Out of global upheaval, a new Olympic spirit
| Boston
Evangelia Platanioti presses her palms and toes into the blue exercise mat in a pushup position, then nonchalantly brings her right leg past her head. In a move that would defy the czarinas of Twister, she proceeds to lift her back foot off the ground and balances a midair split on 鈥� get this 鈥� one bent elbow.
鈥淗old on this pose,鈥� says the Greek Olympian into the camera, as her country鈥檚 flag flutters in the background. Ducking under her extended calf, she asks, 鈥淐an you see me?鈥�
鈥淵eah, we see you perfect!鈥� exclaims four-time Olympic medalist from her California living room, where the Spanish champion-turned-U.S. team coach is running the first-ever worldwide workout for artistic swimming (formerly known as synchronized swimming) on Zoom.
Why We Wrote This
Many athletes believe the Tokyo Games will be one of the most meaningful Olympics in history, as a pandemic and tumult surrounding social justice spur athletes to rethink their roles in society.
More than 300 swimmers are following lead from Austria to New Zealand, where it is 3 a.m. On plush carpets and sun-drenched terraces, they spend 1 1/2 hours copying the movements of more than two dozen of the best athletes in the sport, beamed via a laptop or phone into their homes. Meanwhile, some 6,000 viewers watch live, leaving a running commentary filled with emoji and frequent invocations of their favorite champion鈥檚 name followed by 鈥淵AAASSSSSS.鈥�
Welcome to being an Olympian in quarantine.
Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service,聽all our coronavirus coverage聽is free.聽No paywall.
Under normal circumstances, the world鈥檚 best athletes would be meeting in Tokyo in late July in hopes of experiencing the pinnacle of what they鈥檝e spent decades sweating and sacrificing for: standing on the Olympic podium, medals draped around their necks, as they listen to their national anthems and the rest of the world looks on rapturously.
Instead, they are coming off what may be the most bizarre few months of training in Olympic history. Now, as they peel themselves off in-home workout mats and head back to the gym or pool, many are doing so with heightened purpose, perseverance, and a global sense of camaraderie that they hope will inspire individuals and nations emerging from COVID-19 lockdowns.聽
Add in the upheaval surrounding a white policeman鈥檚 killing of George Floyd and COVID-19鈥檚 disproportionate impact on minority communities, and U.S. Olympians find themselves navigating the world of politics as well as a pandemic. As role models and often celebrities, they鈥檙e searching for the right balance between athletics and activism, with many addressing racism in more direct ways 鈥� including in their own sports.
From having frank conversations with teammates to challenging the long-standing restrictions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on political expression, an increasing cadre of athletes is pushing back on the idea that the Olympic movement can or should be immune to issues convulsing society. Rather, they hope it can become a channel for advancing social change and global unity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just tough because we鈥檙e dealing with racial injustice and a pandemic at the same time,鈥� says , a two-time Olympic silver medalist in triple jump based in San Diego. As a Black man who has experienced racial profiling and discrimination and tense encounters with police, he wants to give others insight into such issues. 鈥淲hat I can do is put together my network, resources 鈥� all the blessings I鈥檝e been given 鈥� and use it to inspire people, use it to give people knowledge, and use it to make change. I think that鈥檚 my purpose.鈥�
Mr. Claye spent the spring mixing creative workouts on a mini-trampoline with efforts such as encouraging young people at an NAACP rally to vote and speaking up at a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic town hall, where athletes pushed for greater political expression. And when he first found out the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would be postponed a year, he wrote a song with the chorus 鈥� 鈥淒reams don鈥檛 die, they just multiply鈥� 鈥� dedicated to all the athletes.
