Olympic Raves

I’ve been in a slump lately. I couldn’t think of anything to rave about for my next post. Hubby gave me a suggestion: Why not write about the Olympics? That’s the topic of the day, he said, and everybody is watching them. Voila—then it hit me! That was the problem. All I want to do each day is watch the Olympic Games on TV, which distracts me from almost everything else in life – except eating, of course.

The other day, I was driving the golf cart to our club to pick up some take-out food, and lo and behold, my neighbor was walking down the street. The temperature was well over 100 degrees. That concerned me, so I stopped and asked if he was okay. Yes, he said. He was fine. He said he started feeling guilty because all he had been doing was watching the Olympics on TV while sitting on the couch eating potato chips. I offered to give him a ride, but he declined. Then, as a joke, I said if he would get into my golf cart, I would give him some candy. He refused yet again, suddenly becoming quite nervous.

Speaking of the Olympics, a few years ago, I had the good fortune of visiting Olympia, Greece, and touring the grounds where the first Olympic Games were held. It was a fantastic experience. Remnants of the old stadium and the running track the ancient Greek athletes raced on were there in plain sight. I could feel the vibes and roar of the crowds at this venerable ancient site. Or maybe it was just Hubby’s stomach!

The Olympic Games began at that site in 776 BC and ran continuously until 393 A.D. Only freeborn Greek men were allowed to compete in those days. So, why did the Olympics end? The Roman emperor in charge at the time, Theodosius, stopped them to promote Christianity. Let me ask you this – do the Olympics deter religion in any way? Something tells me the real reason was that good old Theodosius was probably not very athletic, nor did he look like a Greek God. Of course, we will never know!

What piqued my interest about their beginning was that the original Olympic competitions were performed in the nude. Wouldn’t that make them more exciting? The athletes—all men, of course—had perfect bodies. I must admit, most of the athletes look pretty good today, and some are practically nude anyway!

So, what were the original competitions? There was the long jump, shot put, javelin throwing, boxing, equestrian events, wrestling and pankration. If you don’t know what pankration is, I could make you look it up – but since most of you won’t – I will tell you. It is a form of ancient martial arts. Many of today’s competitions would be more interesting if performed in the nude. Use your imagination on that one. Wrestling, fencing, ping pong? Can you think of another one?

In the early days of the Olympics there was no Olympic torch and no medals. Instead, crowns made of fresh olive leaves were awarded to the best athletes, plus sums of cash, amounting to about $100,000 in today’s money. Greek athletes believed they could achieve immortality if they participated in the games. Married women were prohibited from attending the Olympic Games or even taking a peek. If caught doing so, they would be taken to a nearby cliff and thrown into the Aegean Sea. Unmarried women could observe the competitions but were not allowed to compete.

After 1,500 years, in 1896, the Olympics were reborn. At that time, there was a strong desire to revive the tradition of athletic competition in Greece. Over time, that motivation swept the entire world. The events included in the Olympic Games have significantly evolved over the years. The 1932 Olympics included oil painting, watercolors, and pen and ink drawing competitions. History indicates a few such artistic events were included in the early Games, but I couldn’t determine if these activities were also performed in the nude.

Today, there are many new Olympic events – synchronized swimming – surfing – skateboarding – and 3 X 3 basketball. Another competition new to Hubby and me is breaking. That’s where solo dancers perform weird body movements reminiscent of someone reacting to thousands of red ants being placed on their back. It looks like rolling around on the ground with different parts of the body, including spinning on one’s head. It reminds me of a young child throwing a temper tantrum – or Hubby trying to put his underwear on without a nearby wall to lean against.

This morning, while lying in bed, drinking coffee, and watching TV, we came across this breakdancing competition for the first time. We agreed immediately no one could pay us enough to watch it. So what do we do? We spent fifteen minutes observing it in fascination and making lewd and disparaging comments before reluctantly changing the channel. I just heard today this earthshaking new competition will NOT be included in the 2028 Olympics.

Are gold medals typically solid gold? No. They are usually 92% silver, which is gold-plated. This year, the medals have a chunk of the Eiffel Tower embedded in them, so the winning athletes will always have a special connection to Paris. Intrinsically, the gold medals are worth about $1,000, but adding that iron from the Eiffel Tower increases their sentimental value. Will tourists and locals start cutting pieces of iron off the Tower? I didn’t know that each city hosting the Olympics was responsible for designing the medals for their games. What will Los Angeles design for the 2028 Olympics? Do you have any ideas? Please keep your suggestions clean!

A few controversies arose during this year’s Olympics. There was a satirical interpretation of the Lord’s Supper during the opening ceremony. [Emperor Theodosius may be rolling over in his grave.] Also, were all the female boxers females? Supposedly yes. Those who were questioned claimed to have Swyer Syndrome (pronounced swayer), which affects normal human sexual development. Yes, these individuals have male XY chromosomes but identify as females. I don’t know if this is true, so I can’t swear by it.

The equestrian events this year caught my interest. I enjoyed the stylish dressage performances with the horses jumping, prancing, and cantering. Hubby thought it all boring, saying they kept doing the same thing over and over. (What was he expecting? – the Radio City Rockettes?) I was surprised that horses need passports – or a unique number from the International Federal Equestrian – to travel internationally. Do they have to go through the TSA, too? If so, do they need to take off their shoes?

Some interesting statistics about the 2024 Olympics: 206 nations participated, 10,714 athletes competed, 329 events were held, and 15 million visitors attended. The average cost to attend this year’s events in Paris was $5,000 per person.

Many years ago, Hubby was one of 500 California high school milers selected to carry the Olympic torch for the 1960 Winter Olympics. After the torch arrived in Los Angeles from Greece, each of these young men carried the torch for one mile north to Squaw Valley, California. No, he didn’t get to carry it into the opening ceremonies. He carried it for a mile out in the boonies – the rich farmlands of Central California. No crowds were cheering him on – just a bunch of cows grazing in nearby pastures.

He said it was stressful since the torch felt like it weighed 10 pounds. [Sorry, Hubby. I checked. According to Google, that particular Olympic torch weighed 3 pounds.] He was instructed to carry it high in the air – not to drop it – and above all – not to let it go out in the heavy rain falling that day. Another miler was waiting to receive the torch at the end of Hubby’s run. After handing it off successfully, he got onto a school bus following close behind. Proud, exhausted, and soaking wet, his fellow runners on the bus gave him a perfunctory cheer. In addition to the fond memory, he received a tee shirt.

I had a neighbor my age who participated in the Olympic Games some years ago. She was in the swimming competition for Sweden. No matter how hard I tried, she never said much about it. I would have mentioned it once or twice if I had been in the Olympics. This entire post would have been about my experiences. A girl from my small hometown ran track and was a five-time Minnesota state champion in cross-country. She won the 1500-meter race in the 2004 Olympic trials and reached the semifinals of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

These outstanding young athletes of today continue to amaze me. I love to watch them. What annoys me is how acutely the judges critique them. That leg wasn’t straight! Their shoulders slumped. She didn’t touch the edge of the pool correctly. His skateboard wobbled, and on I rave. I would have competed in the Olympics, but I have thin skin and may not have been able to keep from choking the persnickety judges!

Did you watch the 2024 Olympics? What are your thoughts or comments? Your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated!

Fresh off the press! Roberta Raves 2, a compilation of my last 46 posts, is now available on Amazon and makes a great Birthday or Christmas gift for loved ones. It is available as an eBook, paperback, hardcover, or audiobook for your convenience!