They watch, they listen, they care about things political.. But they also have a job to do. Our local Olympic athletes and Olympic hopefuls this time around, and many others I've interviewed over the years seem to give some form of the same answer whenever I ask.
Do the often ugly political realities of the world, the nasty games of government vs. government, the thousand shades and shapes of propaganda, have an impact on their preparation or their expectations?
The answer is no. Always. They have work to do. They know what's going on, they know who's accusing who of what, but they need to focus on fitness and performance and being at the top of their game when the flame is lit and the pressure is on. Worrying about outside problems can only interfere with training. Their lives are complex enough, and who wins the battle to keep things simple can often mean the difference between Gold and Silver and 35th place. Oppression, suppression, occupation and intimidation; let it all exist on a different stage..
Should we give them a pass on that? Should we let them just be athletes and leave the purely human fighting to the rest of us? Should "The Games" be just games after
all?
I think so. What about you?

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