A long time ago, I was a kind of athlete myself: as a child, I did a bit of rhythmic gymnastics. During the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, I remember sitting in front of the TV, amazed, for hours on end watching each of the rhythmic gymnastics performances, in which the two Russian athletes won gold and silver medals.
To this day, I still really enjoy watching all kinds of gymnastics. I enjoyed every second of Simone Biles' performances, who won a bunch of medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, what didn't ring a bell back then, but does now, is how common it is to see rich and powerful countries win a bunch of medals at these kinds of sporting events. It's really surprising when an athlete from a not-so-wealthy country makes it to the medal podium. Think, for example, of Algeria. Iman Khelif in boxing, or in Pakistan Arshad Nadeem In javelin throw, both won gold medals in their sports in a rather unexpected turn of events.
Is this all it takes to win an Olympic medal: to be born in a rich and powerful country? Definitely not. It certainly takes a lot of effort, dedication, pain, sacrifice and…
