The Point…Entirely.
Here are a few random thoughts and observations from the recently completed Olympic Games in Paris. I pay close attention to the things that seem to matter, and a lot of the noise surrounding the Olympics does not seem to matter.
The opening ceremony: The parade of athletes is always fascinating, but otherwise, the opening (and closing) ceremonies are irrelevant. People refusing to watch the Olympics because they object to something in the opening ceremony are missing the point of The Games entirely.
Sifan Hassan: More impressive than her accomplishment – three medals in the three longest races, including a gold in the marathon, is her attitude. She was asked over and over again why she was attempting such a daunting schedule (she raced 50 laps on the track before she won the marathon). Her response? Curiosity. Hassan said she wanted to know what’s possible, and if she won medals, that would be great. If not, at least she’d know what is possible. That is the point entirely.
American men in 1500: The inimitable Steve Magness observed that in the last year or so, coaches and athletes have become obsessed with the “Norwegian Method.” That’s not unreasonable, given the exploits of Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Maybe though, Magness suggested, after the medal haul of Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, Grant Fisher, and Kenneth Rooks we should be paying more attention to the “American Method”. Bryce Hoppel’s 1:41.67 for fourth in the 800 was also pretty good. Here’s how I see the American Method: From age group clubs through middle school, high school, college, and the professional level, more U.S. athletes have more access to elite-level track and field coaches than the rest of the world combined.
Marta and Diana Taurasi: The nonpareil Brazilian soccer player and the emotional leader of the U.S. Women’s basketball team. Six Olympic Games each. Six. Taurasi has won six gold medals, leading a team that never loses. There are no titles for Marta, but along with the likes of Carly Lloyd, Alex Morgan, and others, she changed the worldwide perception of women’s soccer.
American men on the track: American dominance was nowhere more apparent than in the men’s running events. American men won 13 of a possible 30 medals in the ten-track races. The U.S. women were almost as dominant: 100 Silver and 200 gold, swept both hurdle races and dominated the relays, including a near world record in the 4x400.
Sydney McLaughlin-Lavrone: I’ll say it. She is the most dominant athlete in women’s frack and field history. Despite the presence of the second-best-ever athlete in her event, the 400-meter hurdles, she has proven unbeatable.
Role Models: At a time when it is so obvious that American girls need positive, dynamic athletic role models, along come Simone Biles, McLaughlin-Lavrone, Gabby Thomas, Ilona Maher, Valerie Almon, Taurasi, the U.S. women’s soccer team, and so many more. Girls take heed: Athletic greatness comes in all shapes and sizes. Embrace that fact.
Emma Hayes – The light-hearted English woman who, in two short months, changed the trajectory of the U.S. women’s soccer team cited gratitude for the nurturing she received in the U.S. when she started her coaching career as the reason she was proud to lead the U.S. women to the Gold Medal. It is always exciting and gratifying when someone from another country calls attention to the opportunities many of us who live here take for granted.
Vernon Norwood – Quincy Wilson is young, and the pressure might have been too much when the 16-year-old ran the first leg of the men’s 4x400 in the semifinal round. The U.S. found itself in last place after Wilson’s leg, but Norwood got the team back into contention on the second leg, and they qualified quickly. But it wasn’t Norwood’s steady, controlled, and professional run that impressed me as much as the fact that as soon as he crossed the finish line, he immediately took the time to console and encourage the youngster, who seemed destined to grow up to be America’s next great 400-meter runner. Vernon Norwood is the very definition of a role model: Professionalism, class, and compassion. And that is the point, entirely. The next day, Norwood did his part to help the U.S. secure the gold medal in a fierce battle with Botswana in near world record time.
Of course, there’s more. The Cuban wrestler who won his sixth gold medal. Chari Hawkins continued in the heptathlon after failing to clear a height in the high jump, the second event, and then at age 33, the joy she exhibited at completing the event and celebrating with the rest of the pentathletes. I didn’t watch the closing ceremonies. By then, I’d seen all I needed: Greatness (no matter how you define that nebulous term) on display daily. That is the point…entirely.