Many of you out there probably watched the Rio Olympics this year. The nail biting event was fascinating, and breathtakingly brilliant with 19 records being broken one of our own Alumni competing in the event! I don’t how people managed to tear themselves away from watching it. It was hard for many of the students in ISB to watch the events due to time difference but somehow we Panthers managed it.

There was a lot of talk from all of you guys about the different events and the good or bad things about the Olympics this year. Three members of our community,  Sarah Barnes (HS Physical Education), Keith Miller (HS English) and Madison Mehta (Grade 9) share their memories, thoughts and reactions to Rio 2016.

There are too many sports to choose from during the Olympics, from Swimming to Weightlifting and Archery. When asked what events she watched, Sarah Barnes said, “Anything I could possibly watch. I love them all. There is such an incredible array of talent on show that I truly will watch every event. I love thinking about how much skill is involved in each sport and how varied those skills are when you compare them. I love watching volleyball and beach volleyball. I love the gymnastics. Track and Field is probably my favourite though for the sheer excitement factor. But I’ll watch it all!!”

However, the sheer number of different events can make the Olympics difficult to closely follow. When asked, Madison Mehta replied “I did not really watch the Olympics because I did not have much time because of training, but if I were to watch the swimming, Track and Diving events.”

We all have our favourite Olympians out of the many amazing athletes that went to Rio to compete this year. Some of the favourites this year were Simone Biles (4 gold medals), Usain Bolt (3 gold medals) and of course Michael Phelps (5 gold medals). But Mrs. Barnes did not choose one of these Olympians. “I think Valerie Adams from New Zealand. She is an incredible athlete who is world class at her discipline but is also an amazing role model for women and New Zealanders in general.” Mrs. Barnes continued, “She embodies what it means to be strong and disciplined and competes with such obvious pride when representing her country.”

Madison on the other hand had different favourites. “I cannot just choose one athlete! If I had to choose my favourite athletes though I would say Michael Phelps because he is an amazing swimmer!”

Keith Miller told Panther Nation, “I do not have one. Honestly, I did not watch much of the Olympics this year. But I followed medals and some of the stories in the paper. I was probably more involved in the Thai Medalists, especially the weightlifting and Taekwondo. I enjoyed the hype in Thailand when they won, but also the sense of pride and accomplishment for athletes from a relatively small country. As my hometown university was very big into volleyball, I enjoyed following those events. Two bronzes for the U.S, and one in beach volleyball.

“Amazing things happened during the Olympics but these members of the Panther community told us what the highlights of the Rio 2016 Olympics were for them! “I enjoyed seeing Vietnam achieving their first gold medal in history. It is moments like that the mark history, especially of that individual and their country,” said Mr. Miller.

Madison Mehta’s highlight was focused around one of her favourite athletes. “When Michael Phelps broke the world record for 200m individual medley,” she said.  

Mrs. Barnes added, “I loved Simone Biles (the American gymnast) defying so many stereotypes and just blowing all the competition out of the water. The fact she has mastered a move that no one else in the whole world can even perform is simply incredible. From a sports science perspective, I find that fascinating. I loved that Phelps came back and smashed the field again, despite being 31! I loved that New Zealand shot-put champion Valerie Adams got beaten on the last throw by American Michelle Carter and still had the grace and poise to acknowledge that she got beaten on the day by a better athlete. I love that Usain Bolt did it again so easily – with time to turn and smile at his Canadian counterpart. Completely unprecedented.  All those things I loved. Plus who could forget the glistening Tongan flag bearer at the opening ceremony who broke twitter!!?!?!”

There were quite a few complaints about Rio’s facilities during the Olympics, the accommodation, the infamous doping scandal that saw at least 85 Russians barred from the Olympics and of course the green pool. “There was a lot of controversy ranging from the resettlement of poor, to the poverty in general” explained Keith Miller. “While it was an exciting venue, and generated money for the country, the controversies and crime in the country were an underlying fear. If nothing else, it is good for the world to become more aware of situations worldwide.”

Mrs. Barnes, on the other hand, looked at all of the positives of the major event. “I think it was great to have it in a South American country. That is the first time that has happened and it certainly lent a different flavour to the event. Rio is an exciting place and I would have loved to have been there for it!”

Madison Mehta said that “it was an interesting place to hold the Olympics, but with the Zika virus outbreak it was surprising.”

I know some people will already be looking forward to the next Olympics in 2020 the time when the Freshman of 2016 will be graduating! (Do you feel old yet?) But what exactly is it that makes the Olympics so captivating?

“For many of the athletes at the Olympics it is the pinnacle of their career. It’s the moment that they have worked so hard and sacrificed so much for in the hope that they can put together the perfect performance at the exact right time. That to me is mind blowing. I also love the spectacle of the whole event – right from the opening ceremony, it’s brilliant and I look forward to it every 4 years,” claimed an enthusiastic Mrs. Barnes. 

Keith Miller, on the other hand did not sound overly excited due to some individual actions in Rio that went against the Olympic ideals of sportsmanship and brotherhood. “While I could speak to the true spirit of athletes competing from around the world, transcending politics and creating a universal brotherhood, I was disappointed by the behavior of some of the athletes. To not shake a competitor’s hand or acknowledge their accomplishments is in bad form, and is perhaps more indicative of the politics of the world. Sadly.”

On a positive note, Madison saw the Games as an opportunity to forge understanding and community amongst nations. “I think that the Olympics are a big event because people from all around the world can come together and do what they love, they are able to overcome cultural and societal barriers.”

For a multitude of reasons, the 2016 Rio Olympics will go down in history, with many records being broken and lives being changed. Despite all the troubles, there is an excitement and atmosphere that can only be generated by the Games. What do you think Panthers? Are you ready for the next Olympics?

Megan Black