When only gold is good enough: Australia has lost its Olympic spirit

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This was published 6 years ago

Opinion

When only gold is good enough: Australia has lost its Olympic spirit

By Ella Donald
Steven Bradbury wins gold in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Steven Bradbury wins gold in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Unknown for winter sports, Australia was once a curiosity at the Winter Olympic Games. One of the most iconic moments of our Olympic history was a joyful accident, when in 2002 speed skater Steven Bradbury sailed over the line as his opponents toppled onto each other at the final corner in Salt Lake City.

It may have been deemed the “most unexpected gold medal in history”, but that is what made that moment so delightful. Bradbury was our perfect hero, the star of an improbable dream that came true, fatefully rewarded for his embodiment of the Olympic spirit, for finding joy in merely taking part.

But just as for the Summer Games, "going for gold" has now become Australia's leading catch cry at the Winter Olympics too - with television coverage appearing to turn up its nose at anything less - and this was never more apparent than in the men's halfpipe final on Wednesday.

Scotty James wins bronze in the halfpipe.

Scotty James wins bronze in the halfpipe.Credit: AAP

Australian Scotty James' final against American champion Shaun White was one of the most hyped events of the Games so far. There was footage of James as a child, saying his dream was to compete against White at the Olympics.

Before the final, his family were interviewed in the stands, clutching large cutouts of his face and heart emojis. Words of breathless glory and hope were spoken from the commentators. 

It was the type of expectation that few live up to. James went out big and ranked 2nd and 4th in his first two runs, nipping at White’s heels. The commentary got increasingly excited - what if the wind were to change, and the boy could beat his childhood hero to a gold medal?

Scotty James competes in the final.

Scotty James competes in the final.Credit: AAP

Then, on the final run, James stumbled, coming ninth. It was an accident, a stroke of bad luck,  that left James with the bronze medal. But the reaction from commentators was akin to catastrophe. Replaying the footage before the medals ceremony, one remarked that the moment made them “feel like crying, to be honest”.

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This begs perspective. James won a bronze medal, incredible for any athlete, but Australia is a sunburnt country, where natural snowfalls are scant. Winter sports only receive about $9.6 million over a four-year cycle from the Australian Olympic Committee, while summer sports receive more than $23 million. We are a country of only 24.8 million people and yet we sent 51 athletes to the 2018 Games. Compare this to the United States, which sent 244 from a population of almost 330 million, or China, a land of 1.4 billion people, with 82 athletes.

Since we made the most of our large home court advantage in Sydney 18 years ago, expectations have only grown - for the summer and winter Games. In the years since,  Bradbury, snowboarder Torah Bright, aerial skiers Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila and mogul skier Dale Begg-Smith have all won winter gold. Australia has netted a host of silver and bronze medals too. All deserve glorious celebration. These athletes have charted an improbable rise against all odds.

But now, when an athlete comes away without a gold medal around their neck, the response isn’t rapturous applause that they have managed to reach the Olympics at all, the top of their sport, but national disappointment. We have lost our Olympic spirit. 

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At the Games, diplomatic tensions are set aside for ten days in pursuit of a common goal. Excitement is to be found in the story of those triumphing, even taking part, no matter their country or ranking. Yet those sitting in the heated TV studios have lost sight of this.

Perhaps we need to listen to the athletes themselves. “Wearing the green and gold is something I’ve dreamed of doing since I was a little kid,” James said just before he stood on the podium with Shaun White and silver medalist Ayumu Hirano of Japan. “Coming away today with a medal is just the cherry on top.”

Ella Donald is a journalist, critic, and writer from Brisbane.

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