The ancient Olympics began in 776 BCE in Olympia Greece, as a religious festival honoring Zeus, featuring a single foot race. Held every four years, these games lasted over a thousand years, attracting participants from Greek city-states to compete in athletic events like running, chariot racing and wrestling. Winners did not receive medals, but given a sacred olive wreath, called kotinos, gaining honor and prestige and often free food and other honors from their home city.
Fast forward to today, the modern Olympics involve numerous countries, has evolved into 2 Olympics, the Winter Games and the Summer games, and medals instead of wreaths are awarded to the top 3 performers in each event. Prestige and honor are still given to the winners, and it has become a symbol of pride for the winners own country to share in their victory.
The 2026 Winter Olympics showcased the very best athletes we have on planet Earth. Around 93 countries, National Olympic Committees (NOC’s), and around 3,500 athletes were there. In the Winter games, Norway and the Nordic countries do very well, and Norway this year won the most medals. Surprisingly, the United States, who normally dominates in the Summer games, finished second this year in medal count. Norway won 41 total medals and the U.S. won 33. Norway broke its own record for medals in a Winter Olympics.
The games are just what they are…..games. They are not life and death, nor are they a display of a country’s power and might. No, they are not political, although some try to make it so. The games do one thing and one thing only, they showcase what talent, sacrifice, countless hours of work, and pride can do. Most Olympic athletes are proud to represent their country, and they should be because with most of them the Olympic committees have contributed time and money to the athlete to make them the best they can be. If the games are left just to the athletes, we would all be happier, but politics has to raise its ugly head now and again.
The U.S. Olympic men’s and women’s hockey team showed tremendous pride and determination in winning Gold medals, as did all of our athletes. They EARNED them, they weren’t given to them. Both teams were proud to represent their country, and represented all of us well with their play on ice, and their proud reactions after the games were over. Yes, I am very proud to stand up and scream USA! USA! USA! with the best of you all. But, I realize that all I did was root for them, and maybe send a small donation to the Olympic committee to help those athletes. They did the work! They sacrificed, they gave up a part of their lives for the excellence they achieved. The Glory is theirs, not mine or yours……theirs.
We all should be proud of them all. I am! I also think we need to realize the difference in cheering on the athlete, and not associating that with a country’s greatness. I totally believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but winning Olympic medals says little about politics. It is about people. Let’s keep it that way. Root for the Home team, but let’s not delude ourselves into thinking this is a political statement. Be proud. Praise the athlete and be thankful that our country and others allow people to do greatness.
Let’s be proud of our athletes, proud of our country, but let’s not say that this shows the world our politics are better than yours. Let’s for once just enjoy the greatness of all the athletes, from every country, and I am sure we will all enjoy the Olympics more.
That’s the way I see it…….from the sidelines!
