Give my regrets to Rio: Pro athletes and the Olympics
By Lynne Bell
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ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý If you are an athlete who is selected to represent your country at the Olympic Games, you are automatically deemed to be among the best in the world (Eddie the Eagle notwithstanding, but I digress...). If you earn an Olympic medal, well, you're off the charts as a winner in your sport. And you'll always have that elite piece of hardware-your medal-to remind you of your achievement, one mere mortals could only imagine attaining.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý While the Olympics aren't without controversy regarding the authenticity of athletic achievement-(Hello, drug-testing, sketchy judging, etc.)-the Games are the closest thing we have to measuring and celebrating pure sporting achievement on a global scale.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý But has the time come to let professional athletes off the hook when it comes to competing at the Olympic level?
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý This summer, golf's much-anticipated return to the Games has pro golfers Jason Day (currently ranked number one in the world) and Rory Mcllroy (number four) giving their regrets to Rio. The duo have both cited concerns about the Zika virus regarding their reluctance to compete in Brazil, but perhaps for athletes of their calibre-and as professional golfers, to boot-an Olympic competition feels more like volunteer work than part of their real job.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý An Olympic medal is, I suspect, a big part of any athlete's bragging rights-no matter which sport they have excelled in. But I wonder if pro golfers (and hockey players and basketball players... ) have more concerns about the bottom line (i.e. payday) than yet another piece of bling, no matter how prestigious.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Aside from the threat of Zika, Day and Mcllroy also face certain logistical pressures surrounding the this year's Olympics. Immediately prior to the Olympics, the pair will be playing in the PGA Championship, to name just one professional obligation.This-and other career-defining professional tournaments (all with potentially big paydays)-preceed a busy fall schedule for them. Maybe squeezing in an Olympic Games thousands of miles away into an already-demanding schedule is just too much to risk, performance-wise, and ultimately, career-wise.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý As in other sports-such as hockey and basketball-the priorities of a professional just aren't a good fit for the amateur ideals that underpin Olympic competition.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý I'm not suggesting that pro athletes don't train hard for and sacrifice plenty in pursuit of reaching the pinnacle of their particular sport(s). But perhaps some sports place less importance than others on the chasing the Olympic dream.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Athletes at this level-whether amateur or professional-have all worked hard to reach the top of their respective games.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Maybe their achievements are just measured differently.
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The Olympics: Amateur or Professional
By Kelly Running
Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý It’s a question that came up surrounding the Olympics… in what was an amateur event, should professional athletes be allowed to compete?
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Back when the first Olympics was hosted the decision was for the games to be for amateur athletes… the issue between then and now? They didn’t have professional athletes then. The amateur sporting event was originally developed as a high class sporting event because only those that could afford to train year round were those with enough money they could dedicate that time to training and not working.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Fast forward to today, why shouldn’t a professional athlete be allowed to compete? If the games were originally for those who could afford it, then a professional athlete would fall into that category. Besides when people tune into watch certain sports they’re looking for their athletic heroes, which let’s face it are typically a professional athlete of some sort.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý When flipping on the winter games to watch hockey, everyone expects the biggest names in the business to be competing because they’re the top athletes. And the Olympics are supposed to be for the top athletes in the world. Even if we look to less high profile events like the Canadian women’s soccer team, Christine Sinclair, the Team Canada captain, plays professionally for the Portland Thorns FC in the National Women’s Soccer League. Other professional athletes include Eugenie Bouchard in tennis and Gavin Schmitt in volleyball just to name a few.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý They’re supposed to be the top athletes and many of the world’s top athletes today are professionals, so why not let them compete? Additionally from the Olympic viewing standpoint, professional athletes bring some clout with them and the big names are the reason why a lot of people watch the games.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý So, I guess what I’m saying is, give the people what they want. If the Olympics are for the top athletes in the world, the ultimate achievement, then it’s not fair to take that away from professional athletes, who are supposed to be the best at what they do.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý In some sporting events of the Olympics, however, professionals are not playing. In golf and basketball, athletes are more focused on what their livelihood is based on. For NBA players they’ve opted to rest up and relax before their gruelling schedule begins. While golfers too are more focused on their personal circuit than on going to the Olympics…
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý So, if the Olympics are meant to showcase the greatest athletes in the world, but those great athletes are unwilling to attend, then is it really what the Olympics are supposed to be? Ultimately I think they deserve the option of attending, but if they refuse to go through with the Olympic qualifier then that was their choice.
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý What I’d really like to see is an average person competing amongst Olympians… let’s put into perspective just how phenomenal these athletes really are.
