Vista Online

Fall/Winter 2001

The Winter Olympics in Sydney

Since 1896, the world joins hands every four years and gathers together for a sporting event of gigantic proportions. This past year Sydney, Australia, was the gracious host of the XXVII Olympic Games, and I was fortunate enough to witness this event first-hand. Australians embraced every aspect of the games, along with the opportunity to showcase their beautiful island continent. The city was clean. The people were friendly. The transportation was readily accessible, and the organization was impeccable.

NBC’s television cameras cannot fully capture the spirit of the Olympic games. Only those who actually attend the games fully understand the emotions present when countries reconcile their differences for the sake of friendly, competitive sport. People take pride in their heritage and go to unbelievable lengths to show their devotion to their country and team. Australians wholeheartedly embodied the Olympic spirit with record attendance and cheers of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi” with enthusiasm that eventually became tiresome.

How are Americans revered in and around the Olympic games? That is a tough question, and the answer is not one that many of us would like to hear. While the majority of the countries embrace the essence of the Olympics, and many American teams and athletes do as well, some USA teams appear to be present solely to win, whatever the cost. Part of this cost is sacrificing dignity and self-respect. Perhaps no team was a better example of this than the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team. Since 1992, the first Olympics that allowed professional players to participate, no one has dominated the sport like that of the United States, and no one should. Basketball is America’s game, and we boast some of the most athletically gifted men in the world.

The members of the 2000 U.S. Men’s Basketball Team berated the fans, made trash-talking paramount to victory, jeered at the referees, and whined their way to a gold medal. At the end of each game, assistant coaches from Team USA hurried to shake hands with the opposing team, as if to apologize for the manner in which their team behaved. In a close semi-final game against Lithuania, I thought about how great it would be if America lost. I entertained this idea probably a little too much. I love basketball and America as much as the next guy does, but there is something to be said for winning a game with honor and respect. This team had neither.

The same can be said of the men’s 4 x 100 relay team. As they celebrated their victory, they struck a very arrogant and distasteful pose while donning the Stars and Stripes. Not all Americans behaved in this fashion, but the actions of a few had a negative influence on the host country and the athletes who participated. Part of these negative feelings towards Americans in the Olympics is attributed to the fact that we often dominate or at least contend in a majority of the events. Winning with this regularity and consistency requires a certain responsibility to be humble, gracious, and meek, not only for themselves, but also for the citizens of the United States.

Juan Antonio Samaranch, the President of the International Olympics Committee, coined these games “the best Olympics ever.” The Olympic games were everything I had expected them to be, and more. The backdrop of Sydney, Australia, provided an unbelievable atmosphere for the XXVII Games of the Olympiad. There was something to do at all times in and around Sydney’s city limits. Fireworks, shot from the Harbour Ridge, illuminated the night sky upon completion of each day’s games. Each day, the Olympics were reminiscent of the New Year’s Eve of 2000, and Sydney, Australia, played host to one of the best Olympics and parties the world has ever seen.

Jason Wickersham

Last updated: July 9, 2001