete for the U.S., who was going to carry the flag, and what they were going to do for the opening ceremonies.

It wasn’t just about competing, it was about the wonder and awe of athletes from all over the world coming together. This wasn’t just any old competition, this was a competition to determine the best in the world, and even the athletes were in awe of that.

This year I’m noticing that the shine has worn of the Olympics a bit. Some of the thrill is gone.

It started when news came out that Canada was having a little “controversy” about who would carry in the flag for them during the opening ceremony of the games. Some athletes had said outright that they didn’t want to do it because it was such a strain on them and unnecessarily tiring before they have to compete.

What happened to it being an honor to be chosen to carry the flag and show your pride during the ceremony? Some athletes had even said they’d rather not participate in the opening ceremony because they had to compete right away the next day.

I understand wanting to be at your best, but the opening ceremony is tradition, it’s history and it’s a chance to show your national unity instead of your personal abilities. It’s really hard to feel sorry for them having to participate. That wasn’t the only thing that got me wondering if the games aren’t what they used to be. There are some events where the competitors don’t seem to realize the importance of winning a medal.

Mainly I’m thinking of the snowboarding half-pipe competitions that I watched. After the final run of the women’s competition, the Americans that won it were excited about winning and congratulating each other. One even excitedly said “We just did the Olympics!”

The celebration was great but there wasn’t that level of emotion that you see from some competitors. She said “We just did the Olympics!” like I would have said “I finally conquered that mountain of laundry in the hallway.” This could have been any other competition and they would have been just as excited, maybe even more so depending on the cash prize.

It just wasn’t the same as when you watch the speed skating, or figure skating or cross country skiing. It’s almost like you’re feeling those athletes squeezing every ounce of energy from their bodies and every shred of emotion in their hearts in their efforts for a medal. And when it’s all said and done, you’re tearing up right along with them as they take the podium even if they’re from an opposing country.

That’s the gut-wrenching emotion I expect from the athletes at the games. They love their sport, they want to represent their country well and they leave it all out there.

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