Source:Island
I watched on a sports channel and BBC snatches of the closing ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and the concurrent celebrations in Paris with President Macron atop the Eiffel Tower watching the fly past of planes emitting streams of white, blue and red fumes; and the French Flag waved around. France will host the 2024 Games in Paris and we do hope with none of the heartburn and doubts that surrounded the Tokyo games; plus criticism too.
Dousing the flame and handing over the flag
The bounced around questions and doubts for much more than a year were prefaced with would, could and should the Games be held. Even when postponed by more than one year, the questions and doubts and overcoming opposition gave headaches to the Olympic organizing team and to athletes around the world plus Covid 19 experts. But finally the Games did go ahead, in a bubble meant to separate it from Tokyo, minus spectators but inclusive of all thrills, a few spills, excitement and drawing world attention with the spectacular winning of golds, silvers and bronzes. A couple of records were broken.
Thus the glorious Olympic Games were held successfully, even though the cursed Covid 19 did invade the Village. They concluded on Sunday August 8 with the ceremonial handing of the Olympic flag to the next host France; accompanied by nostalgia, forged friendships and connections; living up to its motto: ‘Swifter, Higher, Stronger, Together’ and its creed of ‘The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but to have fought well.’ Thomas Pesquet played the last line of the Olympic song on his saxophone from outer space! Two women played major roles here: Tokyo Governor – Yuniko Koike and Mayor of Paris – Anna Hidelgo.
Anthony Lane writing in the New Yorker dated 8/8/2021 noted: “Yet the Tokyo Olympics, though menaced by a gruelling degree of heat and humidity, did offer surprising relief. And all because of the kids.” That last because new competitions introduced this year – skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing had the debutantes, mostly very young, 13-year olds for instance skate boarding fearlessly. Just turned teenager, British Sky Brown was one of them who won gold in skateboarding, plus her giggles won the hearts of people who watched the games on TV.
Lane adds: “There has been a different, more vulnerable dynamic to these Olympics, and the athletes have modeled a way through it – in part by being open about their individual struggles, and in part by leaning on one another. The enduring image of these Games, for me, won’t be of a winner wrapped in a flag but of American gymnast Simone Giles.” This superb gymnast withdrew from most of the competitions she had entered for having suffered ‘the twisties ‘ – high in the air, looking lost. “Having performed one and a half of the planned two and a half twists of her vault, she suddenly flung her arms open to stop her spinning. Her body torqued, her head going one way while her legs went another, and then pitched forward, stumbling and lunging into a landing. It would have felt strange to watch any gymnast vault so awkwardly, but it was especially shocking to see it from Biles, who, normally, has unparalleled body control, and an unerring sense of herself in the air.” She said she suffered emotionally if not mentally but came back on the last day to win bronze on the balance beam. Many others rallied round her and encouraged and empathized with her, emphasizing the fact that friendship and fellow feeling superseded sharp competition.
Most medals
Commentators say the first defining moment of the 2020 Tokyo Games was American star Allyson Felix winning her 10th gold medal – the most number of medals for a female track athlete. She also won bronze for the 4X400 m relay. This is Felix’s fifth Olympics having competed in 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro; winning gold at every Summer Olympics. “This one is very different, and it’s very special. And it just took a lot to get here,” she said. She now exceeds the record set by Jamaican athlete Merlene Ottey and equals Carl Lewis who holds the honour of most Olympic medals won by a U.S. track athlete. Lewis warmly congratulating her on Twitter said: “35 never looked so good.” The most touching scene for me was seeing her celebrate her gold with her little daughter of around three years in her arms, born prematurely.
Another impressive woman is Elaine Thompson Herah (29) from Jamaica, five times Olympian, who won the 100 and 200 m sprints but could not beat the record held by Florence Griffith Joyner of the US. However, she is the fastest woman in history having created a new record in 100m and won the 200m plus won gold in the 4X400 relay. Her husband is her coach.
Other noteworthies
Too many to mention here. However Tom Daly and Matt Lee created history with their synchronized diving. Listening to Daly after his win I thought I heard wrong when he referred to his husband and child. He did say ‘husband’ for he came out as gay in 2013 and is one among 142 LGBTQ athletes at these Games.
Amusing, yet heart strings-pulling, was the utter surprise registered on Norwegian Karsten Warholm’s face as he won the 400 m hurdles, outstripping his own world record by a distance. He rejoiced setting a new record by ripping open his vest! The 110 m hurdles was won by Jamaican Hansle Parchment arriving just in time in the stadium having gone to a wrong venue and being lent money to taxi to the correct place. Acclaimed by all was the sharing of the gold in the high jump very willingly and magnanimously by Qatar’s Barshin and Italy’s Tamberi.
The most touching story
The most heartwarming tale comes from India and the captain of its women’s hockey team, which went around as an email. Netherlands won gold, Argentina silver and GB bronze. However India’s women’s hockey team won hearts and praise beating Australia to reach the semi-finals but beaten by Britain.
The narrative centers on the caption Rani Rampal, 26, from the State of Haryana. Most of the players come from extreme poverty and started playing to support their families. They faced extreme opposition from within the conservative and tradition bound families since “Girls aren’t supposed to play sports, and that too in skirts!”
In an interview Rani said: “I wanted an escape from my life; from the electricity shortages, to the mosquitoes buzzing in our ear when we slept, from barely having two square meals to seeing our home getting flooded when it rained. My parents tried their best, but there was only so much they could do – Papa was a cart puller and Maa worked as a maid.”
She went to a hockey academy close to home but only watched others play at first. Her father could not afford fees and the trainer refused to have her saying she was not strong enough. She found a broken hockey stick and practiced, determined to prove she could wield the stick with dexterity and was taken on.
Her family firmly refused to let her play due to the tradition of girls being cooks, caretakers, dutiful daughters and then wives and mothers, but later her father relented.
At the academy, it was mandatory for each player to bring 500 ml of milk. Since her family could not afford this, she watered her milk portion. Her coach supported her fully and she trained hard and consistently. She earned her first salary of Rs 500 winning a State tournament and handed it over to her father who had never had such an amount in one go. Her aim was for the family to have a home of their own. She played for Haryana and then finally got the national call. There was no looking back from then on, becoming captain of the national team. She bought the family a home in 2017. We wish her luck.
I end with a quote culled from a foreign paper. “Only a fool would argue that the world of pandemic, of fire and flood, and of economic uncertainly was halted or healed by this year’s Olympic Games. Only a cynic however would deny that, for a fortnight, the darkness was put on hold. Faith in the future was restored.” I add by the competing athletes: their perseverance, strengths and weaknesses and the spirit of playing fair. 205 nations participated in the Tokyo Games with 339 events in 33 sports. And its motto seemed to be “United by emotions.” Yes, the heart was supreme above the body of physical strength and mind of determined competition.
