Antwerp 1920

The Belgian Olympic Committee published a 109 page tome on why the 1920 Olympics should be held in Antwerp. Berlin was already selected for 1916, so 1920 was the goal. I didn’t read the document, but I’m sure the arguments in favor included something along the lines of “dude, you already did St. Louis for crying out loud…” This document was circulated in Paris June 13, 1914. Due consideration was given to Antwerp, with a decision to be made shortly…

A few weeks later all hell broke loose. The Germans invaded and tore a hole through the country. 5 years of occupation ground away at the citizens.  Their fields were warped waves of mud, libraries in ashes, industry crippled, and 2% of their population simply gone. After the final armistice late in 2018, the International Olympic Committee asked Antwerp: after hosting a few million unwanted belligerents for 5 years, would you still like to host the Olympics in 18 months’ time? The response: You Bet!

The 1920 Olympics didn’t hold the gravitas of other games: no Jesse Owens, Nadia Comaneci, or miracle on ice… But they did have Korfball. (Really, I didn’t make that name up.) Also of note, ice hockey made its debut (Canada crushed everyone, so some things don’t change). Tug of war made for a fun side-show I’m sure. Also, to my surprise, the sport with the 2^nd greatest # of events? Shooting. 21 different shooting events. You’d think they would tone down the shooting…

The home team was a game 4^th place in the medal count. The Belgians crushed it in archery, winning 8 of 10 gold medals (how did they miss out on Team Moving Bird – 28 meters after already winning Team Moving Bird – 33 meters???) But they saved the best for soccer. A dominating Czech squad had rolled into the finals, winning their first 3 games by a combined score of 15-1. Belgium was undeterred and posted 2 goals in the first half. It turns out that was all they needed since the Czech team quit before halftime, and the Belgian fans stormed the field to celebrate. You think 1980’s American college kids invented storming the court? Think again:

In 1920, with essentially no time to catch their breath, the Belgians invited the world back. And they threw a party.

 No party is complete without some top-end gymnastics.

 

Look at these knuckleheads goofing for the camera. Yeah, I’m talking to you, third-from-right... and second from left... and dead center.

 

In 2016, Rio threw a party too. Poop in the open water, green mystery in the pool water, zika in the bugs, strife in the favelas, corruption in the IOC, drugs in the Russians, alcohol in the Lochte, and on and on. The problems of Rio are real and well-documented. As were the problems of Belgium. But above these facts lay the simple genius of that circus huckster Pierre de Coubertin: sometimes games are just fun.

 

String Theory

Physicists think we might have about 12 dimensions: 3 regular ones that unfurled completely, a bunch that stayed curled up in infinitesimal balls, and then there's time. While the regular dimensions can go either way, time doesn't, and no one knows why. Time has an arrow.

Archers at the Olympics are a weird breed. This is a sport that requires concentration and relaxation at the same time. These zen masters spend their days in ever-shrinking concentric circles. The live inside their heads, with a sport that despite all the gadgets reduces to nothing other than consecutive 20 foot putts to win the Masters.

The men's team archery finals were fun to watch. First there was the French team with their matching "Party of Five" length stubble beards. They were fun and loose, but also out quickly. Then the Chinese with the Nike-branded bucket hats. But they were dispatched by the Americans. The Americans were anchored by Brady Ellison. While his Wikipedia entry says he's from Arizona and is called "The Prospector" we all know his nickname is really Bear when he's pounding a case of Old Milwaukee with his boys in Wisconsin. They were the class of the field - until the South Koreans, that is.

Bear on the hunt

Like cycling's yellow jersey, I suppose, being #1 in the world means Kim wears the white half-bra instead of black

Korea led off with Kim Woo-Jin, the world-record holder in the event, who is so cool, he wears  prescription glasses and some sort of evil genius patch on this cheek where the string rests at full draw. Thousands of arrows day after day comes down to a handful in Brazil, with a setting sun, and some stray thundersticks in the crowd. In the first set of the gold medal round, Korea unleashed 6 straight bulls-eyes for a perfect score of 60. It was over after that. Americans never found the confidence to come back.

A deviation of even a half of an arc-second (1/3600 degrees) left, right, up, down, or draw strength means a terrible miss. Once you release, the arrow cannot be called back. It only goes one way. Whether one believes in free will or a clockwork predestination since the universe was a billionth of a second old, in this sport, the score is already determined before the arrow covers 70 meters and buries itself in the target. Korea had already won - we were just waiting for the formality.