As we grow closer to the opening of the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, I am reminded of the various traditions that go with the run up to the Olympic Games. For example, the Olympic trials in various sports are providing a constant decrease in the number of athletes around the world who are attempting to compete in Rio. At the beginning of 2016, there were approximately 20,000 athletes who woke up each morning and asked, "What can I do today to increase my chances of winning a medal in Rio?" Month by month, the numbers diminished as the teams were selected by the 206 National Olympic Committees around the world. Today, that number is nearing half of what it was in January, and even fewer will line up to take part in the Opening Ceremonies on August 5. This winnowing of the young men and women who have been training for decades is part of finding out who is the best of the very best.
But another tradition that receives just as much -- if not more -- attention in some forums is the persistent criticism that the host nation is not ready. These days, much of what we hear and read makes it sound as though Rio de Janeiro is the last place on earth you want to be. With each news cycle, there is a different concern about the progress being made in the preparations. The media shrieks about the quality of water in the Guanabara Bay, making it seem that no human can survive sailing a boat in those waters, and about venues that aren't finished. (Yes, there is a very real threat with the Zika virus, but that is being dealt with the best it can be.)
Dear friends, get a grip! The people of Rio have been working on this project for seven years. It is not something that they just found out about yesterday and realized that they needed to feed 15,000 athletes and coaches for twenty-nine days.
When it comes to this time in the Olympic calendar, I sometimes feel that I am experiencing the Groundhog's Day. Looking back, the two weeks before Opening Ceremonies for every Olympic Games must be described in the media as a disaster, a prime example of unpreparedness, an utter disgrace that the host nation was even considered. I now realize that the poo-pooing of the host nation's preparations has become an Olympic tradition of sorts.
If one were to only read the media or listen to the reportage leading up to the Opening Ceremony, no sane person would ever think of traveling to the site of the Games. Have we forgotten about the stories of the people who had moved into unfinished hotels in Sochi for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games? Yes, it was true that some of the hotel rooms were not ready for prime time. But at the same time, athletes were settled in to the Olympic Village and were training and preparing for their personal test with history -- and not worrying about whether the crown molding had been installed in their rooms.
In the weeks leading up to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the headlines were focused on the potential of bad air and snarled traffic. Yet, the athletes were focused and getting to and from the training sites. And then with the Opening Ceremony, the area was magically transformed. The mountains were in plain view. Traffic barely existed, and the athletes breathed in the fresh Southern California air surrounding them. While these media reports may be an expression of care and concern, they don't help the organizers. It is the Organizing Committee which bears the responsibility of preparing the venues so that the athletes can meet their test with history.
So I am asking the media to give the organizers a break. Instead of tearing them down, how about offering encouragement? Acknowledge the enormity of the task. Recognize that they have worked day and night on preparations. Most importantly, celebrate the efforts of the thousands of athletes as they seek to stand on the podiums at the Games. Remember that only a small percentage of the athletes will be able to win a gold, silver or bronze, and support them all for the life-long effort they have put forth to compete under the banner of the five rings of the Olympic Games.
The one constant question across web sites commenting on Olympic Games: Is Rio ready? My answer is: absolutely. Go to the Organizing Committee's web site www.Rio2016.com and see for yourself the progress as reported by those on the ground. Follow the torch relay and look at the magnificent poster series that is now available. Learn about the Games from the Games, not from bloggers.
The question should be: Are you ready for Rio? Are you ready to see if Katie Ledecky can win gold in 200, 400 and 800? Are you ready to see if Gabby Douglas can vault her way into in the hearts of fans everywhere? Personally, I am ready and extremely excited about going to Rio. I look forward to meeting the people, experiencing the art and culture, the music and the pure joy that will envelope the city, and seeing the world's greatest athletes carve their names in Olympic history.
If you have any doubt, any doubt at all, I recommend you watch the video Get Ready for Rio! on the International Olympic Committee's website www.olympic.org about Rio. If that does not excite you, then maybe the world's most watched competition is not for you after all.