The hopes of a nation were with the Australian Olympic Team as they initiated competition after the Opening Ceremony. The Australian Olympic outfits – men and women - were stunning and all was set for 'action'.
Alas, sport is not as simple as that. Holding a world record means very little at the Olympics, rather sport psychology is often the athlete's most trusting and devastating weapon against an opponent.
We all saw this in the swimming pool – for and against Australian competitors. Those not expected to gain the prize, the Gold Medal, did so; and on the opposite side of the coin with world records sadly finished way back.
This is the way of sport. Fresh names come to the fore. Household names disappear off the agenda. The media is ruthless. They celebrate winners and winners and grinners. Tears are never far away from sport.
Sport is full of surprises too. The more unpublicised sports according to Australia's limited media exposure of what they consider sporting heroes. Yet some have celebrated to the fore and holding Gold Medals and in one case, thanking 'dad'.
At the Olympics according to Channel 7 some sports get the mammoth viewing whether they do any good or not, whereas others top in the world get pushed to the background and the punters are very unhappy. The Channel 7 app was supposed to give everyone their sport selection and the complaints are legend.
Team sports
Likewise the team sports. There have been some genuine fabulous results in both finals and pools rounds and others that have been so dismal as if to weep – what are they doing? Try something else? The coach has no idea! Pull that player off and get someone on who knows what to do!
The soccer has shown despondency beyond what supporters can take. Good grief! The two hockey teams are equally shattering – they left their mojo's at home. Someone needs to give them both an on the spot tuition - "This with the 4 yard opening and wire mesh all around is the goal". Let's repeat after me .... "This with the ...." "No, its not at the rear end of the field and passing to each other, it's at the other end ..." Goodness Me!
The basketballers are showing better performances – wow – beyond what we might have imagined. The team sport motif is an Olympic dream and those doing better than expected are celebrating and this is sport. Those not doing as well, this too is sport.
Funding
However the reality is that Government funding depends on "best results" and this too is way too important rather than crying over spilt milk. The Australian Sports Commission divvies up the funding. There, the results are loud.
Sport at this level is ruthless. Sport is in a sense neutral. Sport has no friends, only outcomes. We who participate in sport express emotions and need friends and co participants and celebrate or weep together over results.
There was nothing quite so moving that watching the Kiwi Women Rugby 7 Players so distraught after losing their Olympic final. We felt the trauma. All-Blacks they were not. Yet on the same pitch were the Australian girls delirious in utter joy of being Gold Medalists and setting Olympic history as the first ever girl rugby Gold Medallists. This is sport too.
But, in a sense it is true – when the final whistle blows – the fixture is over, win, lose or draw. Sports across the world see participants get together after that whistle, it's a past event, never to be repeated. Something new and fresh is on the agenda .... like going home for dinner.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html