Olympic ideals are on thin ice

IT is tempting to conclude that the only principle motivating high-level sporting events these days is the maximisation of revenue. In Europe, failed efforts to create a football "super league" were driven by a singular focus on the bottom line. The NFL - organiser of the only event that "stops America" - remains unable to shake suspicions that its hesitancy to address racism is an effort to avoid upsetting large segments of its dollar-wielding fan base.

The Olympic Games were always meant to be different. They claim to represent an actual philosophy: Olympism. The Olympics "place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind" with a view towards the "preservation of human dignity". Thanks to its participants, Beijing 2022 has shown that the modern Olympics can still embody this philosophy. But the attitude of its organising committee and host have put the Games' future capacity to do so in doubt.

Not even the most world-weary cynic could be left unmoved by the Games themselves. Much of their magic relies on the public having little to no familiarity with many of the athletes. This allows them to become avatars for our common humanity: the hope, pain, joy and disappointment displayed has an uncomplicated quality that is rare in this information-saturated world. It is just as easy to sympathise with Mikaela Shiffrin - the American skier who failed to win a medal despite being favourite in a number of events - as it is to feel the unexpected joy of Donovan Carillio, the Mexican figure skater who had to practise in a shopping mall to pursue his passion.