War at Home

I couldn't believe when i woke up today that the Olympics from Beijing, China were over. As described, I wasn't as die hard a tv fan as I have been in the past, which doesn't make sense because everything was in HD tv, on one of seven NBC channels and there was enough drama to rival a season of Guiding Light.

When I turned on the AM sports radio on my morning commute, everyone was discussing how the U.S. flexed their muscles by finishing first in the overall medal winnings (110) to China (100) and Russia (72). Of course, we didn't win the most gold medals, but ours came in the events that matter in our eyes... basketball, track & field and anything that Michael Phelps breathes on.

It's also at this time that your going to hear the finalized stories involving scandals with doping athletes, underage gymnasts and roundhouse-kicked referrees (yes, that happened in TaeKwanDo).

Charles Robinson wrote a piece for Yahoo! Sports regarding the country of Somalia and the two... yes, TWO athletes they sent to Beijing. With their second decade of civil war still tearing a third-world country apart, both runners (Samia Yusuf Omar and Abdi Said Ibrahim) competed on a level that probably wasn't deserving of their athletic prowess, but it never meant that they didn't deserve to be there.

Omar, an 17-year-old war survivor, who lives with her seven family members in a two-room house, was entered by her country into the women's 200-meter dash (one of the most electric and competitive women's events in the games). We've all seen pictures of what a world-class women's sprinter looks like... stoic face etched out of stone, revolutionary skin-tight uniforms that streamline their muscular bodies, highlighting every physical feature for intimidation and performance. And there was Omar... with her underdeveloped figure, jersey untucked, headband placed like an accessory just to look like she belonged. Truly, an ant among elephants.

There was no miracles or fairy tale story with this race, as Omar finished in a competition-worst 32 seconds; over 8 seconds after the event's eventual winner, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown. Apparently, the crowd even rose to their feet to cheer for the girl as she had only approached the final turn when all other runners had crossed the finish line already.

I guess, the who point of view that I'm taking on is that for two weeks every election year, the summer is occupied by these world superpowers want to flex their political power by putting thoroughbred athletes that receive the finest coaches, breakthrough technology and cutting-edge supplements so they can have bragging rights until the next games. In the case of Omar and Somalia, there is no facilities or powerbars or even teammates to cheer for support. The country sent these two runners with no intention of winning to China and with only the breath in their lungs, as to say "They are competing because the war has spared them and survival is the ultimate goal." Sadly, Omar's probably not even looking forward to training for the next Olympics as she only trains to live for another day back in Mogodishu.