The Touchy Subject of Women
One of the tenets of the IOC is equality and making sure women are getting a fair chance to participate in sports . But there are still countries in the world that ban women from being on Olympic teams. If you’re an American, that hardly seems realistic, but for the women of Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the UAE, it’s a reality . Other Muslim countries only allow women to participate in sports that do not require immodest dress.
Is this fair? Should these countries be allowed to field men’s teams, if they are going to discriminate against women like that? And what if they don’t consider it discrimination? How do religion and sport coexist in today’s world?
Somebody’s Watching the Numbers
When you look at the cost of hosting the Games, one sometimes wonders why a city chooses to do it. Sure, it can put a city on a world stage or bring a fair amount of economic benefits to it, but most of the time, the Games seem to cost way more than originally anticipated and can even be financially crippling.
However, London 2012 has someone keeping an eye on the financials. Their new mayor, Boris Johnson, wants to keep the budget for the 2012 Games on target, and will not hesitate to make some tough financial decisions in order to keep the taxpayers’ costs down. What’s being trimmed down? The London House at the 2008 Games.
Because they’re hosting the next Summer Games, London is hosting a pavilion to get people excited about the city. Johnson thought a good number of the costs were extraneous, and cut 1.2 million pounds from the budget, including axing 18 chefs who were to be trained by Gordon Ramsey , flown over, and then cook.
Although it will cut down on some of the spectacle, it’s nice to actually see somebody think about budget and who actually pays for the Games. Johnson is showing a bit of fiscal responsibility, and I for one think he should be commended for taht.
Crackdown on Firecrackers
In America, we can say that things that are contrary to our culture are un-American. But is there a phrase such as un-Chinese?
The Chinese government has banned people from shooting off fireworks in Beijing and the suburbs for fourteen weeks leading up to and including the Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The government cites safety reasons, but one would think that in the land where fireworks were invented, the people would be more free to use them. I wonder if they do pose a danger, like the government believes. Whatever the case, it will be quieter in the streets come August.
Sensationalism in Women’s Basketball
Big news today for USA Basketball. One of the WNBA stars has decided to play for Team Russian in the Olympics.
The regular news outlets have asked if Becky Hammon is a traitor, but that’s an odd take, considering that if another country grants you citizenship. Greece needed to field a softball team in 2004, and a lot of Americans ended up on their team. That didn’t seem to be so bad.
But Russia? The Newsday link above puts it into a nice perspective: Hammon doesn’t really remember the Cold War. She was just a kid then. If Team USA didn’t ask her to compete on their team, and Russia is paying her to play basketball in their league next year and has granted her citizenship, then what’s the fuss?
Women’s Basketball Update
As the Games get closer, the excitement builds for who will qualify for team sports. The women’s basketball tournament is one step closer to being finalized, as Spain, the Czech Republic, Belarus, and Latvia all qualified .
Visa Troubles
The choice of Beijing as host city for the Summer Games has always had some controversy, but its selection has a lot to do with it coming out to the world, and yes, China has become a global powerhouse in the last few years.
However, being a global power seems to be difficult for a government that is used to having tight controls, and that seems to be a struggle China is dealing with as we get closer to the Games.
To get into China most foreigners need a visa. Those seem pretty difficult to come by, and in an attempt to quash any protest over China’s human rights policies, the government has gotten stricter. This makes things tough for countries that actually want to do business with China, like Australia. Broadcasters are also having problems getting their Olympic preparations underway.
Will the Chinese government relax the rules, or will they risk an enormous amount of backlash and waste the opportunity to shine on the world stage? Jacques Rogge will discuss this issue with them next week to see what solutions they can come up with.
All Aboard the Olympic Express
Be sure to check out the IOC’s new publication Olympic Express . It’s geared toward children, but this kid at heart likes it too. Right now it comes out bi-weekly on Wednesday and Saturday and features one to two sports in every issue. It’s a great way to start brushing up on all the sports you see featured on TV once every four years.
Judo Trials This Weekend!
June and July really heat up because a lot of the US Olympic teams will be finalized then. This weekend judo is up to bat.
Olympic Blog Roundup
Maybe you’re getting all of your Beijing 2008 information from me (if so, thanks!). But, my blog is pretty new to the scene, so let me introduce you to some of the other Beijing 2008 bloggers that have been doing this for a while:
These folks have the Fever, and with them you’ll read some of the more interesting aspects of the Games, the ones that will appeal to you. Sure, lots of news sites and stories are great, but the bloggers bring a little something extra to the table.
Learn from the Olympians!
The IOC has a new feature called “Olympic Personal Trainer” on their website (it’s on the left side of the home page ). I originally thought you could use this feature in your own athletic training, but it appears to be a series of questions asked to several Olympians/former Olympians. Still, this is an interesting feature because the questions talk to all athletes–how do you work on concentration, how do you set goals, how do you learn from failure, that sort of thing. It’s worth a look!
