FAKENHAM WRITER’S MEMORIES OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES

In his weekly Wensum column, Fakenham writer Jim Harding discusses the Olympic Games….

The coincidence is beyond me but our three sons were all born in Olympic years - Moscow, 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992. As we approach this summer's Games in Paris I was reminded of this incidental fact.

My personal active link with this sporting jamboree was in 1968 when I hitched down from Los Angeles to cross the border into Mexico and make my way further south to its capital for a very memorable few weeks. You may - or may not - recall that these Games had their share of controversy with two black American athletes raising their arms aloft at their medal presentation ceremony, both wearing black gloves on their hands.

I was in the stadium at the time and whilst very aware of this did not notice that they also wore black socks. This 'black power' protest received a few whistles from the crowd, though not that significant. American authorities, however, took a very dim view and after suspending the two from the US team ordered that both be sent home.

That year, 1968, had more than its share of shocking events. I invariably learnt about them rather late on due to travelling the way I was and losing touch with what most people were hearing about on a daily basis. The Vietnam War was still raging with an anti-war movement strengthening in the States where the Civil Rights movement continued to struggle for racial equality.

Two tragic and sudden deaths had occurred. Both Dr Martin Luther King and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy were shot. Whilst the two athletes were vilified on their return home, at least this story had a positive conclusion. In 2008 they received the annual Arthur Ashe Courage Award presented to those whose actions 'transcend sports'.

If you ever watch Premier League football on television here, as I do, you will be aware that as a society, we still have some problems to deal with when it comes to racial equality. Prior to matches kicking off, players from both teams kneel to acknowledge the fact. Progress has been made but we still have a way to go.

At Borough Road College when preparing for my final degree exams in what was referred to as Movement Studies, our tutors were keen that we brushed up on the topic of sport and politics, more particularly the connection between the two. Was there any, and if so how might it play out? I loved this sort of stuff and went to town in developing my ideas, based partly on those of others.

In a nutshell, the history of the Olympic Games is also a history of politics. What little I have already written here is a confirmation of that. Perhaps things have got even worse rather than better since Mexico. Neutral uniforms, for example, to disguise where an athlete comes from. You can be sure that Russian athletes will be competing in Paris and those that win medals will be mightily pleasing to their present leader. For him it will be like a confirmation of the 'rightness' of whatever he authorises.

Perhaps readers might even give a bit more credence to the bending the knee signal prior to the next football match they watch on the TV or see live in the hope that it might have a positive influence on racial prejudice here. That, at least, is my hope.

2024-04-27T05:09:02Z dg43tfdfdgfd