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Helping Hand is Better Than Rio Gold
Nobody asked me, but here goes anyway, Olympics edition . . .
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The avalanche of NBC promos and product advertisements leading up to the Rio Olympics, reminiscent of Christmas ads starting before Thanksgiving, combined with months of headlines about polluted water, unfinished venues and pole vault-high soaring street crime, had me dreading the 2016 Summer Games even before the Opening Ceremonies arrived.
But once the cauldron flame was lighted, my bah-humbug-hey-kids-get-off-my-lawn grumpiness disappeared as fast as wing-footed Usain Bolt can fly 100 meters.
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Speaking of Bolt, he is so unworldly speedy he should have to race in tennis shoes instead of spikes just to make things interesting.
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Maybe I really am a curmudgeon, but am I the only one who dislikes seeing the American flag used as a beach towel and photo prop by sweaty athletes after winning a medal?
Wouldn’t waving a small parade-like flag on a wooden stick suffice?
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Speaking of patriotism, while I like how Bolt is a showman without being a showboat, I loved how the Jamacian superstar paused a TV interview he was doing in order to respectfully turn and stand at attention for the U.S. national anthem.
Only after “. . . home of the brave” did he graciously resume his interview.
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Hey P&G executives, you didn’t ask me, but regarding your Olympic “Thank you, Mom” TV ads: What about the dads?
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Katie Ledecky is the aquatic version of Secretariat.
Indeed, her victory by 11 seconds in the 800-meter freestyle final was reminiscent of Secretariat winning the 1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths.
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Add Ledecky. In interviews, Karismatic Katie comes across as even more charming than she is fast.
“Charming,” however, is not a word I would use to describe Team USA women’s soccer goalie Hope Solo, who called Sweden “a bunch of cowards” after the defending Olympic champion Americans were defeated in the quarterfinals.
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Nobody asked me, but U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte is an even uglier “Ugly American” than Solo.
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If South Africa’s 74-year-old Ans Botha – her runners call her “Tannie” which means “auntie” in Afrikaans – can coach Wayde van Niekerk to a 400-meter gold-medal victory in world-record time, maybe it’s time for U.S. college male sports programs and even pro teams to give women some shots as head coaches.
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The way she “sticks” her landings, charismatic gyroscopic gymnastic superstar Simone Biles must have Velcro on the soles of her feet.
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Wheaties didn’t ask me, but I say put Simone on your cereal box.
Actually, two Simones – Biles and also Simone Manuel, who set an Olympic record while winning gold in the 100-meter freestyle to make history as the first African American female swimmer to win an Olympic medal in an individual event.
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Prediction for 2021: a lot of kindergarten girls will be named Simone.
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I think it’s a little sad when an athlete who is favored to win an event expresses relief rather than joy after capturing a gold medal.
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Meanwhile, I love it when an underdog surprises even himself or herself by capturing a bronze medal and their exuberance does twisting flips and somersaults over most gold-medal celebrations.
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Abbey D’Agostino of the U.S. is assisted by Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand after their collision in the 5,000 meters.
As great as the thrills of victory have been, my favorite moment from the Rio Olympics involved the agony of defeat.
With four laps remaining in the 5,000-meters, New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin stumbled in a tight pack and crashed to the track. American Abbey D’Agostino, running right behind Hamblin, tripped and fell as well.
D’Agostino jumped up quickly, but instead of bolting back into the race – not yet realizing she was injured – she turned to help Hamblin get back up. This in itself was rare and heartwarming sportsmanship.
But what happened next made it an epic example of the Olympic spirit ideal. When D’Agostino’s right leg buckled as she tried to resume running and she collapsed to the track, the hero roles became reversed as Hamblin stopped to assist D’Agostino.
Their shared Olympic glory is as golden as any medal.
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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com.
Check out my new memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece”
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