With Carlos Yulo’s two gold medals in the Paris Olympics, the Philippines has achieved its best Olympic performance to date. Rankings in the Olympics are based on the total number of gold medals won and, thus, our country will probably be the best performing ASEAN nation in this Olympiad.
Participation in the Olympics is a source of pride for any nation and individual. Accordingly, winning two golds is truly a cause for our joy and celebration.
It is not easy to describe the sense of being part of the Olympics, of seeing your fellow Filipinos and citizens of all nations, the “best of the best,” in friendly competition. I thank the Lord for having been given been the chance to be at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 as a private citizen, and in Rio de Janeiro as part of the Philippine delegation in 2016, when Hidilyn Diaz won a silver medal in weightlifting.
However, beyond participation and winning medals, we must look at the real spirit behind the Olympic Games.
The first of the modern Olympics, as we know it today, was held in Athens, Greece in 1896. However, the Greeks date the Olympics back to mythical times. Legend states that it was in ancient Olympia where the gods competed against each other, where Apollo defeated Hermes in racing, and Ares in boxing. It was there where Hercules won the sprint race and called the games and celebration “Olympic.”
The first recorded date of an Olympiad is 776 B.C. The ancient Olympics, held every four years, lasted for 1,168 years. In 394 A.D., the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned it by decree. The ascetic ideas of the early Christians supposedly considered the body to be merely the prison of the soul, thus eventually putting an end to athleticism and the Games in Olympia.
The spirit in which the ancient Olympics was held is the same spirit that our modern Olympics wants to impart — a belief in man, in his physical strength and moral worth, in democratic equality and human brotherhood, and in peace and love throughout the world.
The publication of Christopoulos and Bastias describes the spirit of brotherhood in the Olympic Games as one “…where albeit for a brief period, the boundaries dividing people are forgotten, where language, race and religion raise no barriers between men; where social position, material wealth and national might are of no account; where man, stripped of all else, competes with his fellows peacefully and honorably, solely to win the glory of victory…”
Overriding the physical competition is the philosophy of the Olympics and the values it espouses. The official name of the Olympic philosophy is Olympism, “a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal ethical principles.” Its goal is to place sports “at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to encouraging human dignity.” It espouses the values of excellence, respect, and friendship.
As we celebrate our country’s golds at the Paris Olympics, let us look at the deeper meaning of such.
Firstly, is that if we can excel and be the best in sports, we should be able to do so in other things — in business, science, technology and other fields of national interest.
Secondly, being the best requires discipline, hard work, and a unified effort to succeed. Carlos Yulo got his golds not only because he worked hard for it, but because so many people helped him do so.
Finally, that the true meaning of the Games is in living the philosophy of Olympism, and the values of excellence, respect and friendship.
May the Philippines, in the spirit of Olympism, always Go for the Gold!