By Assunta Ng
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
That’s how the media spun it, anyway. As a Chinese American, I enjoy seeing both countries perform well, earning more gold medals, and increasing their overall medal count. My philosophy is to cheer for both countries. Though the U.S. won more gold medals than China, coming second to the U.S. still warrants celebration.
However, China’s greatest loss, losing the privilege to host the Olympics, weighs heavily on the country. Perhaps what China can do is change their attitudes and system. The country should not blame the athletes for coming in second or failing to earn medals. Instead, they should support them for trying their best. The goal is not to breed a super athlete, but to support athletes in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can tell that many Chinese athletes, having been subjected to a lot of pressure, frequently looked tense and emotionless. For some of them, even winning gold didn’t bring smiles and joy.
I support the U.S. athletes’ approach. A male gymnast of Puerto Rican descent said that just participating in the Olympics is enough because he has already come so far in his journey. The motivation for many U.S. athletes is not just about winning, but living their passion for the sport, working closely with their teammates, and enhancing their performance of the sport that they love. (end)
Ng is NWAW’s publisher and writes a weekly blog series. She can be contacted at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.