Back at it again this summer for an amazing return to the olympics. From being littered with tiny romances, to new events — some more successful than others — it was truly an eventful year. So much so that to summarize in a small news story like this would be quite difficult.
This Olympics that just passed us by was the summer games that happen every four years, hosted this year in France. Though featuring many new events, the event most notable might be breaking, and not for the reason you may think. However, this story isn’t about a failed dance and tarnished Australia. The Olympics is a time that brings the happiest unifying moments that we get to watch on television. Though numerous, I wanted to highlight a few of those moments.
- Simone Biles returns! Missing the last olympics to focus on her mental health, Simone Biles was missed by the crowd. Her bright smile is memorable, and without her, the crowd surely felt something missing. However, she came back this time with the same enchanting smile, and won three gold medals for being the best all around, having the best team all around, and in the event artistic gymnastics as a whole.
- On the topic of gymnastics, the American men’s gymnastics team finally won a medal for the first time after 16 years. The adrenaline rush, and wave of good feelings that rushed through Brody Malone, Fred Richard, Stephen Nedorscik, Shane Wiskus and Khoi Young as they were awarded their rightfully earned bronze medal must have been amazing. After previous attempts, trials, and tribulations, this run was nearly flawless, and these boys who have worked so hard have their joy and work captured in the timeless pictures that solidify their name.
- Jian Li, Wu Jie, Li Yuche, and Lu Wenao made history representing China’s swim team. They concluded their campaign at the summer olympics this year with an unbelievable 12 medals,which is the highest number achieved by the Chinese swim team in history. In a sport dominated by western countries, this win brings a huge sense of honor and pride to these athletes that left with such great achievement, and brings chills to all who watched. Something about the unmistakable face of immeasurable surprise, and heart gripping pride, is beautiful to see.
- Cindy Ngamba wins the first ever medal for the Refugee Olympic Team since its creation almost 10 years ago. With a bronze medal, and a legacy written in the history books, though she lost the semifinals, she leaves with unmistakable self worth, and a win well deserved!
- High jumper and lag bearer Gianmarco Tamberi lost his wedding ring in a heartbreaking turn of events at the Opening Ceremony. The ring found its way to, and sailed down, River Seine. Instead of despairing however, Tamberi made a joint instagram post apologizing to his wife, Chiara Bontempi Tamberi, making it romantic by cementing the ring’s place forever in the city of love. He offers to his wife that “ If you want, we’ll throw yours into that river, too, so they’ll be together forever, and we’ll have one more excuse to, like you’ve always asked, renew our vows and get married anew.”
The Olympics is one of the few times our world’s nations can come together, and compete in the same place. It’s one of the only times where the idea is to not be a sore loser, and keep everyone uplifted and going strong. It’s a time where everyone can cheer for everyone’s victory, and make friends from competitive foes, and join in watching something grand with a like minded point of view. In short, it is beautiful. It is irreplaceable. A moment, even surrounded by the media which takes things (sometimes small; sometimes grand) in stride, and amplifies it to extremes, still proves to have the ability to be entirely wholesome.
And for that very reason, our world rejoices.
