In light of the stories circulating prior to the opening of the Olympics, many of us seem surprised that the games have gone so well. That is curious. Have we become so accustomed to bad news that we have lost our ability to celebrate?
The games in Rio were overshadowed by the usual worries over construction schedules, and whether athletes and spectators would be safe in this age of terrorist concerns. But worries over the immense responsibilities of hosting the games are not new.
Of course Rio, a unique city, brings a host problems to hosting. Brazil is considered ground zero for the Zika virus and several prominent athletes decided not to attend. Water pollution has cast a cloud over the open-water events, magnified by high waves.
This has been a tough year for Brazil, with government corruption scandals and impeachment proceedings against president Dilma Rousseff. Brazil’s economy is in a deep recession, and hosting the games has grown so unpopular that the Olympic torch relay was pelted by rocks thrown by angry citizens as it approached Rio.
And yet Brazilian crowds have responded with an enthusiasm that has astounded even veterans of prior Olympics. Normally staid audiences for events like fencing have been raucous, and the athletes from the host country are cheered as if they have came from the peak of Mount Olympus itself. Fencer Ghislain Perrier summed it up for The New York Times: “It’s an incredible feeling when you enter this arena. You feel all the power of the Brazilian people.”
There may be a lesson in Rio’s reaction: Go ahead and cheer for American Ginny Thrasher, just 19, who won the games first gold in the womens’10-meter air rifle event. And for Michael Phelps, now 31, who won his 23rd Olympic medal as part of a gold-medal U.S. freestyle relay team. Tune in and marvel at performances by all the athletes who have dedicated years to prepare for their fleeting moments in Rio.
We, too, have many problems, but ours pale in comparison to Brazil’s. They will wait. Do not miss this chance to celebrate.
