A Brainstorming of Ideas Related to the Olympics? Part 3: Revised.

 As has been reported in many news outlets about the Tokyo Olympics there are many stories related to the kindness athletes are showing one another and its not the stereotype cutthroat atmosphere that some seem to think a competition should be.

You see many pictures in the news and on TV of the kindness athletes are showing to each other. 

Of course maybe its always been that way as the athletes, in any discipline have a special bond that the average person maybe can never see or even feel.

But maybe the pandemic situation has brought out the best in the athletes and they realize its not just about winning a gold medal or any medal at all its about living during this pandemic situation.

Even though winning a medal is probably on the mind and the goal of many of the athletes, when done and said, they might think we made it, we survived, and with all that is happening and happened that is enough.

But of course there will be those in the media, and social media, who disagree who will find ways to criticize someone for not wining a medal.

For example in the women's skateboarding competition on Wednesday one of the Japanese athletes who, at the time, had the most points going into the last skate but had a very bad fall, and so she fell out of medal contention.

So what happened next? The other competitors came to her aid, as she couldn't walk. She was crying of course but the other competitors picked her up and carried her on their shoulders back to where she could recover from the fall. An act of kindness from the other competitors in the competition.

And there have been many more acts of kindness throughout the games, as it should be. 

I watched most of the Judo competition and it seemed after every Judo match the athletes would give each other a hearty hug, and act of kindness saying we both made it even though there can only be one gold medal winner.

In my opinion that is the real Olympics, the athletes coming together, giving their best efforts and in the end congratulating each other for a job well done, regardless of the medal outcome.

Yes, there are those who are going to be upset with not winning, its a given, but the real spirit of the games is in the effort not just winning and losing. 

Many athletes might have had their best effort or best time ever but didn't win a medal. And that is what its about for 90 percent of the athletes at the games.

Extra:

As not everyone is going to win a medal any medal. For example what if Nozomi Tanakai, who set a Japanese national record in the semis in the 1500, runs another national record in the finals but doesn't finish in the medals?

How is she going to feel, how should she feel? Her mother, a famous amateur marathoner, of course mostly like with praise her and give her comfort and encouragement. Her father, her coach will probably do the same. 

But what about the media and what about social media? What are they going to say or do?

I watched many of the events on all of the Japanese channels as I have a subscription for NHK, NTV, Fuji, Asahi, TBS etc. of which all are showing different events.

What I didn't watch or not a lot of it was the Japanese baseball game with a neighboring country, with just the sound on, as I don't like the nationalism and politics behind the situation. 

I'll watch some or all of the Japan/US baseball game on Saturday night, and of course both of the marathons as the marathon is my favorite event. I'll let our friends over at JRN comment on the marathons as they occur.

I used to stay at Toyoko Inn that is across the street from the Yokohama baseball stadium, whenever I was in Yokohama many times before the pandemic.

I've run a lot of morning runs around the stadium and park when I was in Yokohama, along with all over the Minato Mirai area. One November, after my one hour morning run, I came out of the hotel and watched the Yokohama marathon participants run by the stadium and the hotel.

Have a nice day and be safe!