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Column: Let the Games … end?
Published: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 - 5:57pm
“I THINK THE Olympics should be canceled.”
At first I was mildly shocked to hear such a strong sentiment as I was getting an innocent haircut a few weeks ago, while the 2008 Olympic Games were taking place on the opposite side of the world in Beijing.
But as I thought about it, I became surprised that such feelings aren’t expressed more commonly.
Because as great as friendly competition among the world’s best athletes sounds, the idealized Olympic spirit of peaceful international sport at its highest level is so often accompanied by other unintended consequences.
The 1972 Games in Munich and 1996 Games in Atlanta were marred by acts of terrorism, and the 1980 and 1984 Olympics in Moscow and Los Angeles, respectively, were both marred by political boycotts during the Cold War.
And even more recently, the Olympics have continued to struggle in avoiding scandals as lip-synching 7-year-olds and potentially underaged gymnasts were found in a host country spending hundreds of millions of dollars to further its prestige, as steroid use and gene mutating and buoyancy-enhancing sharkskin-modeled swimsuits were common strategies to get ahead, as idiotic commentators continued to focus solely on one beach volleyball team, one swimmer, and even less relevantly, his mother.
As NBA players and tennis pros steal the spotlight in what was once envisioned as a showcase of the world’s greatest amateurs, it’s hard not to wonder what the modern Olympics are trying to accomplish.
It’s not even clear that the Olympics are a completely good thing for participating athletes. The pressure of more than half the world watching could understandably be overwhelming, and some countries even take children identified with special athletic skills as young as 3 to live in government-sponsored training facilities.
And yet, amidst sickeningly nationalistic medal ceremonies, outrage over controversial pollution, foreign policy, and incompetent and delayed judging, as much as I’d like to ask why we keep kidding ourselves, I still watch the Olympics.
Maybe it’s because I never really got over the amazement of sitting in the crowd watching gymnastics as a 4-year-old in Atlanta. Maybe it’s because, I’ll admit it, I get a sick insensitive American thrill out of watching Kobe Bryant dunk on some guy whose name I haven’t heard of. Maybe it’s because I still marvel at the awesome feats of human accomplishment in every new record. It could just be because I like the commercials.
Regardless of why, I still watch the Olympics, even if sometimes I put the TV on mute, or skip to other channels during the boring parts — I mean “team handball” or “synchronized diving.” Unfortunately, the Beijing Games once again reminded the world that every four years, a whole lot more is on display than medal counts and stadiums.
Comments
Those Suits
The swim suits that you are talking about have been used for over five years now, and while the ones used may not have enhanced the swimmers abilities as much as they do now, the suits really dont help that much. I have seen these suits up close and they appear normal, until you look really close, and you will see tiny raised dots near the chest that are used to reduce drag, other than that there really aren't that many differences the main reason to wear those suits is to reduce drag, so really that probably doesn't help that much. I swam competitively for six years, both with short hair and rather long hair and I really did not see any difference between the to. SO the press (not you laura, this article was great!) really needs to lighten up about these suits. they're available to everyone so why complain?
Michael Phelps
And that proves that what Michael Phelps did was still incredible and can't be attributed to the suits. He shattered the world records, but even if those suits aided his time even a little bit (and apparently they don't help that much), everyone else wore them too.
Sorry if that was completely off topic.
Not quite...
Actually, the suits used by the US swimming team at the Beijing Olympics were released this year, and are only available for pre-order until they are released for general sale around October (I think). The suits you are referring to are called Fastskin FSIIs and are two generations older than those used at the Olympics. The new suits, called the LZR Racers, are quite different from other technical suits (swimsuits designed especially to reduce drag for racing). They are made with low-profile zippers and zero stitches, meaning less drag through the water, and they also have a core stabilization system which helps keep the body centered while traveling through the water.
As you probably saw this summer, races are often decided by jut a few hundredths of a second. The slight reduction of drag caused by the LZR Racer could definitely decide the outcome of a close race. And the psychological advantage you can get from wearing the fastest swimsuit in the world doesn't hurt, either.
And they aren't really available to everyone. They cost between $290 and $550. And if an athlete is sponsored by another brand, they can't use the LZR Racers unless they are willing to violate their contract.
Sorry about the rant. I just wanted to let you know.
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