A Summer Olympics 2012 Preview

With the opening ceremonies in London little more than 2 weeks away, what can we expect from the 2012 Summer Olympics which will feature more than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries? Well, there should be titanic swimming efforts from U. S. stars Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Then there is the expected emergence of U. S. high school swimmer Missy Franklin, the 1st woman ever entered in 7 Olympic swimming events. On the international front, China and the U.S. will be locked in a struggle for medal supremacy, especially in gymnastics..

Oscar Pistorius

But, according to USA Today sports columnist and TV commentator Christine Brennan, who will be covering her 15th straight Olympics counting both summer and winter games, the story with the most impact might focus around South African runner Oscar Pistorius.  Pistorius embodies a phenomenal human interest story. Born without fibulas, he had to have both his legs amputated when he was 11 months old. Eventually, the legs were replaced with carbon fiber prosthetic devices, garnering him the nickname "Blade Runner," getting him placed on the South African Olympic team, and propelling him into an international controversy.

Brennan, who appeared at an Inside Media event at the Newseum yesterday to discuss the upcoming Olympics, said that Pistorius' "j-shaped cheetah legs" have prompted a long look into just what constitutes artificial athletic enhancement and raises new questions about the role of science and technology in sports. "People worry - is this going to be a precedent setter?" Brennan said.

But Brennan is convinced Pistorius, who she has written about, should be allowed to compete and credits South Africa with naming him to their squad. "This is a tragedy that has turned into something beautiful and inspiring," Brennan said. "He (Pistorius) is not going to win. There are 56 times better in the world this year than his. But think of the message this is sending. Think of all the people who have physical issues and they will watch this man and will be feeling different the next day."

Brennan said it is the relative purity of the Olympics that places it in its special position in the sports hierarchy. "Are there jerks in the Olympics? Of course there are," she noted. "But most of the athletes are doing it (competing) for the right reasons."

Another factor is the concentrated "lifetime" of Olympians. "For 2 weeks, they come into our lives and then they are gone and they never come back," Brennan said. "It's not like with the pros. We all say 'I'm done with this guy or I've had it with that guy.' These (Olympic) athletes never overstay their welcome."

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips

Brennan at the 2008 Olympics in Bejing

During the question and answer portion of the program, Brennan was asked about the process of how sports are selected, and in some cases deselected, as Olympic events. "It's as haphazard as you can imagine" she said. "Whatever your worst nightmare is, that is what it is." As an example, she cited baseball and softball, which are no longer Olympic sports. Since both sports are recognized as American, part of the answer lies in anti-American feelings on the part of Olympic officials. "They love the corporate dollars, they love the TV audience, but they don't necessarily love us," Brennan said. She said the dropping of softball, an all female sport, borders on the idiotic considering the Olympic Committee is trying to obtain an equal number of male and female competitors. (This year the percentage will be 58% male, 42% female.) So why was softball dropped. "This is how dumb it is," Brennan responded. "They (the voting officials) got all confused because they don't know anything about baseball and thought softball was the same thing. The last amateurs in sports are the people running it."