鈥淚 think this Olympics will be one of the most prolific Olympics of all time,鈥� he says, because it will be the coming together of nations after dealing with COVID-19, whether that meant not being able to train, losing a job, or knowing someone who died. 鈥淲e all had to sacrifice.鈥�
The trials of training
Olympic slalom canoeist had been training for months at the Pau-Pyr茅n茅es Whitewater Stadium in western France, hoping to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, when the pandemic forced him to return home to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
All he had for water there was a swimming pool. While looking at the palm trees on the edge of the property one day, he had a crazy idea: tether the back of his boat to the tree trunks using a long rubber strap made from the tubes of bicycle tires, and then paddle in the pool against the resistance.聽
For three months, instead of working out in a whitewater stadium, with its rapids and cascading pools, he鈥檇 head out to the pool for 45-minute sessions, paddling vigorously to maintain his strength and balance as fall turned into winter in the Southern Hemisphere. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 go in a swimming pool ever again, even in the summer,鈥� he jokes of his endless time in camp chlorine.
Now that he鈥檚 back in the gym and outside in the water in Argentina, he realizes the pool sessions made him stronger 鈥� and not just physically.
鈥淚 saw it like mental training mostly,鈥� says Mr. Rossi, who shared his workouts on Facebook and Instagram as a way of showing the possibility of getting something good out of quarantine. 鈥淓ven though it was good to keep fit, for the head it was really important to be able to do 45 minutes in the swimming pool. It makes you tough.鈥澛�
In a spring survey of athletes, coaches, and other Olympic figures from 135 countries, the IOC found that 56% of athletes were having difficulty training effectively, while fully half were struggling with motivation. But among the dozen-plus athletes interviewed by the Monitor, many recognized that the challenges they faced were not unique to them. From employees juggling jobs and child care to children whose plans for summer camp were dashed, people in all walks of life were having to find creative ways to stay motivated and maintain their equilibrium.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many people who are struggling right now, and I鈥檓 worried because I don鈥檛 have a pool to swim in?鈥� pentathlete remembers thinking, as she tried to figure out how to continue training for her sport鈥檚 five disciplines 鈥� swimming, shooting, fencing, running, and equestrian show jumping. 鈥淚t鈥檚 putting things in perspective 鈥� my problems are so small compared to other people鈥檚.鈥�
With the Olympic Training Center closed in her home base of Colorado Springs, Colorado, she found ways to train in her apartment complex. Her husband wasn鈥檛 into fencing with her 鈥� 鈥渉e doesn鈥檛 really like being a pincushion,鈥� she says 鈥� so she parried with a tennis ball, hung on a string in her garage, to refine her footwork. She would also do target practice in her driveway, startling neighbors, she surmises, who didn鈥檛 realize that what looked like an oversized pistol was actually a laser gun.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure some people do double takes when they drive by,鈥� says Ms. Schultz, whom more people now recognize as their next-door Olympian. 鈥淗opefully I am the cool neighbor with a sword and the laser pistol.鈥�
Across town, javelin thrower and her husband, former discus thrower Russell Winger, have designed an elaborate backyard setup to help her prepare for her fourth Olympic Games.
鈥淭he first month of quarantine was much more low-key as far as working out at home,鈥� says Ms. Winger, who initially used kettle bells and other small weights 鈥� as well as her yellow Lab, Maddie, who is trained to sit on her back while she鈥檚 doing planks. 鈥淲hen it was clear it was going to last a lot longer, I was like, 鈥榃e have to get a little more serious about the home gym.鈥欌��
Her husband constructed a cable running from the top of their house down to the back fence. He repurposed a small metal pipe from a cupcake stand he built for their wedding to serve as a 鈥渏avelin鈥� she could throw up the cable to simulate the action required in competition. A set of transportable parallel bars helps her work on shoulder stability, and she has a new weightlifting bench, which he welded and upholstered.
In addition to the training challenges, the quarantine has prompted some athletes to reflect on their role in society.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist , who qualified for his fourth Summer Games in skeet shooting just before the shutdown, has long been wanting to have a greater impact. So in addition to home-schooling his two young daughters and remodeling a home bathroom, he has pulled together a grant proposal for a shooting park in Fort Worth, Texas, to welcome more young athletes into the sport.
Mr. Hancock, who once served in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, believes sports can help turn lives around.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 doing by creating this shooting park is showing people that they can do and accomplish anything they can set their mind to,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o they can see someone who truly loves and is passionate about what they do. I think that can be the biggest mode of change that I can present at this point.鈥�
New voices for racial justice
Many athletes and sports administrators have been using their sizable social media platforms to support the protest movement in the wake of Mr. Floyd鈥檚 killing as well.
