Olympic Dreams
On miracles, assault and George Michael.
Ah, the Olympics! That special time every two years when average Americans sit on their couches and watch people so athletically talented that we think what they are doing is easy…
For GenXers, our Olympic memories are fraught with patriotism, drama and resilience. For starters, the Olympics used to actually be every four years-Winter and Summer games were in the same year—up until 1992. Which means, like everything else, we had to be patient for them to come back around. None of this microdosing patriotism every two years like we do now.
Secondly, because of the Cold War, we hated the Russians. You don’t spend ten minutes every few months hiding under your desk with a book over your head to prep for nuclear war to turn around and cheer for the ice skater from Russia.
Which is why, the USA over Russia hockey game was and still is such a big deal. Now, to my memory, that was the gold medal game, but history will tell you, I am wrong. (Shocker—I KNOW!) That game was actually to advance to the Gold Medal game (which we won-USA! USA!).
The thing you have to understand about this game is that it was before the term viral was coined but yet, everyone was watching it. And I mean everyone. In general, the Olympics were must see TV, but the draw of the USA going head-to-head with our mortal enemy was overwhelming. Even those of us who had never seen a hockey game were glued to the screen. Not because we understood the sport, but we understood the patriotism. We were the under-dog, smaller, but scrappier. When they won, we all won. We chanted USA in our basement rec-room.
The gold medal game was mandatory-we all loved hockey now. I watched it at a potluck in my church basement. Someone had brought in their (I’m guessing) 25 inch black and white TV, and because it was also before cable, we could get the game on a local channel. For the most part, though someone had to keep adjusting the antennae and there may have been tinfoil involved to “increase the signal strength”. When we won that game, I saw grown men cry-which was new in the 80s.
I’m sure something equally as exciting happened in the Summer Games of 1980, but I don’t remember it. Same as I don’t remember the Winter Games of 1984. My next clear memory of the Olympics is tiny Mary Lou Retton wining the first women’s all-around gold medal in gymnastics. The come from behind drama! The perfect tens on the floor exercise and the vault. Her recently defected coach sweeping her up in a bear hug when she won. Personally, I didn’t really know what it meant to defect—no matter how many times Bob Costas explained it during the coverage, but I did know that he had been a Russian coach and now he was American! And his tiny little powerhouse WON!
Another victory for the underdog!
And a huge win for teenage girl’s everywhere. The popularity of the 1985 Olympic gymnastics meet brought us one of the greatest movies of the era.
American Anthem.
That’s right—Mitch Gaylord—excellent gymnast, terrible actor. Janet Jones—terrible gymnast fairly good actor falling in love and battling their demons to make the US team. Oh the drama, the music, (Take it Easy!) the montages! It was like Footloose and All the Right Moves but with national pride and flips!
The next few years brought us minor drama: Greg Louganis smacking his head on the diving board. The Dream Team winning the Gold on the basketball court (Minus bugs bunny, somehow…) The battle of the Brians (Boitano and Orser) on the ice rink. But nothing like what was to come…
Flash forward and the next memorable GenX Olympic moment, was not our proudest. It wasn’t us defeating the big scary Russians. Unfortunately, this was American on American crime. 1994 Winter Olympics. Figure Skating.
That’s right—Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding.
What a scandal this was! Now technically the attack didn’t happen at the Olympics, but rather the National Championships. But that didn’t keep them from hashing and re-hashing it on the broadcast. Poor Nancy, just wanted to skate, but they would NOT let it go and in the end the pressure was just too much, and she had to settle for the Silver.
I imagine most of you have forgotten that joining her on that podium that year and winning the bronze was American Debi Thomas. I remember it because she skated to George Michael’s “One More Try” during the medalist exhibition event, in a number that she choreographed seemingly as she was skating it. It was full of flourishes and random disconnected jumps and was reminiscent to all little girls of the era of sliding in our socks and pretending to be Olympic Ice Skaters all those years ago in our basements.
Somehow becoming for GenX the most relatable Olympic moment then and since.
Or at least to me.
