The Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan recently completed provided special viewing on many levels: Pageantry, competition, world cohesion, fun and games, drama, unexpected excellence, he joy of sports, and always a bit of controversy.
Next in view will be the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China in February 2022. The next Summer Olympics will be in France with Paris the host city in 2024. If all goes well. It is easy to take procedure for granted.
The United States won the most medals, thevoice.us/list-of-u-s-olympic-games-medals-gold-silver-bronze, and won the most Gold Medals, 39 to China’s 38. Just winning the most medals is nice, and a goal, however, not the most important reason to compete. Records were set, competition levels were increased, and personal goals were achieved.
In part because of Title IX declarations in school competition in the U.S., women won more medals than men in the U.S.. The totals were 66 U.S. women’s medals to 41 for men and six in mixed-gender sports among the 113 medals won by the U.S.. For the record other countries in the top 10 in medals, third through 10th: ROC (Russian), 71; United Kingdom, 65; Japan , 58; Australia, 46; Italy, 40; Germany, 37; the Netherlands, 36; France, 33. Our world is better off with the Olympic Games than without them. There is always next time.
• Don Davidson earlier this week said he retired prior to the school year as athletic director at Parkview Academy to help cheer on his grandchildren in athletics, many of whom are in Indiana. He spent 54 years as a basketball coach and athletic director to include at Yorkville High School, Aurora Christian, and Parkview Academy in Yorkville.
• The CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) coaches have picked an order of finish in four sports: They are, in football, Wheaton College; in women’s volleyball, Carthage College; in men’s soccer, North Park University; in women’s soccer, Wheaton College. Washington University in St. Louis, otherwise an independent, competes in the CCIW football to make it a 10-team conference. Washington is picked fourth in football following Wheaton College, North Central College, and Illinois Wesleyan University. Football games will begin the first Saturday in September.
Big Ten schools will begin football the last weekend in August.