On June 2, , chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, tweeted, 鈥淭he USOPC stands with those who demand equality and equal treatment,鈥� and linked to a letter she鈥檇 written to U.S. athletes.
That didn鈥檛 sit well with , one of the best hammer throwers in the world. After winning gold at the Pan American Games last August, she had been put on yearlong probation by the USOPC for raising her fist toward the end of 鈥淭he Star-Spangled Banner鈥� in a salute reminiscent of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics.
鈥淚 thought that was the pinnacle opportunity for me to let the world know where I stood and who I stood for,鈥� says Ms. Berry, who grew up in Ferguson, Missouri, and marched with those protesting the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, a Black 18-year-old, by a white police officer who was never indicted. 鈥淚 definitely did not know what I was getting myself into.鈥�
The video went viral, and Ms. Berry says she started receiving death threats. She recalls people telling her to 鈥済o back to Africa, go back where you came from.鈥� She also lost 80% of her sponsorship income, which included a major reduction in a USA Track & Field Foundation grant that she had received for years. 鈥淭his is why athletes do not protest,鈥� says Ms. Berry, who adds that she likely will have to start working soon to make ends meet 鈥� maybe at a mall near her home in Houston, or as a personal assistant to an executive. 鈥淭he first thing that happens is your financial stability is taken away.鈥�
(, a fencer who is white and who knelt on the podium in Lima after his team won gold, was also put on yearlong probation.)
After Ms. Hirshland鈥檚 comments, Ms. Berry shot back with a tweet of her own: 鈥淚 want an apology letter .. mailed聽 .. just like you and the IOC MAILED ME WHEN YOU PUT ME ON PROBATION .. stop playing with me.鈥�
In a phone call between the two women facilitated by USA Track & Field CEO Max Siegel, Ms. Hirshland explained her decision but also apologized and heard out Ms. Berry, later tweeting: 鈥淕wen has a powerful voice in this national conversation.鈥� Several days later, Ms. Hirshland announced the creation of an athlete-led group 鈥渢o challenge the rules and systems in our organization that create barriers to progress, including your right to protest.鈥�
Numerous athletes have called for the USOPC to lift Ms. Berry鈥檚 and Mr. Imboden鈥檚 probations, and to challenge the IOC鈥檚 Rule 50, which bans demonstrations and 鈥減olitical, religious or racial propaganda.鈥�
The IOC Athletes鈥� Commission introduced updated Rule 50 guidelines in January, which, while allowing athletes to express their views on social media and at press conferences, ruled out specific forms of protest such as kneeling, hand gestures, and the wearing of armbands. It explained that 鈥渢he example we set by competing with the world鈥檚 best while living in harmony in the Olympic Village is a uniquely positive message to send to an increasingly divided world.鈥�
In late June, the USOPC鈥檚 Athletes鈥� Advisory Council demanded that the rule be abolished. 鈥淎thletes will no longer be silenced,鈥� it wrote in a letter also signed by Mr. Carlos, the 1968 Olympian.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely encouraged and extremely proud of a lot of athletes who may be risking a lot to change our country and change our communities for the greater good,鈥� says Ms. Berry. 鈥淚鈥檓 definitely not alone anymore.鈥�
For Olympic 10,000-meter runner , the sole Black runner on her women鈥檚 distance team at a track club in Oregon, Ms. Berry鈥檚 ordeal was something of a wake-up call 鈥� a recognition of the need to speak openly about her own experience, which she had been hesitant to do before.
鈥淚 feel like in that way I鈥檝e isolated someone like Gwen because I haven鈥檛 done the work with people I鈥檓 around to try and inform them and to allow them to see me fully,鈥� says Ms. Hall, who wrote an essay for Runners World describing the profound impact the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man who was shot while jogging through a Georgia town, has had on her. She says she thinks about it every day, on every run.
Black Olympians, who brought home more than a third of Team USA鈥檚 2016 gold medal haul, tell of numerous racial incidents they鈥檝e experienced. Ms. Hall, who attended high school outside her district in a largely white area of New Jersey in order to be able to run track, details in her essay how a mother asked her coach whether one of her parents was white 鈥� searching for an explanation for her discipline and focus, which the woman didn鈥檛 associate with Black families, Ms. Hall wrote.
