I don’t have any zinger topics for today’s post, so let’s talk about the Summer Olympics in Paris. Apparently the Olympic motto, “Faster, Higher, Stronger” (that’s Citius, Altius, Fortius if you are a real traditionalist) has been expanded to “Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together“. The Olympics have their problems, of course: doping, problematic doping enforcement, newer issues dealing with non-binary athletes, and of course Russia and Belarus being banned from the Olympics due to their unjustified aggression towards Ukraine. [Individual athletes from those countries can compete, but not under the flag of their country. They are designated “Individual Neutral Athletes.”] Still, it is great to see young athletes from around the world proudly represent their countries at the Games.
In ancient Greece, there was something called the Olympic Truce, under which Greek cities and states would allow free passage to the Games for all athletes and spectators. That’s a nice ideal, which has been carried over to the modern Games, with middling success. Another tradition is carrying the Olympic flame from the previous site to the next site. I was driving down the freeway in Oregon one day maybe 30 years ago when the procession came down the other direction, with a runner in the center carrying the torch held high. It was impressive.
There are a couple of Mormon angles here. First, recall the news from a couple of weeks ago: the 2034 Winter Olympics will return to Salt Lake City. I wonder, will there still be snow in Utah in 2034? Second, there are several LDS athletes competing in this year’s Olympics. You can read about them in a story at the Newsroom.
So tell me something about the Olympics, for this year or previous years.
- Do you know any Olympic athletes, LDS or otherwise? What did they say about their experience?
- Anyone attending this year’s Games in Paris? Or attended earlier Games?
- What do you think about Salt Lake City getting the 2034 Games? The ruling powers must have liked how SLC handled the 2002 Games to give them another shot.
- Any events you watched the last few days that inspired or moved you? I thought Femke Bol’s performance in the final leg of the mixed 4 x 400 M relay to bring home the gold was stunning.
Wheat & Tares 
I lived in France for a year and a half, so anything on the streets was pure nostalgia, from the speedwalkers (aka Parisian high speed flaneurs) in the rain to the cyclists. The mass start triathalon in the Seine was for the ages – like a pod of whales thrashing around the pylons. Kristen Faulkner rocketing through the streets of Paris was the most inspiring event for me. Watching her blow by the leaders and keep on going at that pace for 5 km.
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I think bringing the winter Olympics back to Salt Lake makes sense. I like to see them held in places that already have infrastructure built, because I see so much waste in these events. I’m tired of seeing big sporting events held in locations that don’t make sense, in countries that waste vast resources to build facilities that will be used once, usually for the sole purpose of building their status and prestige and diverting attention from their human rights problems. Prime examples are the Sochi Olympics and the Qatar World Cup.
Some reporters are going to look for a church angle on the Olympics coming back to Utah, but I don’t think this is going to be consequential for the church. I do wonder just a little about what the status of the word “Mormon” will be in another 10 years, and how it will be used (or not used) by outside media.
I’ve never been to an Olympic event. I have a sibling who is attending some in Paris this week and seems to be having a good time. With some big events coming the US in the coming years, if I had to choose between seeing a World Cup game in 2026 or an Olympic event in 2028, I’d go with the World Cup.
Sadly, the Olympics are not what they used to be. The Olympics used to be about athleticism and effort. Now they are about commercialism and greed.
Athletes today are more concerned with sponsorship than they are with sportsmanship. If they have to use doping to finish 12th they are ok with it, as long as they score that sponsorship from Nathan’s Hot Dogs.
And sadly, the Olympics only criteria for now events appears to be whether the athletes can appear in minimal clothing. One does not have to dress like a disco queen to perform as an athlete, but that is apparently what the Olympic organizers think will bring in the highest ratings.
If the topic is Olympic commercialism and greed then the prime target should be the Olympic Committee before the athletes. At least the athletes spent a young lifetime developing skills and discipline. They meet to demonstrate their excellence. If there are rewards to be had, reward that.
Members of the Olympic Committee are just insiders who manipulate the wealth and prestige they’ve already attained to even greater privilege and graft.
I wonder if any of the leftists on this board who despise Republicans or any of the MAGA right who despise anyone who isn’t a Trump loyalist are willing to acknowledge Mitt Romney’s role in saving the Olympics in 2002. Also, I wonder if these folks realize that had Romney not stepped in, Utah would NOT be getting a second shot in 2034.
Irony alert: I’ve asked that we not discuss politics on Wheat & Tares and here I am injecting politics into a discussion of the Olympics. But since I’ve lost that argument, I might as well join in since I despise both parties.
I know that reading (and responding to) JCS’s comments requires a high degree of sophistication, but I’ll attempt it anyway. The women competing in beach volleyball at the Olympics have more freedom to choose their own outfits than they’ve had in the past. Bikinis were mandated before, but this year the US women were wearing high-waisted leggings. One match had Spanish women wearing bikinis playing against Egyptian women who were covered from head to toe. To the extent that these women get to make their own choices in what they wear to compete in, this is a good thing. (Admittedly, what women choose to wear in Muslim countries is a bigger and thornier topic.)
