The last 2 weeks have seen many of us spending evenings, and the occasional moments at work, catching up on coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics. All over the world people from various walks of life caught glimpses of coverage of their country’s or another favorite country’s Olympians. Despite the coverage from cranky journalists about the early conditions in Sochi, these games raised the bar on many levels. In terms of actual viewing and sporting hard products, there is little criticism about the venues and the way the athletes were able to interface with their sport. But also of note is how far a city and country was willing to go to adjust their service culture: the closing of the venue and athletes leaving reportedly culminated in a high-five line of town volunteers wishing the athletes farewell.
The Olympic Games has always held a special place in my heart and in my family culture. No, we’re not a family who’s sent our youngsters into the games themselves, but we have always watched avidly, almost regardless of the specific sport. Here at JETPUBS, too, many of my fellow Olympic followers were excited to talk about, speculate on, and even sit down and enjoy some of the Games together. At least for me, it wasn’t so much about winning or losing, because really, what does it mean to lose as an Olympian? As an example for myself, while I was a little disappointed our US ladies didn’t hold onto their lead in the gold medal hockey game, it was great to have a communal event in my office cube to watch part of the game over our lunches. It was us showing our respect and admiration for some of the best athletes in the world…win or lose.
So here’s to you, Olympians. You are now among a very elite group of alumni, not just for your sporting ability, but for your efforts to hold the world accountable and inspire us all to leave nothing on the field. 