If you've been hiding under a rock, let me tell you that the 2010 Olympics started in Vancouver last Friday. I pulled up the USA Today website this morning to see who took the Gold in the pairs skating last night. (The Chinese couple that came out of retirement for the Olympics.) Anyway, as I was looking I began to wonder how many countries have earned medals. Around 80 countries are represented and out of those 20 countries have earned medals. This is only after the third full day of competition! We've got, what 2 weeks, left to go and already 25% of the countries have medaled! That's really pretty cool.
I watch the Olympics daily. Every sport has a story. We have the sorrow of the fatal crash of the Georgian Luger. The joy of the first American in untold years to medal in the Nordic combined. The moment of untold national pride as a Canadian finally earns a spot at the top of the podium during a home Olympics. Not to mention the sight of his older brother, with cerebral palsy, cheering his victory on in the stands. (Remember the name Alex Bilodeau, it will come up in some trivia game someday.) The triumph of the Chinese in finally upsetting the Russian stranglehold on the Gold in pairs skating. Whew, is it really only after day 3?
Now for our own national pride. We watch with excitement, Apollo Ohno, J.R. Celski, Hannah Kearney, Seth Westcott, and Bode Miller. Just to name a few of the recent medalists. We admire the dedication to their sport. The unnamed hours that are spent practicing, sacrificing by them and their families.
If you can't tell I love the Olympics. The mere fact that it is a showcase of individuals living their dreams. Hundreds of thousands of people ski, play hockey, skate, or snowboard; but few, a scant few, will ever experience the heart pounding moments before an Olympic event.
