This one is too long for Facebook or Twitter, so here goes:
As I watch the Olympics, I'm always thinking of ways that it could be better. One that I've thought of is for the medals table, which lists the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals that each country's Olympic delegation have won at that games in all of the events put together. Every medal counts just the same in that table, and, theoretically, the country with the most medals at the end of the Olympics "wins."
However, I think a lot of people would agree that not all medals are created equal. Take the events of gymnastics, for example. Country A wins the gold for the team, Country B has a winner in the individual all-around, and Country C has a winner in the balance beam. Those are all the same in the medals table, even though the team and the individual all-around are far bigger deals than winning one event within that. Shouldn't all five medals awarded to the team that wins gold count in the medals table? Shouldn't the individual all-around be worth perhaps two medals?
Also, for an event like basketball or soccer or volleyball, the team that wins the gold has to go through a long and arduous tournament with pool play to win the medal, and that lasts for almost the entire duration of the games. Yet a swimmer or a runner can win one race, and that counts just the same.
Support me as the next President of the International Olympic Committee! Ha!
2 comments:
I like your post. I never consider the equal problem for the player in Olympic; but I think some of your points are right. The soccer team needs to go through a lengthy selection and competition; it is seem harder for the soccer player to win gold than swimmer or a runner. However, I consider this is very difficult to resolve because there are totally different sports. However, no matter which area they are play with, a determined thing is they are in glory for the country.
Thanks - I do agree. They are totally different sports, indeed. But a two week long tournament for some sports and just one race for others are far from equal.
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