When people ask me about my favorite part of the Olympics or why I like them at all, I always tell them that the Olympic moments that transcend athletics and speak for a nation, or humanity, as a whole is the greatest thing a sport can do. To see people from all parts of the world and all walks of life compete in what they love, and are great at, is always going to bring about moments where the event itself takes a back seat to the people representing their homes in front of the rest of the world.
The two nations represented in this picture are creeping towards a seemingly inevitable military conflict, one that would certainly change the course of world history. To see people who are representing these countries on the largest stage possible coming together, in what is sure to be one of the greatest moments of their lives, is something that cannot be replicated elsewhere. To see them embrace one another is something that that speaks beyond the beating of war drums by politicians and speaks volumes for the general populations of these countries.
Many dismiss or look down upon the Olympics because they see it as nothing more than a pissing contest or another venue for the United States, or other Western nations, to claim dominance over the rest of the world (never mind that three Asian nations are in the top five for gold medals). Others see it as celebrating braun over brains (never mind that after these games are over, we never hear from most of these athletes ever again and go back to worrying about the brainiacs in Congress and on Wall Street).
I, however, see it as something simpler than that. When you have people at the top of their game, with more pride and pressure on their backs than ever before, competing against one another, you’ll see the greatest competition possible followed by a unifying bond between all competitors that breaks down borders and reminds us that we’re all just players in the same game.
