The Winter Olympics

[TheLightWithin]

The 2026 Olympic Winter Games are currently underway in Milano Cortina, Italy.

Who here is watching the Winter Games?

I have some thoughts about some kind of overlap between the pursuit of competitive sport on this level and spirituality, but I don't have a clear thesis or know how to develop it - I think we can just exchange thoughts and impressions.

Regarding spirituality:

Of course, some athletes have religious identities and commitments.
For example American long track speed skater and gold medalist Jordan Stolz identifies as a born again Christian.
American men's singles figure skater Maxim Naumov, and American pairs figure skater Spencer Akira Howe, are both identified as observant Christians and attend church together, without a denomination being mentioned.
Spencer Akira Howe is also in the Army and planning to be a chaplain.
Maxim Naumov, whose parents will killed last year in that plane crash (the one in Washington that had many people from the American figure skating community on board) shares that he feels his parents with him since, and present with him during his Olympic competition

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) requires multi faith centers in all Olympic Villages.

It would be pretty straightforward to look up religious affiliations of any athlete, and probably pretty interesting.

But what I had in mind ALSO was the relationship between the level of commitment, dedication, ritual, and devotion, that it takes to be a world level competitor much less an Olympian.

A devotion, commitment, intentionality, and intensity, NOT UNLIKE some forms of devout religious observance.

Does it replace religious life? For many athletes obviously not.

But somehow it runs alongside it. Perhaps is woven into it.
People who get up at ungodly(!?) hours to spend their day in cold ice rinks, or to squeez in some hours at said cold ice rink before a full day at school.

People who seem to live for one purpose.
People who shoot for perfection.
People whose personal identity is wrapped up in this purpose and aim for perfection.

People whose emotional ups and downs ride on their performance in competition at the very top level.
People whose lives revolve around pursuit of Olympic gold.


What thoughts does anybody else have about any angle of this?

 

[TheLightWithin]

Here is a story about how Buddhism has impacted the South Korean competitive snowboarding community and their pursuit of gold

(2 articles)

https://www.purdueexponent.org/news/national/snowboarding-monk-in-spotlight-after-s-koreas-olympic-glory/article_fd7108ac-fae6-528b-bce5-81e2d15ff02a.html#:~:text=Venerable%20Hosan%2C%20head%20monk%20of,Buddhism's%20ideal%20of%20true%20freedom.

Buddhism becomes unlikely force behind Korea's Olympic snowboard success - The Korea Times

What does Buddhism have to do with Korea’s unprecedented back-to-back snowboarding medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics? More than you...

www.koreatimes.co.kr

 

[Thomas]

Two persons who spring to mind are:

The British Olympic sprinter Eric Liddell, a son of Scottish missionary parents. His equally-devout sister Jennie disapproves of her brother's pursuit of competition. Liddell sees running as a way of glorifying God – doing well with the gifts he has been given.

Liddell ran in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. On his way to France, he learned that the 100-metre heats will be on a Sunday. He refuses to run on the Lord's Day, and even an intervention by the Prince of Wales and the British Olympic Committee fail to convince him otherwise.

During the competition, a friend and teammate, Andrew Lindsay, having won a silver in the 400 metres hurdles, offers to give his place in the 400-metre race to Liddell, who has been years in training for the 100 metres. The strong favourites are the Americans, but Liddell won the gold. He went on to join the mission in China, and died there under the Japanese occupation.

All this is immortalised in the 1981 Brit film Chariots of Fire. Well worth a watch, as it focusses not only on Eric Liddell's religious conviction, but also on the winner of the 100 metre sprint, Harold Abrahams, a Jew, who had to battle with all manner of prejudice in pursuit of Olympic glory for himself and his country.

(Abrahams, who initially performs poorly, is approached by and engages a professional trainer. He was heavily criticised by his Cambridge college masters, on the grounds that it's not gentlemanly for an amateur to "play the tradesman" by employing a professional coach.)

The film also boasts a memorable soundtrack:

 

[Thomas]

The second person is Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian Grand Prix driver (1960-94), who often declared that his skill was a gift from God.

 

[TheLightWithin]

All this is immortalised in the 1981 Brit film Chariots of Fire.

I remember when that first came out, I thought it was about the contemporary Olympic Games, but only when I finally saw it many years later did I realize it was about the 1920 Olympic Games.

heavily criticised by his Cambridge college masters, on the grounds that it's not gentlemanly for an amateur to "play the tradesman" by employing a professional coach

Yes the class distinctions about "gentlemen of leisure" and the ethic of "amateurism" - such a different world today.
But it was controversial for a time in the 1990s when they loosened the rules and some figure skaters went back and forth between the professional and amateur worlds, and the lines were blurred.

The film also boasts a memorable soundtrack:

I always loved the theme song. 🎖

 

[Carlos]

The British Olympic sprinter Eric Liddell, a son of Scottish missionary parents. His equally-devout sister Jennie disapproves of her brother's pursuit of competition. Liddell sees running as a way of glorifying God – doing well with the gifts he has been given.

Not all religious people agree or participate with this sport contest called the Olympiads.

One of the reasons is the origin of it.

History is alive

Find out more about the shows on Sky HISTORY's TV channel, with plenty to read and watch on your favourite historical topics.

www.history.com

The ancient Olympics were held every four years between August 6 and September 19 during a religious festival honoring Zeus. The Games were named for their location at Olympia, a sacred site located near the western coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. Their influence was so great that ancient historians began to measure time by the four-year intervals in between Olympic Games, which were known as Olympiads.
Today, of course,there is no worship to a certain pagan god. However, the same "ritual" continues.

Olympic flame - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games.The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay, which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The flame then continues to burn in the cauldron (or in a lantern as in 2024) for the duration of the Games until it is extinguished during the Olympic closing ceremony.

These tournaments were cause of suffering for the Jews in times of the Maccabees. In those years the athletes were to compete naked in some races and challenges.

For many religious people today's Olympiads have nothing religious to feel worry about, still same religious people go against Halloween knowing that is a tradition also related to paganism, even when there is no mention of it and is just a night to have fun.

By chance, in a restaurant I finally had the opportunity to watch one of those competitions. The entertainment was good, the athletes really gave their best to win. I even found my favorite participant right after finishing my salad (I wasn't able to avoid it). I'm more inclined to watch professional football (soccer), but no attraction when is about Olympics in this sport.