USA Today had a nice article a few days ago about tolerance and diversity at these Olympic Games and how wonderful and inspiring that was for so many of us. I hope you find it interesting. Here's the link to the article: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/story/2012-08-09/Olympics-delivers-diversity-promise/56921012/1
thanks, Ingrid Irigoyen
Inclusive Games delivers on its promise of diversity
LONDON – As Sarah Attar stood just before her block on the red track, flags of all colors fluttered throughout Olympic Stadium. Under an early-afternoon burst of sun, Attar wore a long-sleeved green shirt, full-length black running pants and a white headscarf. In the seven other lanes, women from Kenya to Kazakhstan mostly wore sports bras and briefs.
By Robert Deutsch,, USA TODAY Sports
Gabby Douglas, with coach Liang Chow, left, and team coordinator Marta Karolyi, is the first African American to win the gymnastics all-around gold. "She's going to have a huge influence" on aspiring Olympians, former gymnast Dominique Dawes said.
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"The first woman to ever compete for Saudi Arabia… Sarah Attar," the announcer said. Attar smiled widely and waved to the cheering crowd.
In her 800-meter heat Wednesday, Attar quickly fell behind. The crowd turned its attention from the contenders and cheered as Attar slipped 50 meters behind the pack, then 100, then 150. When she crossed the line, about 43 seconds behind the leader, much of the stadium was on its feet.
"Hopefully this sparks something amazing," Attar said after history had been made.
Three nations — Brunei, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — sent their first female athletes to the Olympics. Attar, who has dual citizenship, was born and raised in Southern California and runs track at Pepperdine University. A California teenager representing a country known for its cultural and political restrictions of women? Given the tone of these Games, that seemed about right.
As the Olympics close Sunday with a show called A Symphony of British Music, the London Games will be largely remembered for its notes of inclusion. The African-American gymnast. The double-amputee runner. The openly gay soccer player.
Though few details about the closing ceremony have been revealed, its music director, David Arnold, told The Telegraphhe hoped it would wrap up the spirit of these Olympics. "It's going to be beautiful, cheeky, cheesy, camp, silly and thrilling," said Arnold, a leading film soundtrack composer. Varied acts such as The Kinks, Adele, Spice Girls and The Who are expected to perform.
Before the Games began, Sebastian Coe, a former two-time gold medalist in the 1,500 meters and the head of London's organizing committee, said the London Olympics would be "the Games for everyone." From the torch relay, which passed through every part of the British Isles and was carried by 8,000 torchbearers from all walks of life, to the 7 million spectators in the stands, London wanted an Olympics its country could embrace.
As it turned out, the London Games had something for everyone.
'Inspire a Generation'
On Thursday, U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas sat in front of a room full of international journalists after being invited by the International Olympic Committee to speak about the Games.
At 16, she was asked about weighty issues far beyond her life experience, but she somehow managed to put it all in perspective in charmingly teenaged fashion. A British news reporter asked Douglas about the significance of becoming the first African American, the first woman of color, to win the all-around gold medal.
One of the catchphrases of these Games has been "Inspire a Generation." It's a phrase painted on walls and venues throughout the Olympics.
"The thing about the Olympics," Douglas said, "you see this quote 'Inspire a Generation' so, you know, I could check that off my bucket list." Laughter filled the room. Underscoring her precociousness — what's next, world peace? — it was true.
One gymnast who inspired Douglas was Dominique Dawes, a member of the 1996 gold medal-winning team known as "The Magnificent Seven."
"She's going to have a huge influence," Dawes said. "I'm getting tweets, e-mails, people are stopping me even here (in London) in the streets, mothers that are my age. I'm 35, and they are saying, 'Wow, we looked up to you and now my daughter has a Gabrielle Douglas to look up to.'
"I think in today's day of social media she's going to be able to reach many more kids than I was able to reach because of technology changes."
Praise for 'Blade Runner'
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympics. When Pistorius finished last in his 400-meter semifinal heat, a teenager from Grenada asked him to swap race bibs, the ultimate sign of respect.
Kirani James, 19, went on to win the gold, the first medal for Grenada in Olympic history. With a population of 109,000, Grenada became the smallest country to win an Olympic gold.
"He's been a huge inspiration for everybody, whether you're a track athlete or just a normal person," James said of Pistorius. "You can be somebody no matter what disability you have. Just being out there and competing against Oscar is a huge honor for me.
"He's a very great guy, too, very down to earth."
The "Blade Runner," so called because of the carbon fiber blades he runs on, said his result in the 400 was secondary. "It was an unbelievable experience," he said. He'll have another shot at a medal in the men's 4x400 relay final Friday.
Rapinoe comes out
It's telling that the day before the U.S. women's soccer team played Japan in the gold medal game,Megan Rapinoe's sexual orientation was no big deal.
In the most recent issue of Out, Rapinoe announced publicly that she is gay, becoming the first prominent American soccer player to come out in the media.
"I lived my life pretty open before that, but it was just nice to be out there and be proud about it," Rapinoe said.
Perhaps being open about her sexuality has helped her game, she says.
"I guess it seems like a weight off my shoulders: I'm playing a lot better than I've ever played before. But I think I'm just enjoying myself and I'm happy," she said.
Rapinoe has been a difference-maker for the USA throughout the Games. In the team's dramatic 4-3 semifinal victory against Canada in overtime, the midfielder scored the team's first two goals.
On a team that became nationally celebrated after the historic 1999 World Cup championship, Rapinoe's accepted openness was another milestone.
"The reaction has been all positive. I don't look into it too much," Rapinoe said. "And I think people were wanting this and really wanting it."
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