From the onset of the modern day Olympics art and sport were believed to be a perfect marriage. The heart and soul of the Games is to foster and encourage the synchronization of the body and the mind. Art inspires sport and sport inspires art.
As a result of this belief, the early history of the Olympic Games featured competition in the arts as well as sports. Events included architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, and music. Winners of these events were also awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals. The goal of the Cultural Olympiad is to focus on the harmonies between culture and sport and to exemplify the values of the Games: friendship, respect, and excellence. While artistic endeavors are no longer contested for medals, culture and art continue to play a prominent role. This is most evident in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. However, exhibits and performances serve as precursors to the games and occur throughout the region at the various venues during the Games. In the 2016 Rio Games this cultural event is called Celebra. It will feature six areas of artistic creation: literature, popular art, music, performing arts, visual arts, and dance. Celebra begins in April and runs through September. Innovators are being challenged to focus on the cultural diversity of Brazil by designing events encouraging audience participation, humanizing public spaces, and bringing inspiration to every day life. All Celebra events are free to the public. The list of events that will make up Celebra has not yet been made public, however below are some highlights of Brazilian culture that may become prominent themes. Literature: Brazil has a rich literary history dating back to the 1500s. Exhibits may feature the works of well-renown authors such as:
Popular Art: One of the most diverse categories, some of the Brazilian culture and tradition highlighted may include:
Music: Brazilian music has its origins in African, Portuguese, and European styles. The music is full of passion and energy and is a very integral part of the Brazilian lifestyle.
Visual Arts: This category encompasses the art of painting, sculpture, cinema, and photography and may feature the work of:
Dance: Brazilian dance, like it’s music, has its roots in African, Portuguese, and European styles. These dances exhibit soulfulness, sensuality, and passion.
Performing Arts: This category will likely be a blend of many of the aspects of all the others above. The goal is to bring these artistic endeavors to common spaces throughout Rio and Brazil; to bus stations, cafes, parks, open public spaces, trains, and boats just to name a few. The impact of the cultural events has long reaching outcomes for the host country. Brazil has center stage in the months leading up to the Games and a worldwide audience for the two weeks while the Games are played. For many host countries, these events herald a boost in tourism and in doing so also boost local economies. Check back monthly for more Olympic updates and commentary as I countdown to Rio 2016! For information on all things Olympic in Rio 2016 visit http://www.rio2016.com/en. To follow Team USA visit http://www.teamusa.org/.
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The International Olympic Committee was formed in 1894 and gave birth to the modern day Olympics. The first of the modern games was held in 1896 in Athens, the same location where it all began in ancient Greece. The games have now been played for more than a decade! For me the Olympic Games is the ultimate sporting competition. The best of the best from all over the world come together to try and win what I think is the most valued prize in sports; Olympic Gold. Heck even taking the Silver and Bronze medals is pretty spectacular. Athletes have the potential to go home one of the top three in the world representing their sport.
When the games began, to be eligible to compete athletes were required to be amateurs. To maintain amateur status meant athletes were not allowed to make money from sports. For many decades this was strictly enforced. If an athlete was found to have accepted money or commercial endorsements he or she was banned from competition in the games. In fact one of the United States most revered athletes, Jim Thorpe, who won Olympic Gold in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Stockholm games, was stripped of his medals when it came to light that he played two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics*. The spirit of the Olympics - sportsmanship along with the love of sport was the driving force behind the Olympic movement and was held in high esteem. It was long thought that monetization of the events and the athletes would degrade the core qualities that the Olympics embodied: friendship, solidarity, and fair play. The degradation of the Olympics as a truly amateur athletic competition seemed to begin when countries began government sponsorship of their athletes. It was felt government-sponsored athletes were in essence professional athletes, so a precedent for allowing professional athletes to compete was already being set. Then came television and ever increasing media coverage of the games. The popularity of the viewership was an advertiser’s dream. Between politics and the plethora of money that could be made from the games, and the athletes participating in them, it wasn’t long before the IOC began rethinking the amateur rule. In 1986 the amateur rule was abolished and professional athletes have been participating in the games ever since. One of the first forays of Team USA into sending professional athletes is the 1992 Dream Team. Just three of the players named to the team, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, had already earned among them: 10 NBA championship wins, 7 NBA Finals MVPs, and 8 regular season MVPs prior to the games. Add Scottie Pipen, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullen, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, and Christian Laettner and this was a powerhouse team. They averaged 8 years of playing professional basketball. Jordan, Ewing, and Mullen had already earned Olympic Gold at the 1984 games (all college players at the time). Yes, seeing all of this talent play together on one team had an extreme cool factor. It was an exciting prospect. But was it the right team to send to an Olympic Games?
