The Olympic Games: Not the Triumph, But the Struggle

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.

Pierre de Coubertin, 1863 – 1937, French Educator and Historian, Founder of the International Olympic Committee

Hmmm, are the Olympic Games about much more than the race to the finish line and who claims the gold medal?

We are a little over a week into the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It has not been the flawless spectacle that we all hope for it to be. The risk of the Zika Virus kept a few athletes from participating. The City of Rio has had its shortcomings as host. Substandard conditions were reported in the athletes’ living quarters a week or two before the Games began.

There have been serious concerns over polluted waterways were some of the rowing competitions take place. Not to mention the mysterious, murky green water in the indoor pool where the diving events occur. Keep your mouth closed has become the mantra of the athletes participating in events at these locations.

But the Olympic Games remain an inspirational event and a symbol of international solidarity at a time when it is sorely needed. The Olympic Creed, set out at the head of this post, is more relevant today than ever before both in the context of the Olympic Hames themselves and in the broader context of the tempestuous times in which we live.

Hardly a week goes by now without an act of shocking violence or terrorism or political upheaval somewhere in the world. Stock markets ride a continuous roller coaster that must be giving stock brokers an ulcer. And, of course, there is the disconcerting possibility that Donald Trump might become president of the United States.

Amateur athletics are not immune to controversy. Doping scandals were an all too common occurrence in the run-up to the Games. Fortunately, a zero tolerance policy on that front weeds out the perpetrators at least temporarily.

The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. This for me is truly what the Olympic Games are all about. Not gold or silver or bronze medals. Not bragging rights on an individual or national level. Not the one-tenth of a second difference between first and second place or Michael Phelps steely-eyed stare before a race.

The Olympic Games are a metaphor for the reality that life has always been and always will be a struggle to discover and live up to our best selves in the most profound sense of that ideal. It is not about winners and losers. It is about a shared commitment to unity, respect and tolerance in the struggle itself.

In the end, no one wins unless we all believe in the universal brotherhood of humanity and make that the gold standard towards which we all strive.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

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