One of the biggest matches in the 2010 Winter Olympics was fought on the last day of the games. It was a classic ice hockey encounter between the Canadian team and Team USA. Canada won the gold medal, 3:2, with a goal scored by Sidney Crosby, with only 24.4 seconds left in overtime. The USA won the silver and Finland won the bronze. With each player in the large teams receiving medals, it is surprising the world price of precious metals hasn’t gone up more.

Also run on the last day was the winter equivalent of the marathon, the 50 km men’s cross-country skiing race. In a nail-biting finish the Norwegian Petter Northug beat Axel Teichman of Germany by two tenths of a second, at 2 hours, five minutes and 35.6 seconds.
The last man to finish the race, in 48th position, was Jonas Thor Olsen of Denmark, who took 19 minutes, 25.4 seconds longer than the winner.

There were some other memorable moments that, no doubt, the media will repeat ad nauseam for years to come. None was more heart wrenching than the performances that won a bronze medal in figure skating for Joannie Rochette (24) of Quebec, Canada. Her mother, Therese, had died two days before the day when Joannie was to skate her short program, the first half of the contest. There was scarcely a dry eye in the watching world as she turned in a tearful but fine performance. Joannie went on to produce her personal best ever free skate score, despite two-footing two of her triple jumps. She well deserved to win the Bronze in the face of fierce competition.

WODEN SAYS: Remember the Founder’s message, and disagree.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Olympics, said “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” The first half of his remark is often quoted, the rest is usually
forgotten. But why on Earth disagree with the sentiment that makes the Olympics unique?

Well, I do honour Jonas Thor Olsen for taking part. (What a pity he wasn’t called Jonas Woden Olsen!) He came in last in the cross-country, but he took part. In days to come, no doubt, they’ll say to him, “Thor, old chap, did you get a medal in the 2010 Olympics?” And he’ll grimace and say, “No, I just took part.” He’ll probably also mention that he prefers to be called Jonas—I would.

We honour him because he completed a life-lesson, or, at least, I hope he did. I’ve been bottom of the class in my life. It’s a really valuable experience. We honour Joannie because she loved her deceased mother enough to keep on skating. And she can hang up her medal on its ribbon next to a picture of her mother, where it belongs. Therese taught us all a lesson in compassion. Her transition was one to give thanks for all over the watching world, even though we never knew her.

So why disagree with Baron de Coubertin?

It’s the gold, stupid! For those unfamiliar with American politics, James Carville’s phrase, ”It’s the economy, stupid,” suggested that Bill Clinton would make a better US president than his electoral rival, President H.W. Bush, because he would be better at dealing with the financial recession current at the time. Clinton won the election for that reason.

The Olympic gold medal drives the ambitions of athletes, their families and sponsors. It drives national fervour, and pride, and lots of money. Yes, yes, the other medals as well, bless their hearts, but gold is tops. And being the top of a bunch of other athletes is what it’s all about. “Taking part” is the reason we give after we have lost. Isn’t that obvious?

So, where’s the spirituality in scrambling for the gold? The answer lies in the scrambling to get it. I remember my conversation* with the soul of Jesse Owens, who won gold in the Berlin Olympics. He did it in the face of fierce racial hatred from Hitler and the Nazis, but also from entrenched racial discrimination at home in the USA. Owens did more than win a gold medal, he lit a torch of freedom. Then there was Wilma Rudolph who overcame polio with the help of her family to win her three gold medals. A torch of freedom from adversity.

In a word, the gold medal is spiritually a goal to be striven for, a lode stone to draw out from us our courage and perseverance as athletes, and our self-giving qualities as parents, family, supporters, trainers, and sponsors. Gold is the provider of life-lessons.

And the gold also looks very nice on the mantelpiece when you’ve brought it home.

(*Interviews of Jesse Owens in Talking with Twentieth-Century Men, and of Wilma Rudolph in Talking with Twentieth-Century Women. Both books and single-chapter downloads are available from www.celestialvoicesinc.com ).