Have we gone too far with Olympics?
THE inception of The Olympics in ancient Greece consisted of six sports: boxing, equestrian, pankration ( yes, you may well ask – a form of martial arts), pentathlon, running and wrestling.
In 1896, when the Modern Olympics began, it had advanced to nine sports. Now in the 2012 Games, there are a total of 4,700 medals already struck. It should be stated that these include the Paralympics.
I presume therefore there will be 1,566 gold medal winners approximately.
Well, this just blows me away. Is it an event created for spectators or participants? What value to a winner will these medals be worth aesthetically? Beach volleyball at Horseguards should be a wow ( as everyone sways now to almost any occurrence). In 2016 we can look forward to Rugby 7s. Where will it all end?
Am I being facetious in suggesting that all of this promotion of events is to facilitate the implied importance of the organisers gathered from all points worldwide, and the promotion of income from advertisements?
I will not follow the main games myself, but will watch, with tears in my eyes, the efforts of the paralympians, doing their best with pain in their eyes, heroes all. Will these efforts rub off on the reputations and expenses of the “officials” as they hurry along, in their chauffeured limousines, made available in order they don’t miss their requirement to officiate some important decision or attend a drinks party?
As for the carriage of the torch, well all I can say is that if it turns you on, well get on with it. There obviously is nothing wrong with it, but for 8,000 people to turn out at all hours to carry a torch is beyond me.
Will you spend several hours glued to the telly and wonder at “The Isles of Wonder”, the subject matter of the official opening? Will you wonder at the cost involved? No one admires my country like I do, but really! Better for all to buy a St George flag and hang it in their garden or yard.
What have we come to? Where is the excellence we should strive to attain at the highest level? The uniqueness of the Olympic medallist.
The Olympic motto states that is not the winning that is important but the taking part. I’m sure we would all go along with that, but I wonder whether we have gone too far this time. Allan Wilkinson