When you think of the olympics you think of great competition, representation, and the chance to go for gold and this was all present during the 2016 Rio Olympics but there were also a few controversial situations that promoted negative attention specifically stemming from two American athletes.
Some remarks come with consequences (Photo Creds: Greg Bartram)
The first athlete that we will be focusing on is Hope Solo, the decorated United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) goalie. After an surprising loss to Sweden during the quarterfinals the Americans were clearly upset with there 4-3 shootout defeat. Following the game Hope Solo had much to say about the Swedes labeling them as “a bunch of cowards” for there consecrative strategies that they took during the overtime shootout, following that comment she went on to say that “The best team did not win today” these comments toward the Swedes was a poor show of sportsmanship and was a bad reflection of what the USWNT represents. After these comments were made publicly the USWNT gave Solo a six month suspension from international play then later Solo’s contract was terminated to urge Solo to clean up her off the field acts and to make her earn her spot on the team back by showing a change in sportsmanship and mentality. Comments like these should stay off the record no matter how upset someone is after a loss, an athlete on this high of a stage should be a model of a gracious loser not a sore loser.
Trust is the most fragile thing you can't touch (Photo Cred: Stanislav Krasilnikov)
The next controversial event that happened outside of competition involved American swimmer Ryan Locate and three other American swimmers. Reportedly during early morning hours the four drunken American Swimmers were making there way back from a party and decided to stop at a local Rio gas station where they began to vandalize the gas station bathroom, breaking mirrors and other things. This was not the story that Lochte had originally reported to Rio officials, Lochte originally stated that there was a robbery and that the four swimmers were held at gun point by a man who was impersonating a Rio police officer. This false story left out any account of a gas station and leaving out the vandalism, the gas station's video recording does show the four swimmers sitting on the curb outside of the gas station with there hands up while being confronted by security officers but Rio officials said there were never guns drawn. The four swimmers were charged with reporting a falsified crime, Rio officials held three of the swimmers in Brazil while somehow Lochte returned to the United States. This act committed by the four swimmers is inexcusable and tarnishes the reputation of American athletes. This whole incident shows a total lack of accountability on all four of the swimmers parts regardless of how much they had to drink that night.
The two examples of these athletes should be a great lesson of what not to do when you step out of the athletic spotlight into the everyday life because when you are an athlete of that esteem you are always in the spotlight.
Helen Maroulis Flying the Colors
(Photo cred: Ryan Remiorz)
J'den Cox Representing the U.S. Well
(Photo cred: Jamie Squire)
In February 2013 the International Olympic Committee voted to remove the sport of wrestling from the summer olympics, thus allowing only 25 “core sports” to compete in the games. This caused a great uproar in the wrestling community and many people were set on debating this crucial decision to keep the great sport of wrestling in the highest level of completion that there is. With the pressure to reduce the number of events in the summer olympics after the games in the 2012 games in London, the International Olympic Committee began studies on the 26 “core sports” that had the most impact on the game and what sports had the most worldwide grassroots support. The goal for the International Olympic Committee was to change the number of “core sports” from 26 to 25 starting in the 2020 olympics. On February 12, 2013 the Committee voted to recommend the removal of wrestling from from the 2020 olympics and from future olympics. You might ask, how could the Olympic committee even think to remove one of the founding sports that started the olympics? After the announcement from the committee there was a major disagreement stemming from the wrestling community. This spurred a worldwide petition that spanned from wrestlers of all ages to fans of the sport. These signatures made a major impact on the deciding factor to keep the sport in the sport in the olympics.
Battle Gear
On September 8th, 2013 the International Olympic Committee announced that wrestling won the bid to stay in the olympics in which wrestling was competing with baseball/softball, karate, wake boarding, squash, sport climbing, roller sports, and wushu to stay in the future games. This goes to show that this ancient sport which is said that originally spawned the olympics means a lot to the people who are involved with and these people themselves saved the future of this sport in the olympics for the time being. In the other related news wrestling in the 2016 Rio olympics went on as planned as 3 Americans medaled in freestyle wrestling. Missouri native J’den Cox placed 3rd in mens freestyle in the 86 kg weight class and Kyle Snyder who took the gold in the mens freestyle 97 kg weight class. On the flip side women’s freestyle wrestling American Helen Maroulis took the gold in the 53 kg weight class upsetting the defending 3 time olympic champion Soari Yoshida of Japan by the score of 4 to 1.
