I can’t wait; the Summer Olympics opening ceremony is airing tonight. And for the first time in South America. The Olympic Games are always a great part of my summer and winter. And I am certainly excited about the Brazilians’ decision to break the tradition of a grandiose opening ceremony and to curb costs tailoring the event to the current economic conditions in Brazil.
I look forward to witnessing the awe-inspiring Olympic moments. Every athlete has a story, and I am a sucker for a good story. There are three Olympians I will be following closely:
The first, Israel’s leading gymnast, Neta Rivkin, my birth country pride. Neta is setting the standard of a third straight Olympiad, a rare achievement for any rhythmic gymnast, so it is likely to be her last Olympics. She will be carrying the Israeli flag in the opening ceremony.
I know there are many who argue that rhythmic gymnastics (and synchronized swimming) should not be an Olympic sport. As one of my friends loves saying: “my cat can do more interesting things with a string.” I certainly can’t contribute to the debate as to what qualifies as an Olympic sport. But I believe we can all safely agree that rhythmic gymnastics requires strength, superhuman flexibility, coordination, and endurance. In my (layperson) opinion, the athleticism required is much greater than some other Olympic sports such as archery or shooting. As I watch the gymnasts doing their routines, it just seems humanly impossible to do what they are doing, truly pushing their bodies to the absolute limit.
In a pre-games interview with Neta, she reported training 270 hours a month. The average work hours per month in the US is 180 (a 40-hour workweek multiplied by 4.5 weeks per month.) For the past 15 years Neta has been training for 8-10 hours a day, 6 days a week. And all for a routine that lasts one minute and thirty seconds. As a coach whose life work is to encourage people to follow their dreams, I am drawn in by the passion, intensity, and total dedication these athletes demonstrate. And I like it that there’s a women-only event. I will also be rooting for the US gymnast, Laura Zeng. May the best woman win!
The second athlete on my most-interesting-to-watch list is Ibtihaj Muhammad, America's first hijab-wearing Olympian. In addition to the obvious considerations of built, talent, and capabilities in the search for which sport is within reach with the potential to being amazing at, Ibthiaj also had to find the sport that would allow her to cover her hair and neck and still be able to compete. She didn’t make it to the 2012 Olympic team, so she just worked harder. In many of her interviews she mentions that sport is not always encouraged for young women in the Muslim community. She had to break down barriers in chasing her dream. I admire her courage to go with the unfamiliar and do things differently. I hope she brings home the gold.
And the third is the South African athlete Caster Semenya. She became known in 2009 winning the 800 meters by more than 4 seconds to then get hauled over the coals by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) subjecting her to widely publicized testing. She had to withdraw from international competitions for almost a full year until the IAAF cleared her to return to competition in July 2010. But she was forced to take testosterone‑suppressing medication to bring her testosterone levels back to “normal” in order to compete. It was only last year that ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed female athletes to stop taking the hormones. Semenya was legally recognized as female at birth. Yet, the sports world was quick to denounce her for the unfair advantage of her body’s extra testosterone; which is also unjustly discriminatory considering men were not similarly screened for high natural testosterone levels. In fact, there’s been no attempt to try and regulate the natural advantages of male athletes. It seems that when a man has a rare genetic gift, he is revered and celebrated. Testing confirmed that Michael Phelps’ muscles produce 50% less lactic acid compared to other athletes. This genetic advantage enables him to work at higher intensity for longer periods and quickly recover. The flying fish was cheered on as he swam to a record winning 8 gold medals in quick succession uninterrupted. I hope Semenya can now peacefully focus on her goals and will get to upgrade her 2012 silver medal for a gold one in Rio. And may the 2016 Olympic Games mark an era in which we move toward greater gender sensitivity and equality.
