Posted by Ami Weaver
Can I just say–I love the Olympics. Love. Them. Summer, winter, doesn’t matter. The sport doesn’t really matter, either. I’ll watch pretty much anything (Ping pong? Curling? Sure, why not?) though my summer faves are gymnastics, anything with water and anything with horses.
I love the energy. I love the way this matters, in a way so few things seem to anymore. The athletes, to a person, know how much it means to compete on the Olympic stage. They honor that, feel that and they compete that way. The bar is set high–and they do their best to rise up to meet or surpass it.
We’ve got a local Olympian. You may have heard of Jordyn Weiber, the gymnast. (She’s on the TV right now, behind me.) This has sort of given the Olympics a more local flavor. Made a huge thing, this mammoth competition, smaller somehow. More personal. I don’t know Jordyn. (My oldest son, however, plays lacrosse sometimes at the same building she trains in–he is a little afraid of her. “She could break me in half, Mom.”) In our paper everyday is a diary of the Weiber family’s experiences. Everything Jordyn does is on the front page of the paper, on Facebook, or chattered about in the grocery store. It’s just plain fun.
I know that there are heartbreaks in the Olympics, too (see Jordyn Weiber, above). Is there anything worse than 4th place? Okay, yes, I’ve gotten teary when an athlete I don’t even know breaks down after missing the podium by less than a heartbeat. And while that sounds silly, it’s a testament to the emotion and the power of the Games.
Do you like the Olympics? What are your favorite Olympic sports?
I’ve been watching and have become fascinated with archery. I watched as the men’s team won the silver. How can these guys stay so steady when their heart has to be pounding a mile a minute?
I caught badminton and water polo too. The synchonized diving was awesome to watch.
During the day it’s the sports that aren’t as popular as swimming and gymnastics since those are saved for primetime.
I agree, Marcie! Nerves of steel, I think. I like the less popular sports during the day–it’s kind of fun to see things that aren’t mainstream.
~Ami
Great blog Ami! Gymnastics makes me hold my breath. I really like men’s swimming. It goes so quickly!:)
Yes, it does, Leanne! What I like about swimming, too, is they can do multiple Olympics. With gymnastics (well, women’s, anyway) they are pretty much out after they turn 18. Tho I did see a 27-year-old British gymnast yesterday.
~Ami
Ami, love the coverage on TV. We get so many of the events here. Was even watching women’s water polo….
Christine, we’ve actually got water polo as a varsity sport here! Still makes me kind of blink, but it’s very cool to watch.
~Ami
I LOVE The Olympics, too – when I was little, the first Olympics I remember were the 1972 Winter/Summer games (I was about 8 years old) – all I could think then was that my favorite shows were being pre-empted – but from the 1976 Games onward, I have always loved them! I am an armchair Olympian – I love gymnastics (artistic and rythmic), equestrian, diving, swimming, cycling – heck, I love all of it.
I can’t even begin to imagine the heartache of coming in fourth place – don’t know if I could deal – I guess I would have to, though!
Felicia, I love it–an armchair Olympian! What a great term. That’s me, too.
~Ami
Olympics are so special. They bring out the best in everyone and every country. The summer Olympics are just so huge, so many countries, so many competitors. I always think there should be special prizes for every competitor who beats their personal best. Anyone who goes and does better than their best score is a star in my book.
Linda, I agree. For all the blood, sweat and tears they put in to get there, much less beat their personal best, they deserve a medal of some kind.
~Ami
honestly i havent watched them since the 1984 olympics when i was 9 lol…im behind
Amy, it’s not for everyone, that’s for sure.
My kids aren’t really interested, except for DS#2. But that may be b/c it’s an excuse to be up past his bedtime!
~Ami
Love the Olympics. As with you, I like to watch anything water related and the equestrian events. Haven’t seen any equestrian events yet, but have been watching a lot of swimming, diving, beach volleyball and rowing along with gymnastics.
Ruth, I caught some of the three-day-event. Very cool.
I had to kind of laugh, because there’s no true ‘beach’ for the beach volleyball! Not quite the same. 
~Ami
Yes to the no beach and it’s been chilly over there so you don’t get to see the bikini’s on the women or trunks on the men. Unfortunately I have not been able to see the equestrian events because they are being televised on a channel I don’t get. I really hate that NBC is covering them again.
I did synchronized swimming from age 8 to 18, so I watch that. I just catch events as I can. I’ll stop and watch most anything.
Susan
Wow, really, Susan? That’s very cool! I love the synchronized swimming. It’s so fun to watch.
~Ami
Ami, I love the Olympics. As a general rule, I’m not a huge sports fan. Still, what I love most about the games is it feels as if every two years the world sets aside its differences and comes together as civilized people. As corny as it may sound, it renews my faith in mankind.
We are big fans of the equestrian events, here, especially the Three Day Event, as that is my daughter’s sport. She is hoping to make the Olympics one day, and the good news is that in horse sports you don’t peak at twelve as they seem to do in gymnastics, so she has plenty of time. New Zealand rider Mark Todd has just won a bronze medal in the team section, and he is 56!
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