They're All Gone

In a few days, the Rio 2016 Olympics will begin...or, for purists, the XXXI Olympiad.  The events will be covered virtually non-stop, with many breathless stories being told as viewers around the world thrill to the feats of strength, courage, and sheer athleticism.

Entrance to the original Olympic Stadium--Olympia, Greece 

(photo taken in 2008 when we visited Greece)

Deservedly, the general sense that viewers bring to the Olympics is a sense of wonder and admiration. The original Olympics had lofty ideals. The reach of those Olympics was small--geographically--and limited to men only. On the plus side the contestants did have to participate in their events in the nude. Perhaps to prove they were not armed--it was after all an attempt to do something competitive without resorting to battle and killing.                                                                

When the Olympics were resuscitated by Baron de Courbetin in 1894, again the intent, in part, was to foster goodwill among nations.  Many of the images from those early Olympics are inspiring. Stories such as those enshrined in the wonderful movie Chariots of Fire showcase sports competition of the best type.

Of course, there were awful events in those early Olympics--examples include Jim Thorpe winning gold medals in 1912 for the decathlon and the pentathlon, only to be stripped of them*.  Perhaps the most infamous of Olympics was the 1936 Olympic Games** held in Berlin, Germany. Adolph Hitler, who was rising in prominence, wanted to show-case his ideal of the super athlete--the "pure" Aryan.  We know how that turned out when Jesse Owens won four gold medals. 

But, the Olympics that are seared in my memory did not center on individual athletic feats. Rather, the Olympics I most remember had the whole world watching, and the outcome was not known until the last moment.  In many ways, the unfolding events had nothing to do with sports. I am thinking of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, or the XX Olympiad.

The setting of the 1972 Olympics was Munich, West Germany. West Germany intentionally set about to have these games be a counterpoint to Hitler's 1936 Olympics. 

These Olympics are remembered not so much for which athletes won which events--although Mark Spitz set a new record when he won 7 swimming event. Rather these Olympics are remembered for one of the first internationally broadcast incident of terrorism.

As the athletes were assembling, there was concern for the level of security evidenced, particularly expressed by the Israeli athletes team. But the Munich Olympics were all "sweetness and light"--nothing particular was changed.  When these Olympics went into its second week, suddenly a previously little known terrorist group--called Black September (a faction of the Palestinian Liberation Front)--seized members of the Israeli team.

Thus began non-stop coverage of the unfolding drama.  Watching it at the time, it seemed like it lasted a really long time. Actually, the original seizing of hostages occurred at 4:30 a.m. on September 5 and ended around 10:30 p.m. on the same day. The first news reports indicated that all the hostages had been freed and all the terrorists killed. Soon, however, the story was changed.

Jim McKay was the anchor for ABC which was broadcasting the games.  He had reported in initial reports that all hostages were rescued. Then reality set in--the report was erroneous. Not only were there no survivors--they were all killed. As Jim McKay sorrowfully said--"They're all gone."

As Time magazine reported--quoting his father initially, McKay said " 'Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized.'  Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They (sources) have now said there were eleven hostages; two were killed in their rooms yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight.  They're all gone." 

Eventually, of course, the Olympic Games regained their golden glow.  Great moments are still remembered: the U.S. hockey team beating the Russian team; Nadia Comăneci  scored a perfect 10 in gymnastics; the British ice-dancing  pair Torvill and Dean thrilled viewers everywhere.  You can name your own favorite moments.

For me, the irony  is that these games which were founded in Greece--intended to give warring city states an opportunity to lay aside differences and a time compete peacefully--should be so besmirched by the terrorists' actions.

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* The medals were eventually restored to Jim Thorpe...in 1982.

** One tradition introduced at the 1936 Games was the first torch relay.

***You can read an account of the hostage crisis here.

Let the Games Begin

We are on our way to see the original site of the Olympic Games--you know, the ones that were first recorded to have been held in 776 B.C. While in Athens, we did see the "original" Olympic Stadium, but that was the one built for the games which were re-instituted by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Seeing that stadium, where the Games were held in Athens in 1896, was most interesting, but the site of the original games had far more impact.

Along the way, we crossed the Rion-Antirion bridge that "crosses the Corinth strait near the city of Patras, connecting Peloponnese with mainland Greece." (More information here.) From a distance, the bridge looks like a small fleet of sailboats. As you cross it, you can see the suspension superstructure. The bridge was built in time for the most recent Olympics, in 2004. Prior to its being built, the main connection between the mainland and the western end of the Peloponnesian peninsula was a ferry ride.

We noted that even on two-lane highways, traffic makes a way for vehicles to pass. Invariably, drivers straddled the solid outside line with their vehicles, making it possible for cars or trucks to pass by.

As we neared the ancient Olympic site, we saw many burned trees--evidence of the serious fires last summer. A brief explanation of the name Olympia--it is NOT near Mt. Olympos (which is in Northern Greece, the highest mountain in Greece, and the place in mythology where the gods resided), but was named Olympia because the rural site was dedicated to the worship of Zeus.

Just as today, the original Olympic games were held every four years. The games were a mixture of athletic events, and religious worship. When the games first began, the only athletic event was the stadion race, a foot race of 600 feet long. Stadion means standing place, and is the source of the word stadium. Below, you see the entrance to the stadium.

The small box of stones is the place where the judges stood.

And here is the starting line! Predictably, people always get down "on their marks" ready to run.

Among the ruins we saw was the main floor for the temple to Zeus, which was one of the wonders of the ancient world. The statue was built by the sculptor Phidias, whose workshop still stands on the site. Nothing remains of the statue itself. Below is a photo of a portion of one of the columns that made up the temple. My husband standing next to one of these pieces gives you some comparison. The next photo shows a pile of column pieces. Greece is very earthquake prone (in fact, an earthquake hit Patras, Greece, one week after we had driven through), and the temple of Zeus was destroyed, as was most of the Olympic site.

The outline of many buildings can be detected by the standing columns.

The original games were restricted to men only. Presumably to enforce this restriction, athletes performed in the nude. Women were not permitted anywhere within the entire complex.

Much like a modern day Olympic village, the ancient site included--in addition to the temple, and the stadium--housing for athletes, dining halls, baths, and swimming pools. When the Romans ruled the known world, they opened the games to "all citizens of the world." Earthquakes damaged the area, but Christianity had more of an impact on the demise of the games. A Christian emperor decreed the games cease. The buildings that were still there were turned into Christian sites, including Phidias' workshop which became a basilica.

Then, two rivers in the area flooded, depositing massive quantities of silt, and the ancient site of the Olympic games disappeared from view. It was rediscovered in 1766, but no excavation began until 1829.

Today, in addition to being an obvious tourist destination, the site is preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site. And, with each Olympiad, the Olympic flame is once again lit with the sun's rays providing the spark.