Open Book: Hits And Misses

The Summer Olympics In Paris Was Filled With Triumphs And  Inspiration — And A Few Bellyflops 

By Anya Nitczynski

For the GPHN

I am a normal-amount-of-patriotic a vast majority of the time, but there are two exceptions. 

The first is the annual Park Hill Fourth of July parade (you probably purchased lemonade from me along the parade route at some point over the years). The second is the Olympics. When one of these two exceptions occurs, I am Uncle Sam. I am Betsy Ross. I am George Washington leading our troops across the Delaware River. 

So naturally, this year’s Paris Olympics saw me at my most patriotic, as well as my most competitive. Here is my non-comprehensive list of hits and misses from the 2024 summer Olympics.

HIT: Winning

The 35-medal disparity between the United States’ overall medal count of 126 and runner-up China’s total medal count of 91 is almost ridiculous. 

MISS: Losing

Every time that I remember not everybody from every country can win a medal, my heart sinks a little bit. 

HIT: Heartwarming Moments

The best parts of the Olympics come with some sort of triumphant story and a fantastic role model. The performance of Simone Biles after having to drop out of the last Olympics and her honesty about what went into making that tough decision, the dominance of Katie Ledecky in the water, paired with her humble attitude, and Sha’carri Richardson’s unapologetic determination and skill will inspire young people for generations to come. 

MISS: Blah Blah Blah

Hear me as a fellow opinion-haver, X users, as I plead for you to quiet down on the nonsensical discourse before I lose my mind. A small number of people blowing things out of proportion and running with unchecked facts all the way to the presses ended up crowding my social media feed over the course of the games. I could barely hear my heartwarming moments over all the fuss about nonexistent transgender boxers and disrespecting a no-longer-existent monarchy. Isn’t the point of the Olympics that politics are set aside for the sake of fun and sportsmanship? Buying into these stories snuffs the Olympic flame. This is a symptom of a much larger problem in the world of truth.

HIT: The Overall Games

While fake facts and the concept of people having to lose dampened my spirits occasionally, it is important for worldwide audiences to see the kind of unity that only sporting can bring to the global stage. I love to feel inspired. I love to be the winner. I love America.

Anya Nitczynski is a senior at Denver School of the Arts. Her column appears regularly in these pages.