The end of competition on Tuesday brought a close on the fourth day of competition since the cauldrons of Milano Cortina were lit. Already the Games have produced a ton of memorable moments like Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida delivering her country’s first Gold Medal of the Olympics, first speed skating gold, and an Olympic record, on her 35th birthday. In addition the scenery whether in Milan or in the mountains has been absolutely gorgeous to see. Over the last five days a number of things have stood out to me. In honor of the five Olympic rings, here are five that have stood out to me.
The Good
Multi-Location Opening Ceremonies– Almost two years ago the Paris Summer Olympics changed the game for Opening Ceremonies, when organizers used the Seine as the venue to open the Games. With their Olympics spread between Milano, Livigno, Predazzo, and Cortina, distance and geography presented organizers with a huge obstacle. To mitigate this challenge, the decision was made to once again innovate the Ceremony. For the first time ever the Parade of Nations would not only be held at the main site in Milano’s San Siro but also simultaneously in Livigno, Predazzo, and Cortina allowing athletes competing in those clusters to participate without extensive travel disrupting their preparations. In another first, separate cauldrons were lit in cities 250 miles apart.
The decision to hold separate Parade of Nations in the different clusters was a creative solution that the Milano Cortina organizers executed almost perfectly. The San Siro provided a great venue for the Opening Ceremony, but the video from the Livigno and Predazzo added a more “Winter” vibe to the proceedings. The overhead shots of teams marching down the streets of Cortina added more Italian flair to the ceremony.
Laila Edwards
The US Women’s Ice Hockey team has been an absolute steamroller in the preliminary round, out scoring opponents 20-1. Today, the US closed out the round robin with a 5-0 destruction of arch-rival Canada. The game was historic for the US, but not because of the score. Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to represent the US, scored her first Olympic goal. Edwards goal is is historic not only on a personal level but also represents a key moment for US Hockey. If the US is to remain one of the dominant powers in women’s hockey, it will have to adapt to recruit and develop more players, like Edwards, who are from underrepresented communities.
The Bad
Discordant Tones
During the course of the Team Skate competition, controversies over the music skaters perform to have distracted from the on ice excellence. Skating’s loosening of rules concerning music has resulted in some issues with copyright law. To some degree, this is understandable, given the complex process for securing usage rights. The biggest controversy involved the use of AI music. Czech skaters Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek performed to an AI generated song that drew from the New Radicals “You Get What You Give” and AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. The pair’s choice was immediately noted and called out by the masses on the internet.
The collective reaction is understandable. While AI is en vogue with the corporate sector and so called “tech bros”, many others are skeptical or disapproving of wanton AI use given its environmental impact, unreliable results, potential nefarious uses, and impact on human created art. To have it creep into a space where AI slop is not normally found, is understandably disconcerting.
The Ridiculous
Doping’s “Enlarged” Impact
Before the Olympics even got started there were “doping” allegations. Germany’s Bild newspaper reported ski jumpers were injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises for a competitive advantage. Ski jumping has a rigorous rules governing the suits athletes wear when competing. Given additional surface area from fabric can allow jumpers to travel farther, the process for developing the suits involves 3D scanners and doctors. Injecting one’s their penis with copious amounts of hyaluronic acid could impact the measurements and the amount of fabric an athlete is allowed in their uniform. The World Anti-Doping Agency is supposedly looking into it.
At first glance, this story is a little ridiculous. I definitely cackled like my immature high school self would have. I showed the original article to a coworker who was speechless. Upon, further review it does make some sense. A good friend of mine has a saying about college football, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.” That logic seems quite applicable here too.
His Cheating Heart
Earlier today, after winning bronze in the 20km biathlon, Sturla Holm Lægreid of Norway used his post race interview to admit before the world that he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend. That is one borderline rom-com level apology there.
To some degree, these Olympics have been a bit messy in addition to being inspiring and fun to watch. That’s not a bad thing though. These are the moment that add character to the Olympics. Its these events that embedded in your brain and keep the particular Games from fading from memory. Who knows what we’re in store for next?
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