Like millions of folks all over the world, I spent a lot of hours in late July and early August glued to the TV, watching the Olympics. Maybe too many hours. And while I confess to growing a little tired of swimming and track-and-field and gymnastics, which seemed to be given an inordinate amount of prime time on NBC, I enjoyed almost all the competitions.
I watched the controversial opening ceremonies with only one eye on the TV because I was cleaning up the kitchen, watering the porch plants, letting the dog in and out and reading stuff that didn’t require much concentration. Though I saw the bizarre segment featuring a castle full of Marie Antoinettes holding their heads in their hands while rocking out to heavy metal music, I totally missed the sacrilegious depiction of Leonardo daVinci’s Last Supper. Or was it a depiction of a pagan celebration featuring Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, fertility and revelry? It all depends on which outraged or not-outraged side you listen to.
No matter. What I liked best on opening night was the tour of Paris from the Seine River, and what I liked best about that was learning that not everyone pronounces it “Sayn,” as I always have because I’m an American. The British say “Sin.” Who knew? So do the French. And they ought to know, since it’s their river.
It’s hard to pick which of the athletic events I liked least and best. Diving is mesmerizing. Rowing is exhausting, even as a spectator. Three-on-three basketball is too bizarre for words. Though I love to ride a bicycle, watching bicycle racing is a snooze. And I don’t even know what to say about rugby.
But I do know what to say about “traditional” basketball, which is that I cheered wildly as both the men’s and the women’s team took gold by defeating the host country. I was exceedingly glad to see Brittney Griner on the court instead of in a Russian prison. And I loved the specially-designed basketball with the wide white stripes.
And how about Dutch runner Siffan Hassan taking bronze in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races and then setting an Olympic marathon record to win gold? I bet she needed a long soak in the hot tub after all that.
Under a cloud of controversy, Algerian welterweight boxer Imane Khelif won the gold medal. The same folks outraged about the “blasphemous Last Supper” were also outraged that Khelif was allowed to fight against women at all, despite the ruling of the International Olympic Committee that there was no evidence she has XY chromosomes or elevated testosterone levels.
In racket sports, tennis was phenomenal, as always. And those badminton athletes can sure slam a shuttlecock, which I learned are made of cork and real goose feathers and not plastic like the ones I’m used to. My dreams are haunted by the table tennis player whose name and country I’ve forgotten but who tossed the ball way up above her head every time she served.
Most fun of all was skateboarding, broadcast after prime-time and local news. I watched with the sound muted and didn’t even try to figure out the rules. The boarders dressed in what looked to be the first thing they randomly pulled out of the closet. Many were elaborately tattooed, some not only on arms and legs but also all over their necks. Most appeared to have a phone in their pocket, with earbuds dangling from their ears. As to what they were listening to, I have no idea, though I’m guessing it probably wasn’t an NPR podcast. But my-oh-my could they ever jump up onto a handrail and ride it all the way down the stairs.
I’m grateful to the athletes, coaches and thousands upon thousands of other folks who made the 2024 Olympics so memorable and so enjoyable. Snoop Dogg, I’m looking at you.
(August 24, 2024)