Unity and Nationality Through Sport

 With the conclusion of football season, my Sundays have become pretty bare. That was until I turned on the Olympics and was in awe of the remarkable feats of athleticism carried out. The Olympics are the pinnacle of sport and the highest achievement for people who do the more “obscure sports.” People push themselves beyond their limits, overcome adversity, and do the impossible… However, the thing I always question about the Olympics, and international sport in general, is what does it mean to represent your country? Do athletes go to compete for their country, or merely for themselves? With the current geopolitical state of the world (especially America), do athletes take pride in representing their country? These are all questions I will attempt to answer over the course of this article. 

This isn’t the first time this question has been asked, and I can guarantee that it won’t be the last. International tournaments, including the Olympics, have had athletes time and time again grappling with these questions and using these stages to change their countries politically.

 In the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, after winning gold and bronze, respectively, in the 200m, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists during the national anthem. This was a protest in support of the Black Power movement and against racial discrimination against Black citizens in America. As a result, they were suspended from the team. In the sport of rugby, New Zealand’s All Blacks were catalysts for debates on race and identity: they played a massive role in the integration of Maori identity. Nelson Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unify South Africa after apartheid. The image of Mandela handing Francois Pienaar the trophy was a symbol of unity in the country. The last example I will provide took place in 2005. Côte d’Ivoire was deep in a brutal civil war. Even so, in October of 2005, the country beat Sudan to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history. Instead of celebrating, star player Didier Drogba invited a TV crew into the locker room, and the team shared a message: “Men and women of Côte d’Ivoire… we proved today that all Ivorians can coexist and play together with a shared aim. We beg on our knees: forgive, forgive, forgive! Please lay down your weapons and hold elections!” The impact was immediate as a ceasefire was agreed on a week later. 

Going into these Olympic Games, Donald Trump has denigrated Europe multiple times, has spoken ill of his alliances, has engaged in many trade wars, and has even contemplated invading Greenland, which would be a betrayal of an American ally. These tensions  also spilled over when news came out that ICE was assisting with security for the American delegation at the Olympics. This stoked a lot of fear and anxiety, as people around the world have been made aware of the crimes ICE has committed in Minneapolis and around the United States. 

This fear and anxiety were most apparent at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, where every athlete and delegation walks out in a parade, under their flag. When the American athletes and delegation came out under the American flag, they were met with huge cheers from the crowd. However, when the jumbotron projected Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, who were in the stadium, Vance was met with huge boos and jeers. In Milan, there was a clear sentiment of discontent aimed towards American leadership, not the actual athletes themselves. A lot of this comes down to the spectators’ understanding that the athletes are different from the government, but also that many American athletes have spoken out against the current presidential administration. 

American figure skater Amber Glenn publicly denounced the administration’s policies towards the LGBTQIA+ community: “I hope I can use my voice and platform to help people stay strong in these hard times.” Multiple days afterwards, President Donald Trump attacked American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after Hess said he felt conflicted competing for Team USA given the country’s political climate. “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S right now. I think it's a little hard, [...] There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.” Hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social, calling Hess a “real loser” and saying that it is “very hard to root for someone like this” when watching the games. Speaking out has not only been limited to these two; multiple American athletes have emphasized that diversity is a major strength for their country. Mikaela Shiffrin quoted Nelson Mandela: “Peace is not just the absence of conflict, peace is the creation of an environment where we can all flourish.” Snowboarder Chloe Kim talked about being the daughter of immigrants and how the issue hits close to home for her. 

Trump wasn’t the only politician to make comments criticizing Hess. Richard Grenell, who Trump appointed to be the Head of the Kennedy Center, told Hess to “move to Canada” if he doesn’t want to represent the United States. Democrats argue that Trump attacking any American athlete crosses the line regarding civility and sends a chilling message to anyone with a platform, no matter the industry. “Who does that? What president in the middle of the Olympics… attacks his own country's athletes?” Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) said during an interview. “There is nothing more patriotic than questioning your own country when its leadership makes decisions that are so sharply out of line with our traditions and values.” 

The IOC rules say that in actual competition and on the podium, athletes are not allowed to make any political statements. For example, they banned Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from competition for wearing a helmet that had images of fellow athletes who were killed in Russia’s invasion of his home nation. Team USA rules state that athletes can make comments about racial and social justice in front of the press, but they are not supposed to engage in partisan politics. The athlete’s comments follow these rules, as no one has mentioned Trump or the Republican party by name, but the Trump administration isn’t targeting rulebreakers, rather the views they want to espouse.

In order to delve deeper into this question, I asked a friend of mine to weigh in on it. Benjamin Ewer is a senior in high school who has been rowing since 8th grade and last spring won the US Rowing Youth Nationals. Last summer, he had the opportunity to represent the United States in the U19 World Rowing Championships, and looks likely to do so again this summer. When asked what it meant to represent his country, he responded: “It meant the world to me to get that opportunity because it has been my dream to represent my country in some way, and it was great to be able to do that.” Ben has a lot of pride in his country, saying, “It gives me the freedom to follow my dreams and complete my goals.” Further into our conversation, I wanted to get Ben’s opinion on how Olympic athletes have spoken out against their country. He said, “I think it’s good to recognize the problems in your own country, [but] you’re not there for that. I believe you are there to compete, win, and bring pride to your country, no matter what is happening.” Ben and I then spoke about how sports can act as a unifying force in a bitterly divided nation: “Sports really unite others under a common goal. No matter the issue, I look at everyone the same when competing together under the flag. Everyone is my teammate and someone that I trust and would lay it down for. I don’t think there is much like it.” 

After long hours of research and my interview with Ben, I had found an answer to the question: “What does it mean to represent your country?” It gives all athletes immense pride to be able to wear their flag on their back and chase a common goal. Every athlete has a different definition of patriotism and a different relationship with their flag, but they all still decided to represent that flag on the world stage regardless of their individual views. Many people are divided on whether or not they should intersect sport and politics. At the end of the day, it is up to each individual whether or not they would like to voice their opinion. However, one thing I think all athletes agree on is that we should use sport, and its platforms, as a means by which we can unify our country. Pienaar and Mandela did it with Rugby in South Africa, and Drogba did it with soccer in Côte D’Ivoire. When it comes to sport, everyone has a common goal, and no matter our political beliefs, we want to achieve that common goal. There is nothing like this achievement. I believe it is imperative that we use sport to continue what it does best: unify a divided people and spread the message of love and peace around the world.