Amryn’s Aimless Wanderings

I’ve followed my favorite U.S. gymnasts since the Nationals and watch every interview. They seemed well prepared and excited to show the world their stuff but choked during the qualifications round on both floor and the uneven bars. Was it simply due to shaken nerves after Samantha Peszek sprained her ankle during a warm-up 5 minutes before the beginning of the trials? I held my breath and watched as Bridget Sloan pounded into the mat during her floor routine, her performance strong and flawless until she miscalculated and landed with both feet outside the line. But visually at least it wasn’t too bad, just a degree too far. But then Alicia Sacramone compounded the slip-up by having one of her own and it was far worse. Her last sumersault catapulted her way over the line and even if you blinked you wouldn’t have missed it. It started to look like someone had moved the line before the prelims.

But I love these girls and believe in them–they just need to shake off the jitters and put their heart into the finals. My favorite to watch is Nastia Liukin–I like her clean lines, willowy form, and ballerina-like flexibility and dexterity. But I was disappointed when she fell backwards after overcompensating on the dismount on uneven bars. Thankfully it wasn’t a huge error like Chellsie Memmel’s who slipped off when she couldn’t get a good grip. But it Nastia is all about grace and perfection and it wasn’t graceful. But her overall routine was beautiful and I felt bad for her when her father winced and turned away. None of these mistakes were intentional and I don’t want to sound overly critical–they gave it their all and did the best they could in the moment. And everyone was really solid on the beam. I just wanted a perfect intro for a great team that’s tried really hard and I’m sure they did too. So what happened exactly?

At first I was a deticated protestor–I signed petitions and was active in debates and blogs. Following the news as different sources tracked protests regarding China’s oppressions of Tibetan culture and government I sympathisized with arrested activists and was unsure whether I was going to even watch the Olympics. But hearing the stories of individual athletes I’m no longer sure and a part of me is swept up in the international fanfare as millions of dollars get poured into what some view as an elaborate and embarrassing charade. But there’s much more to it than that–as any hosting country can attest to. I pause when I hear about farmers paying a year’s salary for a train ticket to just be in Beijing to experience the excitement of the Opening Ceremony as they exault on the streets because they can’t afford a seat in the stadium. I hear Nadia Liukin’s story of hard-earned triumph–one step after another as she skillfully fights her way to the top. How can you ignore these personal struggles and histories? “The focus of the world is on the stadium….” and I can’t help but watch. Embarrassed, ashamed, conflicted? No—excited. History as it stands right now puts a lot of pressure on any international event where world leaders are expected to represent their countries and beliefs. There’s no way to separate it from politics–but that’s the way of the modern world.