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BEIJING—After 16 days of competition, a 204-country
compilation of smiles, tears and cheers, the Olympic
odometer can rest.
Here’s
the tally at the top (in alphabetical order):
GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL
CHINA
51
21 28 100
UNITED
STATES
36 38
36 110
For the
first time since host Germany in 1936, a nation other
than the US or former Soviet Union sits atop the golden
treasure trove. China had a 625-member delegation. They
were more than athletes. They were alchemists, too.
The
Americans, meantime, depart Beijing with the most medals
overall. Short on gold. Long on bounty.
So, who
won?
Living
inside this five-ring circus of Faster, Higher,
Stronger, it’s easy for a nation to delude itself into
thinking there’s a correlation between its well-being
and success in the grandest of athletic competitions.
The
Chinese will lay claim to a great victory, allowing
their leaders to say that our way is, indeed, the best
way.
And some
in the US will be outraged. The knee-jerk reaction will
be to throw money at what they’ll deem a problem. The
promise of better next time has already started in track
and field, which this time around belonged to Usain Bolt
and his fellow Jamaicans.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques
Rogge proved a dolt on Bolt, criticizing him for
preening. Rogge ought to spend more time on
double-checking age requirements and less on pizzazz
patrol, but that’s another story.
China
spent $70 billion on the Olympics, making them the most
expensive Games ever.
A report
on CCTV, the state-run television network, said China’s
government is soliciting help from the private sector to
assist in future athletic development. In other words,
the government can’t, or won’t, pay for it anymore.
Britain finished with 19 gold medals, 12 years after it
managed just one in Atlanta. Evidently, a United Kingdom
sports funding program, backed by the national lottery,
produced the desired result as London’s got the next
Games, in 2012. Maybe the success will placate those
concerned with cost overruns. Maybe not.
“We have
to be very careful not to have a serious financial
headache after the party,” said Mark Wallace, campaigns
director of the UK-based Taxpayers Alliance.
The IOC
doesn’t declare winners and losers. The Olympic charter
only recognizes competition between athletes, not
nations.
There
are countless athletes worthy of the winner label, medal
around their necks or not. I met many of them, wrote
about some.
Take
Polish swimmer Otylia Jedrzejczak, who was behind the
wheel when her younger brother was killed in a car crash
two years ago. These Olympics were another step in the
healing process. She smiled. Made new friends, made new
memories. She won, all right.
Or
Lebanese shooter Ziad Richa, who finished 29th in men’s
skeet. Nowhere near a medal. You should’ve seen his joy
after meeting Roger Federer.
Costa
Rica’s Nery Brenes didn’t win a medal. Didn’t even reach
the final of the men’s 400 meters. Still, whatever
notoriety and monetary gain he enjoys from the Olympic
experience will go toward his goal of building a school
for the poor children of his town. Not a winner? C’mon.
Don’t
forget about Cambodian marathoner Hem Bunting, whose
training conditions would make any American or Chinese
athlete cringe. He crossed the finish line in 2 hours,
33 minutes, 32 seconds, 73rd out of 76 finishers. Don’t
tell me he isn’t a winner.
Kobe
Bryant and LeBron James were winners, but not for their
team’s on-court redemption. The millionaires learned
humility. They learned to marvel at the accomplishments
of others, to appreciate the sacrifices some make
without the promise of a big payday or global acclaim.
The
scoreboard at the volleyball venue said Brazil lost the
final men’s match. In the press conference that
followed, team captain Gilberto Gudoy, or Giba, opened
with a message for US coach Hugh McCutcheon, whose
father-in-law was stabbed to death while visiting a
Beijing tourist site.
“I’m
really sorry what happened to your family,” he said.
“Here is match, but more important is life, family.” The
men embraced. Try convincing McCutcheon the man on the
other end of that hug isn’t a winner.
The
taekwondo results say Afghanistan’s Rohullah Nikpai
finished third, meaning he didn’t win. Results don’t
tell you it’s the first Olympic medal in the country’s
history. Not a winner?
Goalkeeper Hope Solo, ostracized by her US soccer
teammates for publicly chastising the former coach, won
more than a gold medal. She won back their hearts and
respect.
“The
medal is nice,” Solo said, gold medal hanging around her
neck, “but the winners here are the ones who take away
the experiences.”
Speaking
of which, numerous press agencies like to display their
best photographs on flat-screen panels in the halls of
the main press center. Captured are moments of
jubilation, exhaustion and despair. It was worth
stopping at the end of the night to see them. The
Olympics are too big to touch every story in person.
Back to
the question at hand: Who won?
Scoreboards and medals tables don’t provide the answer.
Only the participants do. |
