Living Outside The Lines: “Olympic Games: Thrill Of Victory Or Agony Of Defeat?”

The 2018 Winter Olympic games, held in PyeongChang, Korea, represent the fifty-first time athletes from across the globe have gathered to compete against one another for the opportunity to be named, “Best in the World…”

Becky J Miller | Exclusive to Corridor News

The 2018 Winter Olympic games, held in PyeongChang, Korea, represent the fifty-first time athletes from across the globe have gathered to compete against one another for the opportunity to be named, “Best in the World.”

While our modern version of the Olympic games didn’t begin until 1896 in Athens, Greece, the first ancient games can be traced back to 776 B.C. The competition continued until 393 A. D. when Emperor Theodosius, considering the games a “pagan cult” banned them.

The lopsided math can be attributed to a 1994 change. Prior to that year, the Olympics alternated every four years between summer and winter. In 1994 the games were split with rotating summer and winter games held every two years. For example, the last summer Olympiad was in held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. The next summer games are in Tokyo, Japan, 2020.

In 1896, 60,000 spectators watched as 280 male participants competed in track and field, gymnastics, swimming, cycling, tennis, weightlifting, shooting and fencing, etc. That first year, there were 43 events total. By 1924 there were 100 women competitors included among the 3000 athletes from 41 nations.

In 2018, 2952 athletes from 92 countries competed in 102 events. The United States team was comprised of 244 athletes, 135 men and 109 women. Six countries, Singapore, Malaysia, Kosovo, Ecuador, Eritrea and Nigeria sent athletes for the first time ever.

Quite popular as a tattoo among many Olympians, are the five interlinking rings forming the easily recognizable Olympic symbol representing the five continents; North & South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia.

My preferred Olympic events happen in the summer, they are gymnastics, diving, and swimming. I’ve grown to appreciate track as well. During the winter games, pairs ice-skating tops my list. However, I do appreciate the dedication and training required of the athletes in all events.

Human-interest stories on the individual athletes are often encouraging. Athletes like Lindsey Vonn who’ve overcome devastating injuries and fought hard to return to competition serve as inspiration for the rest of us. Vonn was a 2010 Olympic gold medalist who tore her MCL and ACL in a skiing accident forcing her to sit out of the 2014 games. While she didn’t bring home gold as she’d hoped in PyeongChang, she competed in three events, snagging a bronze medal in the women’s downhill, and after an injury like hers, that is nothing short of amazing.

At closing ceremonies on Sunday, February 25, American athletes had amassed a grand total of 23 medals; 9 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronzes. If 244 Americans competed, that medal count means a greater percentage of athletes will forever remember the agony of defeat, with a small minority cherishing the thrill of victory.

And now that winter games are over, I’ve no idea which lullaby will soothe me gently to sleep each evening because rumor has it, on more than one occasion, I’ve fallen asleep trying to watch every single one of the Olympic events.

Until Next Time,
Becky J. Miller
“Warrior Princess”

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.