The true spirit of the Olympics
IN this postmodern era of scepticism and distrust it is easy to lose sight of the words of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part.” It is not to have vanquished, de Coubertin also said, but to have fought well.
There were many examples of this true spirit of the Olympics in Rio, perhaps most notably in the heats of the women’s 5,000m, when Abbey D’Agostino of the US and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand tripped and fell. The two athletes then helped each other to the finish line. Both have received worldwide attention for their outstanding display of the Olympic spirit, more so than they would have done for winning medals.
There were other examples of what the great writer Ernest Hemingway has defined as courage, that is, grace under pressure: the Polish discus thrower, Piotr Malachowski, who won silver in Beijing in 2008, led the competition in Rio throughout until a German rival, Christoph Harting, snatched victory with his last throw. Yet Malachowski’s reaction to seeing his dream of a gold medal disappear was to embrace his rival and to celebrate alongside him.
In many ways, these have been difficult Games for Ireland, both on and away from the arena of competition: our boxing team, for example, which has brought such glory to the country at recent Games, came up short this time. The questionable manner of the defeat of some of our better medal prospects has left a slightly bitter aftertaste, but none of our boxers who actually entered the ring can be faulted for lack of honest preparation and endeavour, with particular reference to the truly remarkable Katie Taylor, whose grace under pressure at a difficult time in her life was as inspiring in its own way as have been her many victories in recent years.
Similarly, the achievements of Dublin woman Annalise Murphy, who finished just outside the medals in London four years ago, and in the intervening period pursued her burning ambition with single-minded intent to come away with a silver medal in Rio; and the breakthrough heroics of silver medal winners, the astonishing O’Donovan brothers, Gary and Paul, from the townland of Lisheen, near Skibbereen in west Cork, and of course their subsequent celebration of the springtime of humanity, will live long in the memory.
These medal winners were not Ireland’s only heroes: the sheer joy and good fellowship of 400 metre hurdle sprinter Thomas Barr, who finished just outside the medals, also typified the Olympic spirit, as in their own way, through their preparation and participation, did each of the more than 70 Ireland participants at the Games. We salute you all.
That is not to say these were a good Olympic Games for Ireland. Manifestly, they were not. The controversy associated with the Olympic Council of Ireland, related to tawdry allegations of ticket touting, has cast a dark shadow. These events have yet to be played out. Whatever the outcome, however, it should not be allowed to detract from the individual and collective performance of Team Ireland at the great evocation of history that was and always will remain the Olympic Games.