AN OLYMPIC LEGACY

     Many of us have watched the Olympics over the years.  However, the last Games of the XXXI Olympiad at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 5-21, 2016 had a Motto “A New World” (Portuguese: Un mundo novo). There were 207 nations attending with 11,303 athletes who participated.  Its Motto was meaningful in particular ways.  But, before addressing them let’s take time to understand some history.

    The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece primarily as a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the Father of all Gods.  The festival and games were held at a rural sanctuary site called Olympia in the western Peloponnesus peninsula of southern Greece.  It is not known just when the Games were first played.  The oldest recorded Olympic competition took place in 776 B.C.  It was the start of the first Olympiad, the four year period by which the Greeks recorded their history.  The games were a direct outgrowth of the beliefs and values of Greek society.  They idealized physical fitness, mental discipline and excellence in these attributes which honored Zeus.  The warlike city-states such as Sparta accepted the peaceful Olympic festivals and enjoyed the importance of athletic competition only to resort to war after the games ended.  Rome finally conquered Greece in 146 B.C.  It took over 1500 years for the Olympics to return.

     Rio has been faced with political and economic problems.  Yet, it has become the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics.  These were the first games to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country and the first to be held entirely during the host country’s winter season.  It is also the first time since 1968 that games were held in the Southern Hemisphere.  The lead-ups to the games were evident with issues including: the instability of the country’s federal government, healthy and safety concerns regarding the Zika virus and a doping scandal involving the participation of Russia’s athletes.

     Nevertheless, the spirit and excitement of the Games blossomed.  There was truly a “New World” exhibited.  Even athletes from the war-torn areas of the Middle East participated.  There was a great display of sportsmanship and goodwill among the participants.  When watching the events, one cannot escape the good feelings of seeing the handshakes and hugs shared among the athletes.  Even when a team or an athlete lost at an event, the drive and motivation to succeed was relentless.  There was no giving up.

When we see the turmoil and problems around the world and know there are terrible conditions facing people, the Olympics provide us with an optimistic view of life.

The excitement and enthusiasm of the athletes, their discipline and skill are reminders that the there is a positive future for humanity.