Mr. Claye, the triple jumper, says he鈥檚 been followed in stores ever since he was a child in Arizona, sees women clutch their purses when they pass him, is frequently asked if he鈥檚 in the wrong seat when flying business class, and has had police draw guns on him 鈥渇or no reason.鈥�
And , a Black athlete adopted by a white couple in South Dakota, relates having a neighbor threaten to shoot her and her Black sister if they ventured onto his property.
鈥淚 choose to be the bigger person than those that deem me as different because of my black skin,鈥� says Ms. McPherson, an Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo. 鈥淢y parents instilled in me to be strong in my own being, kind to others, and forgiving, as the Bible says.鈥� She has spoken out on social media against Breonna Taylor鈥檚 killing, marched in a Miami prayer walk, and says she understands her fellow athletes鈥� decisions to protest because of their desire to stop the injustices in America.
But, she adds, the national anthem and raising of the flag is a very delicate subject and has many different meanings to people across the nation. 鈥淚 also will continue to fight for equality and systemic change but through the use of my own means,鈥� says Ms. McPherson, who has family serving in the Army and National Guard. 鈥淭hey have given their lives to protect and serve our country, which is something I respect and support.鈥�
With the nation鈥檚 upheaval playing out in sports as well as on the streets, the usual made-for-TV vignettes about athletes鈥� path to victory 鈥� accompanied by dramatic music and soft, dreamy cinematography 鈥� may come across as incongruous. Ms. Berry says there鈥檚 no way that athletes鈥� individual struggles, shaped by their different backgrounds and demographics, can be washed away with 鈥渇airy tales and roses鈥� at the Olympics.
鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful that the Olympic Games reflect where we are as a country,鈥� says Ms. Hall, who would like to see the Tokyo media coverage showcase more nuanced tales of triumph. 鈥淪eeing whole, full people and acknowledging them doesn鈥檛 mean we can鈥檛 enjoy people doing incredible things and breaking barriers.鈥�
Tight bonds among athletes
In many sports, there鈥檚 long been a camaraderie among athletes that stretches across borders. Mr. Hancock once hosted a Chinese skeet shooter who came to train with him and his father in Georgia, and the whole Chinese team later came to Texas, where he took them to a steakhouse. They came face-to-face with 30-ounce tomahawk steaks.聽
Ms. Schultz says with four- to five-day competitions, the worldwide pentathlon community is quite close. The U.S. team has trained in Germany and Poland, and Egypt and Japan came to the U.S. for workouts.
Now, such esprit de corps is being heightened thanks to COVID-19, from a fun video that international pentathletes collaborated on to the worldwide artistic swimming workout.聽
鈥淭he pandemic [brought] us together like one team 鈥� like a world team,鈥� says artistic swimmer of Russia, a two-time world champion who trains more than 10 hours a day and rarely interacts with other athletes at competitions. She was one of more than two dozen athletes, including Ms. Platanioti of Greece, who spent a month organizing the May 3 worldwide workout via a WhatsApp chat group, which gave them an opportunity to get to know each other as friends rather than just competitors. She has since done Zoom workouts with athletes in Chile, Italy, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, and the U.S., which she hopes to visit one day.
of Spain, who was also part of the WhatsApp group, says it was amazing to get to know the Russian champions. The Spanish team also bonded with the Italians, their closest rivals, as both countries were struggling with COVID-19. 鈥淚t feels really good to be talking with them, 鈥楢re you OK, are you training?鈥欌�� says Ms. Ram铆rez. 鈥淲e really want to compete with them and beat them. ... [But] in the end we want to compete with someone who is OK.鈥�
Ms. Fuentes, the U.S. artistic swimming coach, told her young U.S. team that Tokyo will be the most special Olympic Games ever if they don鈥檛 get canceled.
鈥淚t will be very symbolic and it will mean that humanity got over the virus,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t will be the first time the world will be united after the whole episode. It will be a historical moment.鈥�
Staff writer Sara Miller Llana contributed to this report from Toronto.
