Olympism fights racism and xenophobia

Millions of people around the world watch, applaud and celebrate (especially in small countries) the victories of athletes in different settings in France (mainly Paris). The Olympic Games are the best world event to understand that it is possible for human beings to become brothers again, as Friedrich Schiller and Ludwig van Beethoven dreamed of more than two centuries ago.

Although we know that historical figures such as Alexander the Great participated in horse racing, and the scenarios and some tests are known, the Greek idea has been absorbed into mythology. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded and modernized it in 1894 at the Sorbonne University in Paris. The body is the complement of the mind and the emotions. The competitions have multiplied, they have traveled across the continents, almost always with a spirit of brotherhood, friendship and the need to “change the tone of daily suffering”.

It must be reiterated that in 1936, Adolf Hitler imagined a world that would demonstrate the superiority of the Aryan race over other skin colors, light eyes over dark eyes, straight hair over curly hair, German legs over Gypsy legs. He did not expect the surprise that the United States had in store for him, even though the United States also had segregation laws.

African American Jesse Owens ran the fastest in the most anticipated race, he jumped, he participated in the relay. His pace was precise and he left the others far behind. In addition, he consolidated the friendship and joy with other blond European athletes. His story provided great inspiration for the XXVII Olympic Games held in Sydney at the beginning of the new century in 2000. Australia attaches great importance to competition under friendship.

Wilma Rudolph was the 20th child in a poor black family with little access to health care, which in 1940 was reserved for white people in Clarksville. He was born weighing only two kilograms, suffered from multiple diseases, and was infected with the polio virus at the age of four. He grew up with a stent. Later he defeated scarlet fever. With a special talent, he decided to play school basketball. It was on this court that the coach saw his potential. The “Black Gazelle” won legendary victories in the 100m, 200m, relays in every Olympic Games. His story is great.

In the 1970s, brown athletes from African countries began to participate more and more, and they became heroes. The postman’s biography tells the biographies of men and women who run barefoot from village to village, with few resources but great power to win various sports competitions.

Cuba has repeatedly topped the list of medalists in Latin America. In 2024, the decline of its official representation became apparent with the famine on the island. On the other hand, several Afro-Cubans occupied the podium on behalf of other adopted countries. A representative example was the three Cuban-born people who won medals for European countries.

Jamaican runners seem out of reach. St. Lucia, Barbados and other Caribbean islands show that their people have the talent to overcome. The story of Ethiopian Sifan Hassan, who won the most iconic Olympic event, the women’s marathon, is a “hold still” story for all the xenophobic zealotry. He ran with a Dutch flag, won the gold and two other medals, and broke an Olympic record. When he collected his trophy at the spectacular closing ceremony at the Paris stadium, he occupied the position every athlete dreams of. She was the best of the best, the most respected and lauded woman, walking the path of the revolutionaries of 1789 with her culture’s symbolic crown.

This has been a great year for sport and for universal human values. Decades ago, the German football team included immigrants in its XI despite the protests of the neo-Hitler faction. In the 2024 European Championship, two children of immigrants helped Spain to victory in a multi-team tournament.

In Bolivia, the Plurinational State does not understand this. The bureaucracy of the Deputy Ministry of Sports ranges from bad to horrible. It is a very bad delegation whose participation is, regrettably, fraught with incidents.

Special mention must be made of the refugee athletes, especially the Palestinians, who in this case also had to overcome 70 years of occupation, decades of living in refugee camps and communities destroyed by Israeli bombings to compete.