Commentary: Winter Olympics come to a fantastic close
I heard that somewhere around 4.7 billion people watch the Olympics every four years, and I have to say that I am one of those people. I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic, so that’s probably why I get drawn into the competition when it rolls around. People have all kinds of personal reasons for tuning into the big games: it involves their favorite sports, there is nothing else on television, the excitement is just too good to pass up, or to witness the making of history. I watch for all of these reasons, and Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics did not disappoint.
Unfortunately, the games started off tragically with the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, but it was inspiring to see all the support for the young athlete and the continuation of his dreams following his devastating accident. Also, there is the story of America’s beloved son, Evan Lysacek who skated his cleanest, most intense performance of all time in order to pull ahead from second after the program and claim Olympic gold. Most of us avid skating fans took special joy in this victory since he was able to beat out his arch nemesis and fellow teammate Johnny Weir. Then, there was Joannie Rochette whose mother died three days before she was to skate her short program and many wondered if she would crumble under the pressure. Instead, Rochette pulled through and skated one of the most beautiful programs the Olympics has ever seen and proved to be quite the skating star. With the support of her country and her impressive athleticism she was able to win the bronze medal in Vancouver. There was also quite an upset in Ice Dance when American favorites Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto missed the podium and the Canadian team of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir surprised all of us by being the first team in North America to win the gold dance medal. Falling in behind them with the silver were America’s sweethearts Meryl Davis and Charlie White, both of whom hail from Southwest Michigan, and whom I’ve had the pleasure of skating with at my skating club in Bloomfield Hills, MI. And, of course, there is the miraculous story of how Canada was able to pull through and defeat the United States to win the gold medal in its most beloved sport, hockey. And during all of these exhilarating tales of intense devotion to one’s sport and the ability to overcome any kind of obstacles ,the whole world sits in their homes watching to see what will happen next. Nothing can bring people together quite the way the Olympic Games can.
Naturally, the events are a common thing to talk about among friends; I’ve overheard many a conversation in Ritchie and in the hallways, but the excitement also has made its way into other places all over the country. I’ll admit to engaging in camaraderie over the games with a Canadian classmate and to jumping up and down in screaming fits over multiple events, including curling, figure skating, and hockey. I’d have to say that I’m probably not even the only one.
When the Olympics come around, there is a special feeling in the air of friendly competition and the hope that something amazing will happen that can inspire us all, and this is why the Olympics prove to be the most watched event (and probably the most looked forward to event) in all of television history.