Last year, along with an entire rapturous nation, I cheered the Matildas until my vocal cords gave out.
Every kick and tackle, every chance and miss, every priceless goal, I was there every second of the way.
But last week? I didn’t watch a second of the Tillies’ ill-fated campaign. Frankly, I didn’t care. International football has its zenith, and it’s the World Cup, not the Olympics.
Gutted: The Matildas were holding on by a thread after a 2-1 defeat to the US in Marseilles.Credit: Getty
It’s the same for other Olympic sports, such golf, tennis and (arguably) basketball. The same for cricket, which will become an Olympic sport at LA 2028. And it’s the same for rugby league, despite the provincial sport’s laughable attempts to be included in Brisbane 2032.
No, the Olympics is my quadrennial opportunity to get amped about archery, to become a fencing fanatic, a judo junkie, a devotee of discus.
Anyone armed with a remote control can become an armchair expert in weightlifting and the vagaries of modern pentathlon for two glorious weeks of competition.
One of these Games, I will understand cycling’s team pursuit. It won’t be these Games, I’m sure, but it will hopefully be in time for Brisbane 2032.
These are sports in which athletes have a singular goal – to compete at an Olympic or Paralympic Games. These are the sports that need to be celebrated within sight of a burning cauldron and five interlocking rings.
Tennis players dream of winning a Grand Slam. Golfers dream of wearing a green jacket, not a gold medal. For two cricketing nations, it’s the Ashes. For the rest, the World Cup.
Read the full article here
