Meantime, many unsung, unheralded countries and living things are being slighted in favor of the greedy hype-mongers. It has to stop.
We haven’t even given it up for the real leaders in the race for World’s Greatest Sporting Nation That Wears Nikes and Adidas.
Sure, the United States and China are neck and neck in the “official” medal race, with 81 and 77 apiece. And Russia and host Britain, having its best Olympics ever with 48 medals, are right behind the superpowers.
But based on their gross national products, we knew coming in these countries would represent. Bringing the best-funded and largest athlete delegations does not make you superior; it just gives you more chances to win.
That’s why the only place to really gauge true sporting powers is medalspercapita.com, where you find out that Grenada, with one gold medal for 110,000 people; New Zealand, with 10 total medals and three gold; and Jamaica, Hungary and itty-bitty Slovenia, with four medals to show for just more than 2 million people, are actually leading the world in their medal haul directly proportionate to population.
If you grow up as a Kiwi or Slovi and your parents use the ol’ “It’s a one-in-a-million shot you’ll win an Olympic medal, so shut up and do your homework,” you respond, “No, Mom, it’s actually slightly better than a 1-in-400,000 shot.”
Now, if you row, swim or dressage for India, you need to do your homework because you have just a one-in-313 million chance to become an Olympic medalist. With just four medals to show for 1.24 billion people, children in New Delhi have a better chance of becoming a slumdog millionaire.
That’s why the United States is currently 41st (one medal per 5.6 million) and China is 59th (one medal per 24.5 million) in the accurate assessment of sporting prowess.
It’s why I’m also down on the Argentines. Forty million people and more than 1 million square miles of real estate, 12 days into the Games, gets you . . . one lousy bronze medal?!
Don’t cry for me, Argentina; cry for yourselves. You’re a sporting embarrassment. Stop raising so much beef and start raising real Olympians. Between three-pointers, can’t Manu Ginobili moonlight as a judoka or a trap-shooter?
Another underestimated Olympian: show ponies.
Japan’s Hiroshi Hoketsu, at 71, is the second-oldest Olympian ever. The equestrian rider actually “competed” in Tokyo in 1964. Billy Mills also competed in 1964, running 10,000 meters. Billy now has shin splints and a bad hip. Hiroshi never ran a foot. He is not seeing an osteopath every day. Why? Because he jumped on the back of a beautiful mare and said, “Giddy up” in Japanese.
Loading...
Comments