The 5 ring circus

Here we are in the summer of an Olympic year. Well, a year later than an Olympic year, but we are all astutely aware of the reason for the delay. Like so many across the globe, I have made pronounced butt creases in my rocker as I sit in front of my "big" screen to follow the elation and heartbreak that is the Tokyo Olympic Summer Games. Naysayers, hiding behind arguments about professionalism, complain that Games' time has come and gone, and they're no longer interested in watching. Curiously, these are the same people who wish to talk about the many newsworthy moments of the games in our conversations. Well, I will get up on my soapbox in vocal favour of the human drama that plays out each Olympics.

Sure, it feels vaguely strange to refer to them as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when its 2021. Sure, there are acknowledged biases in the "have" nations and "have not" nations matching up in competitions. Sure, hosting the games in a pandemic almost guarantees that Japan will shoulder the massive debt of the games for years to come ... Montreal '76 anyone ... despite the majority of citizens vocally opposed to hosting. Having acknowledged all of that, for me there is no better stretch than when either a summer or winter games in on because I will always see them as the penultimate sporting competition. As a former elite athlete, I LOVE IT!

Some of you who know me will have heard me opine about my viewing preferences in a variety of choices where the nature always includes the likelihood of an upset. It is my esteemed opinion that NCAA, CIS, Club, High School activities are far more entertaining because of the greater chance of a "David and Goliath" scenario. A perfect example was the Women's Road Race where amateur Anna Kiesenhofer won gold by creating such a massive lead that the peloton actually forgot she was that far ahead, a direct consequence of riders not being allowed to have radio contact during the race. Another example was only shocking to those who have not followed basketball outside of North America when France convincingly defeated tradition powerhouse and NBA-laden USA in opening pool play.  How about Canadian weightlifter Maude Charron shocking the field by easily winning the 64kg class for gold, just the 2nd medal Canada has ever won in weightlifting? Yet another was Tunisia's Ahmed Hafnaoui's gold in the 400m Freestyle, a race that the 18 year old beat the powerhouse Aussies and Americans to the wall.

While up on my soapbox, I'll admit that I am not a massive fan of the inclusion of professional athletes in Olympic competition, and that I am absolutely thrilled when the amateur outlasts the pro, even though I know that even those deemed amateurs by the IOC rules are far from true amateurs, I'll capitulate that in some cases, it's entertaining to watch the pros perform together like 1992 Dream Team. I know that I'm in the minority on this, and I have had more than my fair share of discussions with buddies over beverages and snacks, but I'm entitled to hold an unpopular opinion, and I simply prefer to spend my viewing dollars on stuff that interests me ... 'nuff said.

One thing has become glaringly obvious though. 

My heart breaks for the athletes in Tokyo's maelstrom of Covid-19 infections, having to endure daily (or even twice daily) nasal swabs and symptom declarations while attempting to keep their mental focus. Exacerbating the situation, athlete's support networks and loved ones cannot be there in emotional support to share in their life-altering experience. Even worse, once their events are complete ... hopefully to the best of their ability ... the expectation is to vacate the premises ASAP, no chance for collegiality, cultural exchange, or celebrations. Listen, I totally understand why, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. For me, that is the difference between the Olympics and World Championships. The Olympics was designed to be a huge stew pot of personalities from all corners of the globe where new connections and networking can occur with the potential to significantly change lives for the better by effectively "shrinking" the globe. I have always been impressed by the videos and stories of athletes whose competitions were complete, cheering boisterously in the stands at the competitions of new or old friends, maybe even taking in that particular activity for the very first time. Who doesn't remember Canadian Skeleton Gold Medallist John MOntgomery casually consuming a pitcher of frothy celebration as he strolled through Whistler village? In a pandemic plagued Olympics, that doesn't ... and unfortunately shouldn't ... happen.

Perhaps it's habit.
Perhaps it was intentional.
Perhaps it just happened without any conscious thought, but I have long held that the Olympics is the penultimate sporting competition, bigger than professional Championships or other international tournaments. I always fostered the dream of both qualifying for and being successful at the Olympics as the gold-plated goal for any athlete that I had a chance to interact with. I have been gifted a blessed life, both as an athlete and as a coach, but I was never good enough nor able to will myself to sacrifice enough to qualify, but I swell with pride each time a young person I have assisted in their Olympic journey, earns the right to compete. There have been a few over the years, and this year is no exception, with Central alumni Kayla Alexander (basketball) and Kaili Lukan (7s rugby) representing their families, their schools, their home towns and their country so admirably. Former Team Ontario Rugby standouts I was blessed to coach, Lucas Hammond and Andrew Coe, were huge parts of the men's 7s Rugby that fought bravely before settling for 8th overall. I'm not so vain to think I was responsible for their success, but my heart still swells with pride from the small role that I played in their journey. Besides, I always have cherished the ability to develop friendships with those I coached, creating an emotional bond that makes cheering them on even more special. 

Some of those friendships created were bolstered by Social Media, allowing former athletes and their parents to continue to be linked so I can follow their progression to Olympic dreams, while others grew to become more than just athletic based commonalities, stitching together stronger bonds of connection through face to face interactions apart from sport. The Lukan family has graciously accepted me into their group, and I am flattered to be able to include them in my friendship circle. Older sibling Megan was a part of the women's 7s Rugby team that won bronze in the Rio Olympics, and I truly thought I couldn't be any more proud of a former athlete until the youngest sister Kaili followed her sister's lead, earning her own spot on the Canada 7s for Tokyo. That is no shot at Megan in any way, shape or form, but I was only blessed with two years of player-coach interactions with her due to her tremendous successes outside of Central's walls as a member of Canada's national basketball program. Partially due to knowing Kaili for longer since I had coached older sisters Alyska and Megan, combined with the timing of our interactions since they occurred in her senior years, and included the success of an OFSAA Silver medal, we developed a tightly woven relationship with a deeper investment. I am astutely aware of how hard it's been, how much sacrifice has been given, how much sweat equity and pain endured.

Proud as a peacock, as the saying goes.

The next few nights will be a steady diet of CBC's hosts and oft-repeated commercials interspersed between the best value my money can buy as each athlete gets the Worhol-inspired "15 seconds of fame" for all the connected world to see. I'll always cheer for the upset, the underdog, the unsung to rise above the expectations and realize something special, be it PB or podium. 

Citius. Altius. Fortius.