Olympic Musings

What is it about Jamaica? How can one little island nation produce two gold medal winners and two silver medal winners in the 100-meter dash? Is it the rum, the weather, the ganja?

Usain Bolt took the men's 100 in a world-record time of 9.68 seconds while Jamaican women swept all the medals in the women's 100. Led by Shelly-Ann Fraser, a spritely smiley-faced slip of a woman, the Jamaicans seemed to be off the line first, faster in the middle and faster at the end.

Sharone Simpson and Kerron Stewart finished in a dead heat for second for the two silver medals, cementing Jamaica’s spot as Number 1 in the world. Especially impressive was Ms. Stewart’s lean at the tape to tie her countrywoman. Would that the Americans were close enough for a move such as that to even matter.

While the Jamaicans were making a shambles of the rest of the world in the 100-meter, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin continued to demonstrate their mastery in gymnastics, taking the silver and bronze respectively in the floor exercise.

No athlete in these Games has impressed me more than Shawn Johnson. Shawn has not only been great in every discipline but she also has been most gracious to the other competitors and most unapologetic for not taking gold in any one of the events.

Shawn’s just enjoying each and every day. Here is an athlete who honors the process itself, appreciates her good fortune in being able to compete in these Games, and is happy with whatever color medal is hung from her neck. As long as she has given her best, she is delighted for her effort, while being the first to congratulate fine efforts put in by her competitors.

Shawn represents the purest Olympic spirit, and, if there were a medal for showing class in the face of adversity, she’d have won it going away.

Meanwhile, her roommate continued her assault on the record books by taking the bronze in the floor exercise after having taken gold in the all-prestigious all-around competition. Nastia Liukin has been classy too, of course, while not having had the opportunity to show as much grace. That is to say, she’s been relatively more successful.

I wish I could say I was more interested in other aspects of the Games. While the U.S. mastery in swimming events has been interesting, especially given the extremely close finishes in many of the races, I just can’t get into it, never having been a swimmer myself, I suppose.

When I see badminton or table tennis or even a more popular U.S. sport such as field hockey, I change the channel. To me, the Olympics is all about track and field, gymnastics and weightlifting. And, when I think about it, why should the other events count for anything?

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I’ve figured it out. Take women’s softball, for example. It’s a sport I like and have played, and there is no other outlet that affords me the opportunity to watch the finest in the game play it.

Even for other sports I’ve played, such as baseball and basketball and tennis, why should I watch? I can watch the best that these sports have to offer by simply tuning in to the Mets or Yankees (well, not THIS year, heh-heh), the Knicks or Nets, or this week’s tennis tournament.

I don’t think this attitude pronounces me devoid of patriotism either. Except for an opportunity to watch the best competition in a sport for which you have a legitimate interest, why watch at all?

There was a time when professionals weren’t allowed to compete. In those days, I’d certainly have more interest in watching the best amateurs compete, especially in the major sports, if I may call them that.

But why should I care if the U.S. basketball team beats Spain? I’ve seen all these guys before and I’ll no doubt see them again, and again and again. The same principle applies to baseball, tennis and even soccer.

Any athlete at any level knows that proficiency in anything is acquired through practice, dedication and, only then, talent. If Spain beats the U.S. in basketball, does that mean that Spaniards are innately better at it?

If Jamaicans are winning the 100-meter dashes, it’s because their program attracts better athletes, has a better coach, or, at that particular long moment in time, its athletes are working harder, its coaches coaching (and recruiting) smarter.

That’s what makes the Jamaican success all the more surprising. A tiny island nation has apparently used more of its resources on the 100-meter than has the big bad United States. The fact that at least one of them competes for a U.S. college doesn’t really change the equation; it just means Jamaica had to be more resourceful in its source of funding.

In the men’s 1500, was I supposed to get excited that the guy we basically bought to run the 1500 for us got beat, that he failed to qualify? There’s actually a little poetic justice in that. The fact that he conserved so much energy in the semifinal to not even qualify for the final made it even sweeter.

Did the U.S. really need to add this fellow to its citizenry? He could have won an automatic berth in the final by simply finishing in the top five. He opted instead to use the automatic clock in his head and figured wrong.

Three Russian women took the top spots in tennis. Was anybody surprised? Should we be upset that the Williams sisters didn’t try harder? Pardon me but I just can’t get excited about it. They just finished playing each other in the Wimbledon finals. They represented their home country quite well in one of the only tennis forums that really matter.

So I’ll continue to watch these Olympics in my own peculiar fashion, reveling in the athleticism and admiring the athletes’ dedication.

But reserving my admiration for those who deserve it.