Feature photo: Team Refugee in Rio. (Getty Images)
Be prepared. This is going to be a long and arduous journey.
Every four years, I miss the “greatest show on Earth”. Although I doubt the Olympics deserves such a title, the NBC Olympic coverage of the 2012 London Olympics became the most watched TV event in US history. Coverage is available in 218 countries worldwide this year. Millions are spent. Gold medals make headline news. The whole malarkey must be pretty important. This year, 2016, I decided to give the Olympics a chance. To my dismay, I have found that everything, from the opening ceremony to the men’s dressage, goes out live and is ridiculously hard to find archived online. For students without a TV, the fast pace of the Olympics is abominably slow. Try streaming the 3 hours of the opening ceremony on a 2G data plan. So for those of us who couldn’t watch, and for those who don’t care, I waded through all the RTE player, hola refreshing, and youtube buffering to round up the important aspects of the Olympics 2016 so far.
The Opening Ceremony
Like Beijing and London before, Rio simply asks that we put our views on a nation’s poverty and turmoil to one side, so we can watch a group of strangers make some pretty cool aerial shapes above floor projectors. I have to say though, this was pretty cool. Although it didn’t eclipse the work of Danny Boyle in 2012, I liked director Fernando Meirelles decision to honour the Brazilian ‘gambiarra’ style. He takes the helm well in a ceremony that had to make do with less than half of the budget available to Beijing in 2008.
Although the tropes still remain- fireworks, drums, and lots of people running around a stage in frantic patterns- Meirelles also opts for moments of frank colonial discussion. By deciding to represent a “multicultural” Brazil, Meirelles ceremony shows it is unafraid to broach its checkered history. The ceremony follows the birth of the nation as the birth of the Amazon and quickly follows this birth with the arrival of the Portuguese. A mass performed cultural dance follows, placing the indigenous peoples of Brazil front and centre before we encounter the colonial landing of the Europeans and forced migration of African slaves. I don’t know what I was expecting from the Rio Opening Ceremony but I certainly wasn’t expecting this.
The ceremony managed to remain vibrant and celebratory, considering the country is one whose history of exploitation and current circumstances would lead us to think that they have very little to celebrate at the moment. Then, I paused for a moment, and from my position of privilege, I realised, maybe that’s what ‘gambiarra’ is all about? Making the best of what you have and having a party, even if everything else has gone to shit (makes mental note for own supplemental examinations).
Also, major kudos to Rio for its emphasis on environmental sustainability. It’s nice to hear an important message on the world stage. Although not keeping pace with the rest of the ceremony, the segment dedicated to raising awareness for the Amazon and our relationship with the natural world was much needed. It really made up for that strange interlude where Gisele Bundchen walked down the runway for absolute ages.
The Sporting Moments You Should be Watching
I recommend BBC coverage as it has concurrent options for a multitude of live sport, but in its place the RTE player coverage will do.
1) Anything Involving the Refugee Team
I wouldn’t even have known there was a Refugee team at this year’s Olympics if I didn’t watch the Opening Ceremony. When this team walked out at the Parade of Nations, I felt the world had finally given them the tiniest bit of justice after all the Trump and UKIP propaganda this year. Rami Anis, a refugee who crossed the mediterranean sea while fleeing Syria, was awarded a standing ovation after competing in the men’s 100m freestyle. He finished 56th out of 59, but clocked a new personal best. I can’t deny it, every network gave a nod of time to this great underdog’s story and it was great. If you want to know how the team is getting on and when you can watch each of the refugee athletes competiting, including Yusra Mardini who helped save 20 refugees from a capsizing boat, find out on the BBC website here.
2) The Walking-Race
Before you ask, this is a real sport and it is fascinating to watch. I highly recommend watching in a group in a place where people can congregate with beverages, or while alone eating pringles in your pajamas. Be ready to shout passionately at people who look like they’re running late for work. Interestingly enough, Ireland are actually quite good at it, something you can gather by watching the Irish furiously walk down O’Connell street. Competitors can also get disqualified for having both feet off the ground so watching referees and rivals eye each other up from the ankle down is brilliantly captivating. Keep an eye out for Robert Heffernan on the 19th of August. He has seen his fair share of TV worthy drama. After finishing in a nail-biting fourth place in London 2012, Heffernan rose from the ashes after Russia’s Sergey Kirdyapkin got caught out on in the 2016 doping scandal. Yes, you can have performance enhancing drugs for walking. Heffernan was upgraded to Olympic bronze, but that isn’t enough for him. This year, he’s back for all the glory.
3) The Green Pool & Swimming Sofa
The true underdogs. The unbeatable champs. My all time favourites. Watching some of the world’s best athletes plunge, perfectly synchronized of course, into what can only be described as the dregs of the Springfield Power Plant made my day. It’s a bit like being slimed at the Teen Choice Awards but even more ridiculous as this is very much a worldwide prestigious sporting event.
Although I didn’t actually see the Sofa in action, I very much appreciate its contribution to sport in capsizing a kayaker during his training session (hyperlink). To those stations covering the Olympics I would like you to replace all coverage of Michael Phelps with more TV coverage of the Swimming Sofa. He is one to watch.
4) Speaking of Michael Phelps…
His death stare before the 200m Men’s Butterfly Semi Final has become internationally famous. At this point in time, I am 97% sure it is the biggest meme on the internet. As Chad le Clos bops along blissfully unaware, NBC let us all know that his days are numbered. It’s a bit like Oedipus but with more swimming and a guy in a hoodie.
5) The lads.
Between reaching the pages of The Daily Mail and Huffington Post, the O’Donovan brother’s are well and truly on their way to securing a Gavin & Stacey style sit-com with RTE in the coming year. It turns out these two men are the second best lightweight rowers in the world. I shall repeat; in the world. That is not what I garnered from this interview. Their interview was what goss.ie hailed as ‘gas’ and BBC described as ‘interesting’. Between light hearted remembrance of the centenary and general ‘what are you actually talking about’, I have learnt a lot from the O’Donovan brothers. Primarily that nowhere else in the world matters except Skibb. It’s all about Skibb.
In summary, I am converted. This right here is what everyone should be watching for the next week. The Olympics isn’t just boredom and sports. It’s humanitarianism, hilarity and sofas; and the commentary is always going to be slightly ridiculous no matter what country you’re in.
Keep watching, TV addicts, Rio 2016 is pretty class.
