Deflection

I just love the Winter Olympics, since they are filled with some many emotions. However, for this event, it seems to be overshadowed by politics, and not the human achievement. Carrying politics into the Olympics has made them hard to watch.

The Olympics are really based on emotions. We see athletes that have struggled all of their lives to make it, or not make it, to the Olympics. I can remember ABC’s Wide World of Sports opening video showing the agony of defeat, as I high jumper crashes going off of the end of the ramp. I remember Eric Heiden winning his five gold medals at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics when I was attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and I would read the newspapers every evening in the library. I wanted to know as much as I could about Eric, since he was for right there is Wisconsin. I watch his sister buckle under the pressure of the press and only win a bronze medal, when she could have won three medals. Even in today’s videos, a person can still see her frustrations with the press, since she was only there to speed skate. How could anyone forget the USA Hockey team win the gold metal from the Russians at Lake Placid. These are only a few of the many emotions that are playing out during each of Olympic events that captures the hearts of everyone that is involved to watches the Olympics.

Why the Winter Olympics? First, I do enjoy winter. Second, the winter Olympics are step above the summer Olympics, since the athletes have to have skis, skates, rock, or sled to compete, since it is not as simple as running on the ground. Third, as they stated this year, the cross country skiers have in the best physical shape of any athlete, since they push themselves so hard in the cold. As for some of these skiers, they can injure their lungs, if the weather is too cold, and they can have a type of asthma for the rest of their lives. These are all items that the summer athletes do not have to worry about.

The Olympics are about human achievement and emotions, I will paraphrase what one skier stated, I did not come here to skate for the citizens of the United States; can here to skate for my moral values, friends, and family. There was a woman skater that came to represent the LGBTQ community, and there are photos of her wrapped around the LGBTQ flag. They did receive push back from Americans, and even President Trump made a statement. It seems like if an athlete did not come to represent each citizen in the United States, they should take their uniform off and go home. These athletes seem to be bored, and not thinking about their achievements. The woman figure skated did not completed her required route, and fell in her ratings for her individual performance. Some might state that shhe got what she deserves for supporting the LGBTQ community, and her emotions were draining.

By looking at the athletes, it does seem that most of the are quite liberal. Since most of the athletes do not get paid to practice and participate in these sports, they have to look for donations, if there family does not have the funds for them, like Princess Ann in horse competition. Looking for handout is a politically a liberal policy. This is why the athletic community seems to be so liberal.

By watching any world wide sports event, there is never been athletes from any country state anything about their country’s politics, until now. Some USA athletes would rather have their politics overshadowed the citizens on this great country. Although most of these athletes probably got their education from a mobile source, since they probably were training, it seems like they miss out on American history. If they would have spent the time studying this great country, they would not be bashing this country.