The Olympics: Competition vs Cooperation

The conception of the Olympic games is dated back as far as 776 BC and was thought to originally serve as a religious celebration. Athletic competitors representing city-states came together to compete in honour of Zeus; The King of Gods within Greek mythology. As a result , it was believed that this iteration of the games aimed to use competition as a means to worship the Gods whilst being a source of peace and harmony for Greek life.

As each Olympics seems to co-exist with stories of political conflict and strife, this begs the question: is conflict, rather than cooperation, the main source of public interest in the Olympics? Are we witnessing the Olympics as an opportunity for grand competitive statements, whether that be politically or to further individual athletic rivalries, or are we beginning to see a resurgence of unity and collaboration through the vessel of sport?

The re-introduction of the modern Olympic games in 1896 aimed to emulate this unifying nature, however over the years it has increasingly become a global stage for differing voices and opinions to gather and express, their often contrasting, views  on a variety of social matters. Certain Olympics have become microcosms of conflicts occurring within society, such as the 1936 Olympics. A moment in history where Nazi ideology of a dominant Aryan race was spreading, Jesse Owens, an African-American athlete,  became the most successful participant of the games. Owens’ four gold medals and world record for the long-jump, unbroken for a further twenty-five years, directly contradicted the sentiment of a superior race. At other times, the Olympics has been used to make more deliberate statements, such as numerous African countries boycotting the 1976 games in order to raise awareness of the rampant apartheid on the continent.

Adib Taherzadeh, a Baha’i author, writes in ‘The Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh’: “Human society at present exerts a pernicious influence upon the soul of man. Instead of allowing him to live a life of service and sacrifice, it is highly competitive and teaches him to pride himself on his accomplishments”. The rivalry between the elite runners Jakob Ingebritsen and Josh Kerr prior to this year’s Olympics encapsulates Mr. Taherzadeh’s argument perfectly. After Kerr defeated Ingebritsen in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics’ 1500M final, the relationship between the pair grew frosty as they constantly exchanged barbs via the media. Meanwhile, social media and major news outlets stoked the fire, exacerbating their hatred for one another and simultaneously stirring up interest in their future meeting at the 1500M final in the Paris 2024 games. During the race itself, the pair battled until the last 200m, with Ingebritsen changing his tactics to lead from the front with the intention of disrupting Kerr: it backfired. Ingebritsen faded during the final 100M and the outsider, American Cole Hocker, burst through to claim the gold medal leaving Josh Kerr to collect silver. Ingebritsen returned home empty handed. It was clear that the animosity between both athletes had damaged their respective chances at gold and served as a lesson to those too heavily focused on competition against others, rather than competing for the sake of self-improvement.

Despite the existence of such rivalries and the nationalistic pride that has been cultivated over the years within sport, in and out of the Olympics, one can’t help but notice how some of the narratives behind these moments have shifted. The way in which we engage with the triumphs of athletes on the world stage is beginning to move away from, ‘who won what’, to ‘how they came to be’. 

If we are able to look above some of the negative spin in today's media, we find stories of determination and resilience that are ever-present, stories that touch the hearts of people in countries all over the world and transcend the rhetoric of winners and losers. Think of British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who during the 2020 Olympics suffered a ruptured achilles tendon, nearly ending her career, yet fought her way to the finish line despite the physical odds that were stacked against her. The British public eagerly awaited her return to the Olympic stage this year, crowds rallying behind her, but not for a grand podium finish, instead to witness her sheer heart and commitment to her sport. 

Or for example, the camaraderie and friendship shown by two High-Jumpers, Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim, who found themselves tied after extraordinary efforts in their category. When the two athletes were faced with the decision of a rematch to determine who would earn the gold, they approached the officials and asked if they could share the gold medal. When the answer was yes, Tamberi and Barshim embraced, celebrating a victory that was more than a gold medal, instead a victory of friendship, mutual respect, and the understanding that the greatest triumphs are those shared.

The Paralympic Games, first introduced in 1960, has long served as a powerful platform celebrating strength, resilience, and the extraordinary abilities of athletes who defy the stereotyped norms of what it looks like to be an olympian. Regardless of whether or not somebody is interested in sports, it is unavoidable to recognise the triumphs of the human spirit overcoming physical barriers in such a way. This year, over 18.5 million people in the UK watched the coverage of the Paralympics, and the overall sentiment across the country was one of admiration of the athletes, and their personal achievements, regardless of the colour of the medal at the end. 

“The more the qualities of cooperation and mutual assistance are manifested by a people, the more will human society advance in progress and prosperity” (The Universal House of Justice, 30 December 2021 – To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors). 

Whilst sport is sometimes perceived as trivial, we can often find how the essence of collaboration demonstrated by athletes gives us a look into what it could truly mean for countries or communities of all races, genders and backgrounds to come together, simply unified in a shared vision. In a world today that is increasingly individualistic, especially in the sporting industry, there are glimpses of how the stories that truly matter to us - ones that highlight the perseverance of the human spirit - are the ones that stay with us. If top-level sport can recognise this trend, aiming to encourage and endorse this approach of cooperation, we could see the Olympics return to its harmonious origins as laid out by the ancient Greeks.

"The Olympics: Competition vs Cooperation", written by Sama Tanhai & Alfie Lee Webb