Day 1 - August 3
It has been awhile since you have heard from any of us, and that is going to change as the spectacle that is the Olympics has already begun in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Yes I know they Opening Ceremonies are tonight, but the games started on Wednesday with Women's Football, and continued yesterday with Men's Football. We will have Olympics for 17 consecutive more days.
The Olympics are the best part of the sporting calendar to me, and as such, I am going to try to keep up the ambitious schedule of one recap post for each day, focusing on the most important story of the previous day. For day 1, that is pretty easy.
For starters, the American women's football team (Yes I know it is soccer, and yes, I call it soccer - but for purposes of this blog I am going to use only the officially sanctioned sport names), started the defense of their World Cup victory, attempting to become the only team to follow up World Cup victory with a gold medal. In that game, American captain Carli Lloyd scored the first goal, and she could use this tournament to cement her name at the top of the list of the best female footballers in the world. Also starting for the United States was teenager Mallory Pugh, who, at the tender age of 19 once to establish herself as a force at the international level. The American goalie, Hope Solo, started to a rousing chorus of boos due to her outspokenness regarding the battle against the Zika virus. So, that would normally be enough to make the US 2-0 victory over New Zealand to be the story of the day. However, it was not.
The story of the day was the announcement that Michael Phelps was selected as the US flag-bearer during the opening ceremonies. For those that do not know, each American sport (swimming, track and field, gymnastics, archery, rowing, etc.) all have captains, and the captains meet to select the flag-bearer for the opening and the closing ceremonies. Given that Michael Phelps is the most decorated person in Olympic history, this was a fine choice, and you will not hear me complain. How many other countries have ever had 22-time medal winner carry their flag? Here is a hint: It's zero. However, the US delegation missed the opportunity to make a statement about the true nature of the Olympics.
I am not talking about the second place finisher in the vote for US Flag-bearer, Ibithaj Muhammad, who will compete in fencing wearing a hijab, the first person in the Olympics to do so. Although, selecting the saber-wielding Muhammad would only be a political statement, as this is her first Olympics, even though she has won two bronze medals at the World Cup.
Some have suggested Bernard Lagat, the Kenyan-born 41 year old 5000 meter runner who became a US citizen in 2004, but that also appears to be more political, showing that the US is made up of immigrants who contribute to all of society, including sport.
Another track athlete, Allyson Felix, who will be competing in her fourth Olympics, after having won the silver medal in the 200 meters, her specialty, at 18 years of age in Athens. She is a medal favorite in the 200 meters again this year.
And who could forget Ryan Lochte - ok, now I am being ridiculous.
However, the flag bearer should have been ....
Shooter KIM RHODE.
Rhode is competing in her sixth - yes you read that correctly - sixth Olympics, all while having medaled in each of the previous 5 Olympics. She has previously won gold in the double trap in 1996 (Atlanta), the double trap in 2004 in Athens, and in skeet in 2012 in London; the silver in skeet in 2008 in Beijing, and the bronze in 2000 in Sydney. She is a medal favorite again this year.
Rhode may not have the sheer number of medals of Phelps, but it should be noted that many more swimming events exist, Selecting Rhode would give the acknowledgement that she has been the best in the US in her event over two decades, and among the best in the world for that same period of time. It would also acknowledge that for all of the NBA players, and tennis players, and swimmers that we all know, that the Olympics is also for people in events that we generally would never follow except ...
IT IS THE OLYMPICS!
So, although I cannot complain with the Michael Phelps selection, the US delegation missed a big opportunity to honor one of the true Olympic greats, and I will be cheering for Rhode just as much as Phelps, albeit harder to find on television.
To Kim Rhode - best of luck, and bring home your sixth medal (at least)!
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