Olympic achievements deserve to be celebrated

By Lethbridge Herald on August 9, 2024.

LEAVE IT TO BEEBER
Al Beeber – Managing editor

They started out with an opening ceremony unlike any other and have gone strong for two weeks with athletic achievements worthy of gold medals. And silver and bronze.

The Paris Olympics have been a spectacle for fans of sport and have given countries around the world a chance to celebrate the athletic excellence of their fellow citizens.

The Olympics made a splash on the opening night when teams were paraded down the Seine River – which has been among the sources of controversy at the Games for its pollution. The French showed style and creativity in using one of its most iconic symbols to welcome athletes to the capital of their country.

And of course, the ceremonies were capped off with Canada’s own Celine Dion singing brilliantly from the Eiffel Tower.

They did things differently that night two weeks ago, even giving a stage to the first metal act to ever perform at the Olympics – Gojira, a French band that’s been making waves on the metal scene for several years now.

Of course, though, there were complaints about certain aspects among people who took umbrage with the French showcasing some elements of their culture and heritage.

But that’s not where the controversy ended. Unfounded allegations about the gender of an Algerian boxer have dominated social media in recent days after an Italian boxer quit less than a minute into their match.

Without any basis for their accusations, people have accused the boxer of being transgender – which really is odd considering Algeria is a Muslim nation, those accusations which were fuelled by a now discredited boxing federation saying the athlete and another one failed some undisclosed type of gender test.

We’ve had emails here saying that the media is covering up the truth, that there’s a mass conspiracy to do so.

Say what? I’ve read everything I can possibly find about this situation out of personal curiosity after a video of the boxer’s brief opening battle was shown me by a colleague here.

She’s definitely a beast with her power, that’s for sure. But why is that an issue? Why is it an issue that some dudes are effeminate? It’s the way people are. Every body, literally, every body, is different.

Female athletes take every shape, form and size, just like males. And as a story we ran on page B8 of Tuesday’s paper stated there is historical discrimination in terms of the disproportionate amount of scrutiny put on women of colour, such as the Algerian and Taiwanese boxers who have been in the spotlight for the wrong reason at the Olympics.

The story wrote that womanhood’s definition is “reliant upon Westernized notions of white femininity or standards of white beauty.”

Maybe those standards have no merit, like the criticism of the irreverent and fun opening ceremonies.

Maybe it’s time for minds to open. We are all unique and different in this world. Not one of us is the same.

People who object to that statement will argue that men shouldn’t compete against women even though there is not one shred of evidence to suggest the Algerian boxer is a man.

The issue of transgender athletes does bring up questions about fairness in sport which will have to be addressed at some point somewhere.

But there are those who can make a strong argument – as strange as it may seem to many – that there aren’t just two genders.

Two of us heard such a case being made in this office just recently and we both came away wondering if maybe our ideas as straight dudes might be askew. I’m not saying they are but we left that conversation as confused as a cat watching a laser light bounce off a wall.

But there should be no confusion that the Olympics are about athletic excellence and that deserves to be celebrated. Why can’t we for two weeks just watch and enjoy the world’s best show to the world their talents and what perseverance, dedication and commitment can achieve?

And there’s much to celebrate, including for us Canadians who have watched our athletes achieve greatness in various athletic realms during the Games, including athletes representing Lethbridge.

Forget the controversy, the conspiracy theories, the arguments and just let the athletes perform to the best of their abilities.

And let’s hope the closing ceremonies on Sunday are just as much fun as the opening ones were. According to TMZ, one part of the event will feature Tom Cruise passing the Olympic flag to a contingent from the Los Angeles for their 2028 Games – after rappelling from the top of the Stade de France.

And after the stunning performance by Gojira, maybe he can be serenaded by L.A.’s own metal gods…enter Sandman, Metallica!

CONDOLENCES: He was one of the kindest and friendliest people I’m sure any of us at The Herald ever worked with so it was immensely sad this week to learn of the passing of Pat Barry Sunday at the age of 82.

Pat and his wife Carol both worked here and after they retired, they would occasionally make submissions to our Roasts and Toasts section which were as thoughtful and considerate as themselves.

Pat was a gracious and considerate human being who went out of his way to be friendly and assist customers.

My condolences to Carol and the rest of Pat’s family.

NAMING CONTROVERSY: As we’ve read on social media there is some controversy about the new name of the city’s biggest arena and sports venue, which was originally named the Canada Games Sportsplex, in itself a bit of a mouthful.

As people – hopefully – read in Thursday’s Herald, an interview by Alexandra Noad with Shilpa Stocker of the Lethbridge Lodging Association talked about the sponsorship and what it means to the city.

One matter she addressed was the erroneous notion some have that the sponsorship is going to cost taxpayers. Where this came from who knows but the truth is the sponsorship is coming from private enterprise and will save taxes being used on operating costs. Taxpayers aren’t on the hook for the sponsorship agreement which could put $1.5 million into City coffers if it’s renewed after five years.

With that kind of benefit to the City, it’s a head scratcher why the vote by council (5-4 in favour) was so close. I’m hearing others are wondering why, as well. If any of the sponsorship opponents on council are willing to have your voices heard publicly, let’s talk.

ONE LAST THING: Last weekend I checked out the farmer’s market in the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre for the first time. And while I’ve spent a fair bit of time in that building since a tour when it was first being constructed, I have to admit I come away more impressed each time.

The old farmers market venue definitely had character. It saw a lot of events staged over the years and is the reason for a lot of memories by thousands of people.

But it’s like comparing a 1965 Rambler – yes, I owned one – to a Subaru WRX – yes, I’ve crashed one – for lack of a better description.

The new facility is bright, modern, spacious and is a really pleasant space to spend time in and shop. I talked to a few vendors while doing an unplanned interview and they seemed as happy with the facility as other visitors I chatted with as I did interviews and loaded up on a few treats to take home.

I’ll probably see some of you there again tomorrow.

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