At every restaurant in Paris, you will see large groups of fans wearing matching t-shirts with their country's flag plastered as big as the fabric allows. They will be beaming with pride following a victory or ordering enough food and drink to soothe their sorrows. Even if you cannot understand a single word they say, any sports fan can identify and empathize with their feeling.
Sports are not bound by a language barrier but are the ultimate unifier. This could not ring more true than at the Olympic Games.
While on the train going from one arena to another, the USA pin showcased on my lanyard caught the attention of the man sitting in front of me. Though he knew little English, he excitedly pointed to my pin and simply asked, “Trade?” Olympic pin trading is a big thing, it turns out!
This occurred just after I learned of the storied tradition of fan pin trading, deemed “The unofficial sport of the Olympics,” and how it is a bit of a game of itself for those of us not gunning for a medal. Instead, spectators from around the world search and bargain for the best piece of metal they can find.
I unfastened my USA Atlanta 1996 Torch pin and received a Korea Swimming pin to fill what was given away. I exclaimed, “Go Korea Swimming” as an acknowledgment and a thank you. He quickly blurted “Michael Phelps! [Katie] Ledecky!” with pride in response. The Olympics make the greatest athletes not just household names in their country, but in households throughout the globe. I walked off that train not just accompanied by my new accessory but with an unmatched sense of patriotism given to me by that man.
However, patriotism is not a feeling only reserved for your own country, not when it comes to the Olympics. You can share the pride of your neighbors. After cheering as loudly as I could for Jack Yonezuka, representing the USA in Judo, I was not ready to leave when he unfortunately was eliminated in the 32nd round.
I was surrounded by French fans cheering on their judoka, Sarah-Léonie Cysique, and before I knew it, I was clapping alongside them. Their energy was contagious and I could not help myself from banging on the bleachers in unison with a different arrangement of red, white, and blue.
To be fair, how does one resist an arena-wide “Olè, Olè, Olè!” song? You simply cannot.
The love of sport brings people from every corner of the earth to the epicenter that is the Olympic Games. While enjoying a mid-afternoon coffee and crepe from a local café, the air was scattered with cheers from a German family next to me watching their woman’s basketball team in their first-ever Olympic appearance, in which they would best Belgium, the reigning European champion.
Their joy was palpable and, since they were not going against the US, it felt almost instinctual to root with them as we sat just inches apart.
The International Olympic Committee emphasizes that the Olympic Values are Excellence, Respect, and Friendship. Though not an Olympian, I have shared countless interactions that support these ideals through my Olympic experience thus far.
