Personal Impact of the Olympics: Then and Now

I only used to watch the Olympics for games that looked pretty or awesome, like gymnastics and diving. All those flippy maneuvers and air somersaults are enchanting, if only for the reason that not everyone can do them. I mean, I can run, jump over hurdles (based from experiences as Chinese garter champion), swim, dribble a ball, kick a ball, swim and whack a ball back and forth with a paddle. I cannot jump in the air and do ala-ninja flips; nor can I climb up a fifty foot diving board and jump gracefully so that i land in the pool without displacing a third of its contents.

I remember thinking that track and field is some of the most boring sports ever created, alongside swimming. The put shot for me back then was the most ridiculous sport ever invented and I was aghast at the very idea of finding people actually training for it-- women losing their curves, their breasts, and gaining muscles in ways that look anything but attractive. I mean, jeez, who thought of this stuff? It seemed to me like its a modernized version of some game Neanderthals did in their own rock-based version of sports in general.

Neanderthal one: Dude, i found this heavy rock. Dibs on that hot chick with the clubs for who throws the farthest.

Neanderthal two: You're on.

Neanderthal three: Do we get points for killing something unintentionally?


Theoretical pre-historic sports aside, I couldn't imagine training four hours a day to put a shot. So you can throw heavy balls for a lot of meters. So what? I saw no practical use for this. But then again, when I actually sat back to consider this, I realized that there are sports that look better but have even less practical use. Like basketball. I love the NBA, but I realize that basketball is basically 10 people tossing around a single ball. At least I can use shot put skills to pit a ball dipped in pepper spray solution to that window of that guy who ran over my cat this morning. Kidding aside, sports are not meant to be practical, I realize, and mostly, its for love of the game that keeps people playing. I know better now.

The point is back then, the Olympics for me was only worth watching if it had lots of complicated body maneuvers in it. If it doesn't turn people into pretzels, it's not interesting. But now that I'm older, I realize there's a lot more to this gathering of champions than an excuse to win as much bragging rights as possible. Olympics is a symbolic culmination of unity and friendship among nations. It is an event to step back from the international disputes and cheer for the representatives of our countries. At least it used to be like that.

As time goes by however, the Olympics isn't so much as a tool for unity but a brawling ring for political platforms. Can people forget Munich and the death of 11 Israeli athletes? Or for that matter, the massacre in Tlatelolco during the Mexico games? And of course, as the most relevant and recent, China and its suppression of Tibet?

Political agenda has never been more highlighted in the Olympics than today in China. Even the most politically-apathetic people cannot deny that China's getting a lot of flak from other countries due to their issues with Tibet. Protesters all over the world have expressed their opinions, and even some world leaders have made their stand, whether it's by boycotting the opening ceremonies or making public statements. The Olympic torch has not seen a peaceful voyage yet, what with so many protesters trying to put it out.

The impending Beijing Olympics have lost much of its name's glory, and for the most part, had been associated with protests and human rights violations It's sad that something as glorious and spectacular as the Olympics had been tainted with the marks of prevailing indignity and cruelty. It's sad, that I only realized how much the Olympics represents right when the whole world is scarring its image.

The Olympics should not be a stage to sling mud at each other. I want the original Olympics back. I want to be able to appreciate the different kinds of effort exerted in every sport. I want to be able to point at that screen and say “See that girl over there? She can't do flips and she has arms that would be unflattering in sleeveless tops but she can make a mince pie of your face from twenty meters away.” I want to experience watching people making their dreams and ambitions come true. I want to see the world's finest athletes competing for the medal they could proudly bring back to their countrymen. Lastly, I want to see people who keep going for love of the sport and for love of their country, no matter how many times they fall.