Blogging for School

I have been a fan of the Olympic Games ever since I can remember. I used to catch as many events as possible on TV. I remember The Road to LA which was a run up to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. I used to memorize the names of many past Olympic champions. I watched clips of Jesse Owens during the 1936 Olympics and how he won 4 gold medals. I watched how the German lad lost to him in the Long Jump and yet they were the best of friends until death. One has to remember it was 1936 and Germany was the host and Adolf Hitler was there. And yet, a friendship formed during the Olympics. THAT, to me, has always been what the Olympic Games is all about. Competition and friendship. It was never just about winning. Unlike now. Ever since 1980, the Games has been tainted. In 1980, the Games was held in Moscow, in the former USSR. The USA and many other countries boycotted it, Malaysia included. Then in 1984, it was held in LA, in the USA. What happened? The USSR and eastern bloc countries boycotted it. Then when it was staged in Seoul, Korea, once again politics took centre stage, instead of the athletes. In 1996, it would have marked the 100th anniversary of the Olympics, and sentimentally, it should have gone to Athens, Greece, the first host of the modern Olympics. Instead, it went to Atlanta. It was a matter of who had more money to host it. This Beijing Olympics has not been spared of political problems. Free Tibet! That was the slogan shouted during every torch run. Once again, the Oympics is being used in the political arena. This is such a sad state of affairs. Once, nations stopped war just to let the Olympics run its course. Now, everyone who has something to say uses the Olympics as a platform for their cause.
Oh well, we're into the 4th day of the Olympics in Beijing. I have not caught much of the events but the Opening Ceremony was impressive.