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.
But events both peripheral and central to the competition have threatened to overwhelm it. Beijing has remained a difficult host, offering a welcome that was always subject to its own priorities. Images of a Dutch journalist being whisked away by Chinese authorities live on air as he covered the opening ceremony will endure in the memory. Beijing's repressive Covid policies, while successful at suppressing the virus, have also made it difficult for athletes to function properly. China was determined to shape the Games in its own draconian image and it very nearly succeeded. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was largely silent in response.
Within the competition itself, Russian doping raised its head in the scandal surrounding figure skater Kamila Valieva. A favourite prior to the doping scandal, the pressure became too much for the 15-year-old, as she fell several times during her final skate and dropped out of the medal places. To see Valieva sobbing as her coach berated her was heartbreaking.
Whatever emerges about the alleged doping, minimal blame should rest on Valieva's shoulders. She is a victim here. Instead, scrutiny should be placed on the structures surrounding her. The IOC should also reflect on its own role in creating this mess. Announcing that there would be "no ceremony" if the Russian skater won a medal was a cynical PR exercise. Its readiness to further embarrass a child in an effort to escape scrutiny of its own inadequate response to the problem of Russia's continued Olympic participation - albeit under a modified name - was inexcusable.
There is no guarantee that the Games will recover their reputation as they move west, with Paris the next to host in 2024. The IOC will remain in control of proceedings and has been unwilling, up to now, to mount any effective opposition to practices that threaten to demean rather than enhance human dignity. The international community should see to it that this changes - the Olympic spirit demands it. FINANCIAL TIMES