I am one of the leftists on the board, so I get to answer Josh. I respect Romney. He is not a MAGA weirdo and didn’t sell his soul to Trump to stay in politics like so many Republicans who first said Trump was a horrible candidate and opposed him even running, then became a supporter (Vance, I’m looking at you) Untill MAGA took over the Republican Party, I was always independent and even voted Republican about one third of the time. Now, I am solidly Democrat and will never vote for that stinking party again. My husband went from solidly Republican to never going to vote for that stinking party again.
And Romney did a great job of saving the Olympics. But then I wasn’t exactly happy about that because I lived in a venue city and didn’t want my tax dollars going to support an event that only benefits a few Utahns. Most of us just had to deal with the horrible crowds or take a nice vacation out of state. So unsportsmanlike of my husband and I but we did not want the Olympics to even come to Utah, so Romney “saving” it was not something to celebrate. We did enjoy our vacation out of state and watched the Olympics from far away. But, still, I respect Romney for his integrity in not following a convicted felon, rapist, and conman who tried to get his followers to overthrow a fair election.
@Josh as I guess one of the “leftists” on this board I have no problem acknowledging Romney’s work on the 2002 Olympics. I don’t despise republicans necessarily, only the MAGA trumpsters, which unfortunately is nearly all republicans these days, but there are a few, including Romney, who still have some integrity. I don’t agree with a lot of Romney’s policy positions, but I’d likely still vote for him because I do think he’s an honest person. And, hey, I’ve heard Romneycare was pretty good!
I didn’t watch much of the Olympics this year. I watched a little bit of Simone Biles – she’s an incredible athlete!
The Olympics are always complicated. I love the athletics and the stories of individuals overcoming great odds to become champions or even get to the Olympics. But, it bothers me always to have the camera pan to some celebrity or rich person who is there watching. It just reminds me that I’m a peon and in the eternities there will probably not be enough room in the stadium for us all to participate.
Yet, in 2002 in SLC I did get to participate. There was a call for volunteers and the Olympic Organizing Committee needed performing artists and musicians to play at various events. I played in a band and we talked about it and decided to try out for one of the slots. They had a couple of days of auditions and you had 20 minutes to both set up and play your number, which was limited to five minutes. We practiced smashing four songs together because we had four players in the band and we each sang so we had different vocal arrangements and harmonies for various songs. That five minutes of playing was exhausting but a couple of weeks later we found out we made the cut and got to play twice at the medals ceremony and at two different venues during the competition. So we prepared a 30-minute show, did all the background checks, and opened for The Bare Naked Ladies one night and Sheryl Crow the night afterward. We also played at the Woman’s Arial Finals and another venue. Each one of those shows was AWESOME to do. We weren’t famous, just local guys, weekend warriors, who all had to take off work to play those days. But we got to participate in a rehearsal of the opening Ceremonies where he saw and heard Mitt Romney (he’s always been his own man and I’ve never associated him with MAGA even if I didn’t agree with all his politics) and saw other shows at Medals Plaza like the Goo Goo Dolls, other events like women’s Hockey, and hang around and visit both Park City Main street and the Norwegian House.
So maybe we are all in it together one way or another.
Someone recorded our show where we opened for Sheryl Crow. It was really poor quality but we have it, that’s good enough for memories. I don’t know if I should post it though. We should enjoy the present.
This post opened a pleasant memory for me, because – like the old advertising opening line of “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV, so . . ” I have enjoyed people treating me with a surprising level of respect each winter when I wear a particular green jacket. After a couple of years of this, somebody explained to me that men who volunteered to man the various venues at the 2002 SLC Olympic events were allowed to purchase [or were given, I’m not sure which] these jackets. Somebody at my work gave it to me, w/o that explanation. Fun times.
My husband worked the 2002 Olympics in SLC. He was in IT and so was at many of the venues and in many of the offices. He loved it. He enjoyed the excitement and all the pople from so many different countries. He got watch many of the events happening live on a big screen if he wasn’t needed elsewhere. We were able to attend a hockey game for free, which was fun. And he said there was a noticeable difference when Mitt Romney came in to take over. The ship definitely got tightened up.
I am a righty who found that morally I couldn’t support Trump,. Now I am more moderate and considered a lefty and RINO by all my former friends. While I do not agree with Romney on everything, I consider him a hero. He was the first to stand against Trump in that first impeachment. He has continued to make statements that condemn Trump’s behavior even though his entire party avoids him and says negative things about him. He was a great example for Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who eventually followed his example. If more Republicans had stood up for what they saw as right instead of following their party loyalties we wouldn’t be facing the fear of another possible Trump presidency.
