The Olympics still matter
By Chris Yucus
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cyucus@bcrnews.com
The Olympics still matter.
At their purest, the games represent individual athletes dedicating themselves to achieve the highest success possible in their chosen disciplines.
Whether they grew up with a hockey stick, or curling broom in their hands, spent countless hours on the slopes or spinning triple-axles, the men and women who make it through the trials and tribulations of a lifetime in their sports to emerge as Olympians represent much more than just their countries and teammates.
They represent hard work and discipline with dedication to a cause so fierce that it consumes their existence. They show the children and adults watching at home, that if you dedicate yourself totally to something, you can achieve your wildest dreams — and have the world cheer you for your efforts.
Neither doping nor corporate dopes can take that pure essential aspect of the Olympics — complete dedication — away. Olympians spend years trying to shave 1/100th of a second off their times or perfecting an aerial maneuver that will wow the world when its attention is focused momentarily on it.
Not everyone walks away from the games with a medal ... far from it. Yet, I’m guessing that almost all the athletes leave knowing that they did everything they could to win, and return to their home countries with their heads held high, even if they didn’t make the finals.
With the games in full swing, I’m hoping to ramp up my Olympic watching this week.
While I’ve never been a fan of figure skating, I’m sure I’ll gasp a few times when someone lands a flawless jump. And though I still have not quite figured why there are back flips involved in the moguls skiing event, watching it the other night had me wondering just how someone’s knees could take the amount of punishment the bumpy snow provides.
I guess what I’m saying is that even though I might not understand the nuances of what it takes to win the gold, and stand on top of the podium while your national anthem is played, I can appreciate what it took to get there — and that’s what I’ll be rooting for.
Chris Yucus is a sports writer for the BCR. He can be contacted at cyucus@bcrnews.com.