Were they an amazing team? Yes. Did their presence at the games elevate the sport worldwide? Yes. Did they really embody what the Olympic Games are all about? I don’t think so. Another factor that has impacted the trend toward professional athletes participation is the ability of many athletes to stay in it longer and still be competitive. While I support and admire their ability to do so, and while I would love for them to stay active and competitive in their sports, I don’t think they should continue to compete in the Olympic Games. I love watching Michael Phelps swim. What he has accomplished, 22 medals (18 of them gold) in three Olympic Games, is phenomenal. He likely will compete in his fourth Olympics in Rio. I’m just not sure I want him to. Yes he could win more medals and break more records; he’s exciting to watch and he will bring in lots of money. But when is enough, enough? How many talented swimmers lost their opportunity to shine because he wouldn’t step aside? Will gold number 19 be as sweet as the first? The professionalization of the Olympics has long been debated and I doubt there will ever again be an Olympic Games without professional athletes. I wish, however, that it had remained purely an amateur event. I believe this is what made it special and unique, the ideal of sport for the love of sport. Don’t misunderstand, I have no problem with athletes getting endorsements and winning money or being paid for what they do. They work and train damn hard. They are truly talented and deserve to be recognized for their talent. I don’t believe payment and endorsements should factor into their Olympic eligibility. I do believe there should be some eligibility requirements surrounding the length of time they have been competing and the number of Olympic Games they are allowed to compete in. Perhaps this could be achieved by setting age limits or capping the number of games an individual can participate in. I would love to still see the Olympics as the rise of someone’s career. To come back after four years and defend – that is still exciting to me. To return for a third or fourth – I’d rather someone else have his or her moment. Maybe I’m just a fan of the underdog. I love a great story of triumph against the odds. But will the professionalization of the Olympics ever again produce a Miracle on Ice? I want to see the Jamaican Bobsled Team and Eddie the Eagle compete! I want to see them succeed even if success is just making it to the finish line. I want to see competitors with a fire in their belly to achieve a life long dream. I want magic to happen! Check back monthly for more Olympic updates and commentary as I countdown to Rio 2016! For information on all things Olympic in Rio 2016 visit http://www.rio2016.com/en. To follow Team USA visit http://www.teamusa.org/. *Jim Thorpe’s Olympic titles were restored in 1983, 30 years after his death.
I am a huge fan of the Olympic Games and we are in an Olympic year. Let’s get the countdown to the Opening ceremonies started! The games will kick off August 5th for the first time in South America. The city of Rio de Janeiro will be hosting the two-week event. One of the aspects of the Olympics I enjoy is the culture incorporated into the ceremonies by the various host countries. Brazil is so rich with customs and tradition this should be a spectacular affair. I look forward to beautiful scenes of mountains and sea along with the vibrant colors I associate with Rio and Carnival. It promises to be a grand celebration and world party!
