It’s fun and sports in wintery Sochi, Russia, even though it’s really not the 22nd Winter Olympics.
Or, is it?
Intrigue has long lurked in the shadows of the Olympics, and winter competitions are no exception to the mysterious backdrop of international Olympic sports.
In 1921, the Congress of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sat, rubbing their hands and thinking. “Why not?” the delegates said to each other, heads back and eyes wandering the darkened ceiling. “Why not have France, the host nation of the upcoming 1924 Summer Olympics, hold an International Winter Sports Week in Chamonix, France? The IOC would, of course, be a patron of the colder-weather event, but we just won’t call it an Olympics.”
At this point in time, the Summer Olympics were well established, but no official wintery-white and open-air blustery Olympic schedule of games had been initiated. The first international Summer Olympics of the modern era were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, under the epic story-book shadow of Mount Olympus and the gods of ancient mythology. That first Summer Olympics was a great success, with the most athletes and the biggest crowd of any sporting event to date. And, it was there that the IOC was first constituted as the think-tank of big-league Olympic intrigue – sorry, I mean – sports.
“Yes, that does sound like a good idea,” the IOC planners whispered among themselves. “Let’s have this International Sports Week in Chamonix. You never know, it might be a success.”
It was a great success.
For 11 days, 250 athletes from 16 countries competed in 16 events and had a rousingly invigorating time in a winter wonderland of amazed fans. The competitors from Finland and Norway won more medals than all the other countries combined. Those ruddy Finish and Norwegian athletes stood in their stocking caps and ski jackets on their winner’s blocks and shouted: “YES to Winter! And, YES to the Winter Games!” How could they say anything else? A sportingly-fine winter is something of a tradition back home.
Back in their darkened planning room, the IOC planners squinted and ruminated. “Yes,” they said, excitement creeping into the room and lifting the shades. “Yes, Yes, Yes!”
The next year, 1925, the IOC announced with grand fanfare and much acclaim the creation of an official and separate Winter Olympic Games. “Hooray,” Norway and Finland shouted. “Bring on the medals.” (You may note that in the standings in Sochi today, Norway is leading with 10 gold medals!)
But, that was not the end of things.
The shrewd back-room planners in their elegant Pink-Panther suits thought more and hard, did a quick ju-jitsu and jumped on the table with a slam-bang toboggan of a grand idea: “Let’s retroactively rename the 1924 Games in Chamonix the first Winter Olympics. It’s always good to build on success. And, who doesn’t love the Olympics?”
It is hard to argue with success and with the shrewd machinations of seasoned media manipulators.
The rest has been downhill ever since: Go Olympics! Go Winter! Go Winter Olympics!
I love and enjoy every event, and, you know, I kinda’ enjoy the intrigue too.
Even though, to be precise, this really is the 21st Winter Olympics.
Don’t tell anyone – just have a wonderful time of it.
Sit back in your seats and watch the intrigue – sorry, I mean – the sporting events.
As the Pink Panther would say: “What’s life without a surprise or two, or even twenty-two?”
Smile — it’s winter outside in Sochi and much fun still to happen.
Grandpa Jim