The Olympic Spirit

I do not think it is a big surprise to anyone who knows me that I am a sports fan (particularly when it comes to the sport of soccer…or as I like to call it: football). So naturally when international competitions come around every other year, invariably my eyes are always glued to whichever screen I can get them gazing upon; and this year’s Summer Olympics in London, England was no exception.

Of course there are specific events that I prefer over others, but our television was primary tuned in regardless over the last two weeks. And I would never want to miss one of my favorite spectacles of the Olympic Games: the Closing Ceremony.

While watching all of the athletes walk in together, I was reminded how inclusive these Olympics have really been. In fact, I would be willing to bet that the London Olympics of 2012 will go down in history as one of the most inclusive Olympic Games.

Oscar Pistorius

For the first time ever there were more female athletes than male athletes competing from the United States; and every country had at least one female athlete represented.

Also, athletes with “disabilities” were allowed to compete in the regular Olympic Games—as opposed to only being allowed to compete in the Paralympics. One such athlete was the South African double-amputee runner,Oscar Pistorius, who ran in the 400-meter and 4x400-meter relay races.

And then, of course, the LGBT community was openly welcomed as well. Obviously we can recognize the 23 openly gay or lesbian athletes that competed (10 of them won medals); but how many know of the transgender athlete who won silver in the women’s 800-meter race?

All of this was amplified by the fact that the Olympic planning committee set up a Pride House for LGBT athletes during the 2012 Olympic Games. Yeah, this may not seem like much, but the fact that there will not be one at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia speaks volumes.

(And one thing that I am sure most people did not know about the Pride House in London was that an art exhibit was finally unveiled. American photographer Jeff Sheng displayed his photo-collage tribute of 150openly LGBT high school and college athletes in the United States and Canada.)

And who could forget the amazing cauldron which held the Olympic Flame during these games? The fact that each petal represented one of the nations competing in the games, and that every nation involved was represented, was very meaningful. 

Together, all the petals supported the flame; together all the nations support the Olympic Games as equals. I thought it was very fitting that each country was able to take home its nation’s pedal from the cauldron with its athletes.

All in all, the level of acceptance shown by the organizers of the 2012 London Olympics was truly inspiring, and I was reminded of what the Olympic Spirit is all about.

The official Olympic Charter states:

Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

….

The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

During the Closing Ceremony of London 2012, all of the athletes—no matter if they won a medal or not; no matter of their ability, nationality, age, religion, gender, race, or sexual orientation—walked out together, laying down their competitive spirits, and celebrated each other together. 

It was a party, and ALL were invited to participate. And that is what I always love about the Olympics. The point is not just to prove who is better than everyone else at a specific sport; it is about something much bigger than that, something we can all believe in: Equality.

At the end of the NBC broadcast of these Olympic Games in London, I got a little choked up because I had to say goodbye. I had to accept that I would have to wait another 18 months before I would get to see another spectacle like it again.

Thus, I will earnestly wish for Sochi 2014 to get here as soon as it can. The Olympic Spirit is truly a beautiful thing to behold. So beautiful in fact that I think it is actually worth the wait to see.

I will gladly wait patiently for it....