One of the highlights of these games will be the return of two events after long absences: golf and rugby. Golf Golf debuted in the 1900 Paris Olympics. It was held in coordination with the 1900 Exposition Universelle. Due to controversy among the committees of the two events – the Olympic games were poorly planned and executed. The golf event was open to anyone. It is said that some of the competitors just happened to be visiting in Paris and signed up to compete. Many of them were unaware they were even participating in an Olympic Games. Margaret Abbott, an American, won gold in the women’s event making her the first American woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal. The 1904 Olympics in St. Louis featured 74 Americans and three Canadians in the golf event. The gold was won by 46-year old Canadian, George Lyon, and was considered to be a major upset. The 1908 games in London were supposed to host a golf event but disputes over eligibility caused most of the competitors to withdraw and the event was cancelled. Golf will be played as an Olympic event again in Rio after a 112-year absence. Sixty players will compete in both the men’s and women’s event. The top 15 in the world as of July will be eligible. Only 4 players from each country will be permitted from the top 15. The rest will be determined by their world ranking and from that group only two athletes from each country will be eligible. Based upon these requirements it is foreseeable that some of the best US players will not make the cut. Considering the popularity of golf these days, and the number of world-renowned players who will be competing, this should be a very interesting event to watch. Rugby Rugby also debuted in the 1900 Paris games, thanks largely to the support of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, who was an avid fan of the game. It was played with 15 players on a team with France, Germany, and the UK competing in the inaugural event. France holds the distinction of being the first to win gold in rugby. It would be eight years later before rugby was again to be played in the Olympics in the 1908 London games. Teams were sent invitations to play but only three agreed to participate: England, France, and Australia. France was unable to put a team together in time and withdrew leaving only England and Australia to play with Australia taking the gold. This time 12 years would pass before another Olympic rugby event, the 1920 Antwerp games. Again many teams declined to play (some stating it was too early in the season) or withdrew at the last moment leaving only a US team and a French team to compete. The US team took the gold. At the 1924 Paris games three teams competed: US, France, and Romania. It was a rematch between France and the US team for gold with the US team once again winning over the favorite. Coubertin left the IOC the following year and with him left the support for rugby to participate in the Olympic games. After 92 years, rugby will once again be back in the Olympics at the 2016 Rio games. Throughout the 90’s and into the 21st century rugby has grown and become more organized with more teams active in World Rugby than ever before. It will be played as sevens this time around with 12 national teams competing in both the men’s and women’s events. Since the US men were the last to win Olympic gold in rugby in 1924, they will be the defending gold medalists. With the energy and enthusiasm of the world rugby community this should be a colorful event and I will be looking forward to New Zealand’s Haka as part of the festivities. Check back monthly for more Olympic updates and commentary as I countdown to Rio 2016! For information on all things Olympic in Rio 2016 visit http://www.rio2016.com/en. To follow Team USA visit http://www.teamusa.org/. My heart aches today, not only for the people of Paris, but for the world we live in. A world that has gone mad. There seems to be no end to the senseless acts of violence perpetrated against innocent people. Over 120 people lost their lives, simply because they went out to enjoy living them. They were doing the things we all do on any given day, without giving it a second thought. They had no agendas or motives; they simply wanted to watch a concert, go shopping, catch a soccer match, or enjoy drinks and a meal. It is so difficult to understand the kind of hatred and extremism that would cut these lives short. It is also frightening to know this could happen at any time, at any place, any where in the world. It is crazy this is still happening in this day and age.
Why does it continue to matter what color a person's skin is, what faith they believe in, who they choose to love, what gender they choose to identify with? We are all human. We all breath, we have jobs, we have families. We live, we love, we hurt. How hard is it, really, to respect someone whether you agree with them or not? Would anyone out there truly want to change a world full of diversity? I wouldn't want to live in a world where everyone believes in the same thing and looks the same way. I would find that so boring! People have stories; we can learn from each other, laugh with each other, cry with each other. A rose is just as beautiful as a lily, or an orchid, or any other type of flower. Think of how much beauty we would be missing if all we ever saw was the rose. Every life in the world has meaning. Every life in the world matters. |
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