I always used to think of the last days before an Olympic Games or world championships as something akin to Christmas Eve. You know, not a creature stirring, not even a mouse.
But the Olympic Games has just got bigger and bigger over time, even in the few years since Beijing 2008 where this correspondent shut down his Fairfax Media (formerly The Age, latterly Nine) laptop for the last time.
Even back in those pre-historic times, the football tournament started a couple of days before the Opening Ceremony to accommodate its schedule of group games, quarter and semi-finals and finals. Now several other sports also start before the Games’ opening, including Rugby 7s, handball, and archery.
Football and Rugby start with an actual kick-off, but Paris 2024 is kicking off in the figurative sense before a boat has even been launched down the Seine. The very first men’s football match, between world champions Argentina and Doha 2022 semi-finalist Morocco, was ‘highlighted’ by a pitch invasion after the Argentines had seemed to score an equalising goal.
The match was suspended and the ground emptied out before the game was re-started almost two hours later. Only then was it announced that the goal had been ruled out by VAR. Just as well there were no fans, as that ruling may have sparked more than a pitch invasion. Argentina was unable to score in the three minutes remaining extra time.
Argentina manager Javier Mascherano variously described the conduct of the match as “pathetic”, “a circus” and “a disgrace”.
Sounds as if he didn’t like it.
But wait, there’s more from the world game. Canada’s women’s coach Bev Priestman was suspended for the duration and sent home after taking accountability for alleged spying by drone as two assistant coaches gathered information on first group game opponent New Zealand. Must have worked – defending Olympic champion Canada won 2-1 – but Priestman decided the buck stopped with her.
Photo from: sportsnet.ca
Then the Australians only went and got in on the act, didn’t they? Stretching their backs-to-the-wall mentality too – beyond? – breaking point, the Matildas decided the best way to navigate a difficult group containing Germany, the USA and up-and-coming Zambia, was to go down 0-3 to Germany.
Amazingly, with just 12 teams in three groups of four in the soccer competitions, Australia is still a chance to go through provided it beats Zambia and avoids defeat against the USA. Neither task will be easy, so to concede three points in the opening game was bad enough, but to concede three goals as well when goal difference may prove crucial was negligent.
Australia also invented a drama of its own when one of the team swimming coaches was overheard telling a South Korean television interviewer that he hoped a Korean swimmer – whom he also coaches – would win his event ahead of two Australians. The coach narrowly escaped being sent home – maybe the Canadian football coaches got the last seats on the last plane out? – but had to front the chef de mission and the head swimming coach, the latter warning that “this is an ongoing discussion for when we return home.”
Sounds ominous.
Seeing swimming, like most Olympic sports these days, is truly international with skilled coaches having non-Australian swimmers in their squads, surely any offence here is mild. Let’s hope the “ongoing discussion” involves a suggestion that it would have been better to wish his charge well in more neutral terms, along with a reminder that not only must you assume that all microphones are ‘on’ when conducting interviews but also that any other journalist in the vicinity is likely listening in.
On the point of aiding the opposition, I seem to recall that the great Russian sprint swimmer Alexander Popov spent the better part of his career based In Canberra and training at the Australian Institute of Sport after his coach and mentor Gennardi Touretski took on an AIS role in 1993.
Not sure either man was subject to “ongoing discussions” when they returned home. Nor were there any repercussions for the AIS.
Likewise, British 400-metre runner Donna Fraser joined Cathy Freeman in training with coach Peter Fortune’s group in the run-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Freeman won the 400, with Fraser finishing fourth. There were probably ongoing discussions – at the after-party.
Anyway, as former World Athletics president the late Primo Nebiolo, would have it, the first week at the Olympics is just the preamble to the athletics (wonder if the IOC engaged in “ongoing discussions” with Nebiolo for dissing every other Olympic sport).
An inclusive selection policy, and the resultant explosion of talent, sees an Australian team of 70-plus about to compete in the Stade de France and on the streets of Paris on 1-11 August. ‘Tis the time to be canvassing medal prospects, which I don’t intend to indulge in here other than to wish all our team success.
But I feel we should acknowledge some of those who have fallen just the wrong side of the Olympic selection standards or the selectors’ view of the best three who did reach those standards. Those who could have been selected but were not.
Top of the list is the women’s marathon where Lisa Weightman, Izzy Batt-Doyle and Eloise Wellings all could have made the team, would have made many people’s best three but none of them did make the team (very pleasing to see Batt-Doyle in the 5000).
The middle-distances have been crammed with talent. Leading those who will be watching events in Paris rather than competing is national men’s 800 champion Luke Boyes. Bendere Oboya (800) and Jesse Hunt (1500) both finished third at nationals. Oboya bettered the Austomatic qualifying standard, too, but neither will be in Paris. Cam Myers went so close at 1500. Sarah Billings at 1500, Jenny Blundell and Holly Campbell in the 5000 – just to mention a few. The men’s long and high jumps both had more than three auto qualfiers or quota athletes
Time, recent time, was that we might have a single event with more than three athletes to select from. But for Paris 2024 it was almost the norm. A couple of those who just missed have made teams before. Hopefully, they all remain part of the ongoing discussion.