I helped pay for MWEG bill boards thanking Romney for standing up for what was right at great cost to himself. He will not be forgotten. Our country will need more people like him in the future.
Again, it’s not about party loyalty. Do what you feel in your heart is right, even if your party doesn’t agree with it. And since we are on Wheat and Tares I will add in one more:
It’s not about loyalty to the church or it’s leaders. It’s about doing what you feel is right, even if the church and it’s leaders disagree with you.
The basis of the church story is based on a fourteen year old boy who chose not to be loyal to the authority of his Methodist minister, but to follow his own truth. You may disagree with things Joseph did, but he got that part right.
I wonder where all the cats of Paris spend their nights during the Olympics…..
The idea that beach volleyball might be the city catbox occurred to me. But this idea had occurred to others before me.
https://www.nighthawkvolleyball.com/catbox
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@lws329 This is excellent.
It seems that in many ways society has left the age of reason and opted for an age of obedience. Obedience to political parties, to authoritarian & populist leaders, to ideological zealots (both religious and secular). Moderates are mushy.
I agree completely that if we’re going to follow the example of Joseph Smith at all, it should be in questioning authority that tells us to stop questioning.
Ok back to the Olympics. I love watching the Olympics despite their problems. I’m excited for them to come back to Salt Lake City
<blockquote>Any events you watched the last few days that inspired or moved you?</blockquote>
Watching the US women’s rugby team take bronze in the last seconds of the match was fantastic. Rugby sevens are probably my favorite recently-added sport. Speed climbing is also incredible to watch and a great addition. Olympic skateboarding is sort of s snooze fest.
@John Charity Spring I just have to say that the other night my wife and I sat down to catch up on some the day’s Olympic events. We turned on a US men’s volleyball match, and after a few minutes she said, “Why are so many of the men’s sports so much more boring to watch than the women’s?” Before I could try to reply, she said, “I think it’s because they’re usually fully clothed.” I about spit out my drink laughing.
Australia is third on the medal tally behind USA and China. Australia has a population of 26 million. We are ahead of France and UK.
Biles is an impressive athlete, in a class of her own. Of the Australians the fox sister are impressive people. They won gold medals in the white water Kyaking.
Speaking of Femke Bol, I’ve been looking forward to the women’s 400m hurdles final and it’s finally going to happen tomorrow. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol doing battle is can’t miss TV.
Count me as another lefty who respects Romney. His role in saving the SLC games is indisputable. I disagree with him on many counts. I did not vote for him. I question the motivations of a number of his decisions. But the last eight years have been a reminder that there is a lot to admire there. He’s also never been overawed by the Red Chairs, which is another point in his favor.
I was in Paris in June, and the Parisians were SO over it. It has made me so happy that the games have gone so well for France and for Paris, and the hosts appear to be enjoying them as much as anybody.
The man who taught me to swim was an Olympian (decades and decades and decades ago) as was the head of the club where my kids did fencing. Both of them emphasized the relentless focus it took. To be honest, I sensed some very conflicted feelings from each of them. They loved their sports, to the extent that they each made a lifelong career of it, but they each recognized on some level what it cost them. One of them actively (and wisely) dissuaded me from pursuing competitive sport, and the other was nothing but supportive when my daughter chose to step away. “Being happy is the most important thing for her,” he said.
A couple of things have really bothered me about the Paris Olympics and the Church. First, on July 21 the Presiding Bishop, Gerald Causse, spoke to youth “throughout Europe” in a fireside originating in Versailles. Causse is French, and I think it was great that he was able to represent the Church while supporting his native country. However, who did Causse have with him to speak? Current Olympian Jimmer Fredette (who ended up having to bow out of 3×3 basketball because of injury)—OK, I get that—and Peter Vidmar, age 63, who won medals in gymnastics 40 years ago! Vidmar is a member of the Young Men General Advisory Council. In addition,
“Vidmar was selected to be the chef de mission for the 2012 Olympics, where he would have represented all U.S. athletes and marched in the opening ceremonies. His selection drew criticism from LGBT activists and athletes, including Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, because in 2008 Vidmar donated money to and publicly campaigned for Proposition 8 that banned same-sex couples from being married in California. Vidmar resigned his position to avoid his presence from being detrimental to the U.S. Olympics.” (Wikipedia, my emphasis)
So, European youth get to listen to a homophobic old man? And THREE men, ZERO women? As the Church Website constantly reminds us, there are LDS women competing too! (9 men compared to 4 women, but hey, that’s something for a sexist institution.) At least ONE of those speakers should have been a current or past female Olympian.
Second, on August 2 we have another devotional highlighted on the Church Website, this one featuring FOUR male competitors and ZERO females. And all seven men are white, by the way, even though three of the LDS male Olympians are people of color. Way to go! /s
These are three reasons why SLC should never have gotten the 2034 Olympics. The Church, and the Utah they control, are massively sexist, racist and homophobic. They may talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk.