All That Glitters is Not Gold…Medals

There is More Good News in the World Than Bad

 “FASTER,  HIGHER, STRONGER – TOGETHER.” 
– Olympic Motto

In early July as the promo for the Paris Olympics was starting to increase, Raphael had a flashback to a discussion he had had with a homeless man in downtown Toronto three years before in 2021, just before the Tokyo Olympics. The homeless man, who divided his time between the streets and a shelter, asked Raphael if he was going to watch the Olympics

Surprised at the question, Raphael immediately replied, “Yes I am.” In turn, Raphael asked the homeless man if he was planning to watch the Olympics. He also replied, “Yes.”

Hesitantly, Raphael asked him, “Why?”

The homeless man said, “I like watching the events and the athletes inspire me.”

Raphael never found out if the man actually did watch the Tokyo Olympics. However, Raphael and his wife did. They also watched the recently completed Paris Olympics.

While the focus in the Olympics is on winning medals, gold in particular, Raphael believed there is much more to the Olympics than medals.

But let’s start with the gold medals. Canada won a record number nine gold, partly because of the push for Canadian excellence through THE OWN THE PODIUM programme. Canada was lead by 17-year-old swimmer Summer McIntosh who won three, Ethan Katzenberg and Camryn Rogers who each won the hammer throw, Christa Deguchi who won in Judo, Philip (Phil Wizard) Kim, who won breaking, Katie Vincent in canoeing and the men’s 4 x 100 metre relay team.

As mentioned, however, there is much more than gold medals that stand out. The Olympics are unique. This year there were 10,500 competitors from over 200 countries. Fifty percent were men, 50% women

In the first games in 1896, also in Paris, there were no women. In the 1924 Paris Olympics, 4.4 % were women, and as recently as the Montreal Olympics, only 20% were women.

Canada’s 2024 team had 70% women and they won 70% of Canada’s medals. There were 329 events in 32 sports and 85 countries won medals. There were over 1000 medals handed out. Each medal contained a small piece of metal from the Eiffel tower.

In spite of wars, Palestine and Israel were both represented, as was Ukraine.

Russia was banned because of drug offenses but had some representation through the refugee team or representing other countries.

Paris is one of the great cities of the world. Some of its uniqueness and charm was first witnessed as athletes floated down the Seine in boats in the opening procession. The Seine was also used for some events. $1.7 billion was spent to clean up the Seine, which in the words of the Mayor Anne Hidalgo, will be, “Paris’ Olympic legacy.” In spite of some controversy, the river will be open in 2025 to the public for swimming. To show its cleanliness the mayor herself swam in the river before the games started.

Said Globe and Mail writer Cathal Kelly, “The Olympics benefited just by PARIS BEING PARIS.”

There were many golden moments and good happenings illustrated in the incalculable number of human interest stories. Many of the stories and happenings were multi-faceted and showed the power of the human spirit: hard work, determination, compassion, support for each other, family, friendship and the overcoming of huge odds and obstacles. Here are a few: 

One of Summer Mcintosh’s gold medals was in the 200 metre butterfly, the same event her mother swam in at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Broadcaster Byron McDonald announced both events. 

Summer, however, was not the leading medal winner.  Zhang Yufei from China won six (5 of them bronze) and Leon Marchand became the hero of France, winning five (4 gold)

There was Canadian three-time 2021 Olympic swimming medalist Maggie Mac Neil, who was adopted from a Chinese orphanage as a tiny 1-year-old and brought to London by her new parents.

Even as a little girl she displayed a love of being underwater. With the support of her parents and dozens of others, she won a gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly in 2021, plus two other medals. She swam well in Paris, but did not medal. She is off shortly to Law School.

American Simone Biles, who withdrew from the 2021 Olympics because of the emotional pressure, after retiring for several years and obtaining professional help, came back to win four medals, including the all around female Olympic gymnast.

Swedish pole vaulter Armando Duplantis, sprinted down the runway and with the help of his pole soared 6.25 metres (20 feet 6 inches) over the bar to set a new world record. It was the 9^th time he broke the existing world record.This was done in front of 80,000 spectators and millions on TV all focusing on him. Talk about pressure.

Marco Arop, a refugee from Khartoum, Sudan, now living in Edmonton won the silver medal in the 800 metre, missing gold by 0.03 of a second. During his interview afterward he was exceedingly polite and thankful. His ambition now is to set a world record.

There was Sifan Hassan, also a refugee. She moved to the Netherlands from Ethiopia, and only started to run in 2011.

In 2021 within three days she won a gold in the 5000 and 10,000 metre and bronze in the 1500 metre.

This year she won bronze in the 5000 and 10000 metre and decided to try the marathon. The course started in front of the Hôtel de Ville, went along the  banks of the Seine, past the Louvre by the Eiffel tower, and out and back to Versailles, finishing in front of the Esplanade des Invalides.

She won and set a new Olympic record with a last minute sprint winning by less than one second after running 42 km, an incredible feat. She wore her Hijab at the medal ceremonies even though hijabs are now no longer allowed in France.

There was the fun and ambience of beach volleyball played against the spectacular backdrop of the Eiffel tower. In the final, the Brazilian team in a seat-gripping match beat the very determined and bonded Canadian women’s team of Brandie Wilkerson, born in Switzerland and Melissa Humana Paredes, whose parents came from Chile. It was Canada’s first ever beach volley medal.

The Canadian women’s soccer team had to overcome the fallout from the drone spying scandal against the New Zealand team, and were required to make up 6 points, and deal with the loss of their coach, to make it out of the preliminary round. The players went through a whole range of emotion and sleepless nights, but finally coalesced around the belief, “We can do it!”

They made it out of these rounds, but lost to the Germans only after a shoot out. The Germans went on to win the bronze medal.

The women’s 7’s rugby team did not expect to make it to the final but did by beating favorites Australia and France.

In the final, the New Zealand team, who is ranked first in the world, scored on the first series of plays. Not to be overpowered, the Canadians quickly came back but eventually lost. They were excited to have won the silver. At the end all competitors had huge, heartfelt hugs. 

Auger Aliassime, who in spite of the 36 degree heat, kept winning his single tennis matches against higher seeded opponents and a few hours later playing in the mixed doubles. His doubles partner was the outstanding doubles player Gabriela Dabrowski.

Eventually he lost in the semis in singles to the indomitable Carlos Alcaraz (who won silver), and then to Musetti who won the bronze. Novak Djokovic went on to win the gold representing Serbia, breaking down in tears of emotion.

Aliassime and Drabowski went on to win the bronze medal.

And there was the men’s 100 metre relay team: Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney and Jerome Blake. They had been running together since before the Tokyo Olympics. Said Andre De Grasse, “We are like brothers.”

In the individual rounds they each fared poorly. Aaron Brown was sick. Andre did not make the finals. His coach lost his credentials.

The team’s relay coach Glenroy Gilbert, himself a former sprinter, reputedly asked them how they wanted to leave the Olympics. As a result, you could see superb baton passing and the look of determination on their faces: they were going to win. They did. For the next few days they were like little boys with their excitement.

There were all of the other athletes. Just qualifying for the Olympics is a huge achievement. They displayed the Olympic creed: “The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.” 

There were huge disappointments too. Mohammed (Mo) Ahmed who won the silver in Tokyo. He came a very close 4^th in the !0,000 metre, but fell in the 5000 metre.

Damian Warner, the 2021 decathlon gold medal winner, was in second place after five events, but missed all attempts in the pole vault and was eliminated.

Canadian Sarah Minton, the indoor shot put champion and favorite whose mother, a hairdresser, had only been on a plane once and had never seen her daughter perform, was there. Sarah fouled out. A client of her mother’s was the person who suggested she get into sports.

The hand grip of Félix Dolci, a Canadian gymnast, broke when he was on the high bar. He fell, injuring his hand. Allowed to repeat, his injured hand could not grip the bar and he fell again. A big disappointment! He was rewarded for his courage with a standing ovation by the crowd.

Outside of the athletes there were the organizers, many of whom were volunteers. They managed to run 329 events successfully, produced spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, and overall produced an event which 70% of Canadians watched, as well as millions of people around the world. They took us away from the regular news and showed us even if some countries are at war, they could battle things out on the sports field and come out as friends.

The good stories included the Canadian media who gave us excellent, entertaining coverage with informed, balanced commentary. 

Some of the advertisements are worth mentioning such as the always great Canadian Tire advertisements, “We all play for Canada.”  

You could not help but be touched by the ad showing Damian Warner with his 3-year-old son imitating him, particularly carrying and throwing the javelin. He was born just prior to the Tokyo Olympics.

You also had to be moved by the pictures of the blade runners and be reminded of the upcoming Paralympics. While they may have lost an arm or leg in an accident, or been born with impaired vision or intellectual capacity, we are all reminded they are all people too and sports and the Paralympics gives them a chance to excel, be vital and inspiring.

Of note, former Humboldt Broncos’ hockey goaltender Jacob Wasserman, who was in the horrific bus accident several years ago, is a rower. 

The Paralympic games run from Aug 28th until Sept 8^th. Raphael will be watching.

After most Olympics there are detractors who ask, “Are the Olympics worth it?”

This time instead there were many who indicated because of all the Paris games brought, they would be vying to host a future game. 

To a person, the athletes all talked about how great it was to have spectators (there were none in Tokyo because of COVID), and at the closing event they mingled and sang, “We Are The Champions,” leaving the spectators moved and inspired including, we hope, Raphael’s homeless friend in Toronto. 

Till next time, 

Chris Snyder, Climate Optimist 

Email: snyderchris74@gmail.com  

Stories of Good News and Hope: http://chrissnyder.ca/