These Winter Olympics, like all Olympics, sometimes threatened to be what humorist Dave Barry once called “The Recently Videotaped Olympic Games Featuring Americans.’’ Old Cold War passions flamed when Vladimir Putin took up the cause of Russian figure skater Yevgeny Plushenko, who was less than sportsmanlike after American Evan Lysacek won the gold. And the on-and-off-the-slopes tension between American skiiers (and erstwhile models) Lindsay Vonn and Julia Mancuso might have taken up a bit too much gossipy attention.
But for the most part, the Games that end tonight were a happier diversion, filled with moments that were compelling whether or not they translated into medals. Quirky American heroes emerged, from showboat skater Johnny Weir to cheerfully-competitive speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno to the snowboarders who injected the Games with welcome amounts of acrobatics, irreverence, and flannel. Great characters from all over came into focus, from Kevin Martin, the 43-year-old skip of Canada’s curling team, to Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette, who won a bronze medal amid personal tragedy. And Vonn’s relationship with German skiier Maria Riesch proved that friendship can bridge both nationalities and inter-sports rivalries.
None of this is contradictory, which is what makes the Olympics so welcome: They always involve some mix of patriotism and global consciousness. We can root for the Americans but still cheer the grace and athleticism of Korean figure skating gold medalist Kim Yu Na, and everyone feels like a winner.
