How many of you remember the phrase, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat?” This is a phrase coined by sportscaster Jim McKay over 50 years ago. But if any of you have been watching the Olympics for the past week or so, you have witnessed it many times over.
Lindsey Vonn was set to make Olympic history until disaster happened and instead of an Olympic medal, she ended up with a broken leg. Ilia Malinin was supposed to be the USA’s Olympic hopeful for men’s figure skating, but he fell, not once, but twice during his performance. He readily admits the issues were all in his head. Maybe it would be better for sportscasters and fans alike not to put so much pressure on young athletes.
Then there was Breezy Johnson, the skier, who not only got her Olympic medal, but an engagement ring too. Maxim Naumov lost his parents in a plane crash about a year ago, but he skated for them on Olympic ice. His performance wasn’t perfect, but he felt their presence as he skated and that was enough for him.
I know the U.S. has won other medals, but I admit when it comes to the Winter Olympics, I watch figure skating and some skiing and not much else. As I write this, the U.S. is in fourth place in the medal count with 17, five of them gold. Some countries may never see a medal because whereas the U.S. has 232 athletes competing, there are 17 other countries who are represented by only one athlete.
Overall, it appears the athletes are enjoying their time in Italy and there is a spirit of comradery between nations that might not be getting along on the political stage. It is a rather refreshing change of pace from what we normally see on the news. Unfortunately, there have been a couple of controversies in the judging, but I guess that should be expected when things are subjective.
It has amazed me this year how many athletes that were expected to medal have crashed and burned when it came time to compete. Either way, whether they feel the thrill or the agony, they are all winners to have made it to the Olympics, which many have stated in interviews is a totally different experience from other competitions.