Olympic Games Return to Origins–Athens
by Tom Kertes

It’s safe to say that the upcoming Athens Olympic Games is going to be unlike any other.

Viva la difference: in a wonderfully appropriate celebration, the Games return to their original birthplace, with some of the events actually held in the exact locations where they were first conducted 2700 years ago. (The original Games were part of a religious festival and began in 776 B.C.) Naturally, the Olympics should have returned to Greece in 1996—the 100th birthday of the Modern Games—but “Athens was simply not ready financially or otherwise to hold an Olympic Games at that time,” according to Olympic historian, and Rice University Professor Clark Haptonstall.

Not so viva la difference: to an unprecedented extent, the Athens Games are going to be shadowed, if not overshadowed, by the double whammy of terrorism and drugs. “The Greek Olympic Committee has spent an enormous amount of money—three to five times what they’ve originally budgeted—to ensure the athletes’ safety,” says Haptonstall. Yet, it’s impossible to be one hundred per cent safe.

Ironically, during ancient times, people would travel long distances—untouched, out of respect for the Games, through warring areas—to get to Olympia. Now, due to the ongoing war in Iraq, U.S. athletes are particularly “on the spot”. “As far as the world is concerned, we are not the most popular right now,” says Haptonstall. As a reaction to that uncomfortable fact, “Our athletes are receiving a lot of instruction these days as to how to act on and off of the playing field in order to best represent the United States. It’s actually an opportunity to improve international relations—this is one way that the Olympics can do a lot of good.”

The poor timing of the illegal drug usage situation—in this country, it has exploded only over the past few months—lays equally heavily on the U.S. Fact is, we used to be mainly the accusers—now we are seen in many athletic circles around the world as both culprits and hypocrites. More than any other event, drug testing will affect track and field—the crown jewel of the Games and America’s strongest suit—as well as swimming, wrestling, weightlifting, and cycling.

In spite of the greater-than-ever challenges facing its athletes, the U.S. is expected to have its best Olympic results ever in Athens. The track squad is particularly strong and deep with a new generation of young up and comers, led by 19 year-old Allyson Felix in the women’s 100-meter dash, teaming up with heavily favored veterans Maurice Greene (100 meter dash), Allan Johnson (110-meter hurdles), Stacy Dragila (women’s pole vault), and Marion Jones (women’s long jump, relays). Our women’s gymnasts are defending their world championship team title in Athens. And 19 year-old swimming sensation Michael Phelps actually has a shot of breaking the legendary Mark Spitz’s “unbreakable” record of winning seven gold medals in one Game.

Athens is guaranteed to be the most spectacular festival of sports ever seen, yet the rejoicing is far from unanimous; many in the sporting press continue to decry the Games’ gradually losing its original amateur essence. “It’s unfortunate—but this is something that couldn’t be helped,” says Haptonstall. “When you are charging money—big money—to watch the Games, people want to see the best.” Which, in many cases in most sports, means professionals.

How will the U.S. athletes deal with the unprecedented pressure? “There is a lot of focus upon us right now,” says Rice, university Professor of Sports Management John Eliot. “A lot of negative press means a lot of added stress on the athlete. It adds an element that might get in the way of optimal performance. Basically, it’s something extra to think about.”

“But we’ll be better prepared than we ever have been throughout the entire history of the Olympics as well.” In order to overcome the stress, and perform at his or her very best, during competition, the number one key for the athlete is “to be in the present moment, absorbed completely in the task rather than the process,” according to Eliot who has a book entitled Overachievement (Penguin Portfolio) coming out this October. The athlete at this point must just “do his thing and have fun with no concern whatsoever of the outcome or the consequences. The other key is to achieve a trusting mentality,” adds Eliot. “This is kind of a Zen mentality, the ability to really trust your training. Thus, it is the complete opposite of the training mentality where the athlete must be absorbed in the smallest details of the process.”#