Sports etiquette

There seems to be a philosophy that the ultimate goal of sports is to win; not just win, but win at all times, win every single time. What makes this philosophy really sinister is that individuals and teams often use underhand tactics and techniques to forward the doctrine of Nietzsche, which strongly advocates that the end justifies the means. Long before the Olympic Games adopted the motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius”, cheating began on the world’s sporting stage.

To document every case from time immemorial would be an impossible task. What I plan to do, dear Reader, is to take an individual sport and point out the most striking cases of fraud. If I said that each and every sport has had its deviants, I would not be wrong. But the spirit behind all sport, the urge to go (and do) what no man and woman has ever done before, is what makes a sportsperson so worthy of emulation.

There must have been extended sports gatherings in every unique human culture. What defines the sporting spirit,in modern times, is undoubtedly the Olympic Games, revived in 1896 at Athens. The movement grew ever stronger, until World War II disrupted proceedings in 1940 and 1944. It was in 2021 that the motto was expanded to include the word “Communiter”. Today the Games are described by the words: “Faster, Stronger, Higher—Together”.

The most prestigious event of the First Olympic Games (of the modern era), in 1896, was the MARATHON. The marathon commemorates that first run, in 496 BCE, that was undertaken by the legendary Pheidippides. This young man, so the lore tells us, ran some 25 miles, from the plains of Marathon, Greece, to the Agora in Athens, to convey the good news that the Greek army had secured victory against the invading Persians. The myth goes on to tell us that Pheidippides conveyed his joyful news, and then, utterly exhausted, collapsed and died.

Was it a coincidence that the Athens marathon was won by a Greek runner? He was not a trained athlete, but his stamina took him to instant stardom. His name was Spyridon Louis, and when he entered the stadium, the place erupted with ecstasy— a real grand-stand finish.

The Boston Marathon began in the year 1897. Almost a century later, at the 1980 Boston Marathon, a woman named Rosie Ruiz, sprinted across the finish line in a remarkable time. Only later did the authorities discover that she had joined the race close to the finish line. She showed no signs of fatigue, her body structure did not indicate acute physical strain, and other runners were certain that they had not seen her at any time during the race. Rosie Ruiz was stripped of her medal 8 days later, and still faces a lifetime ban!

It was only at the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 that the women’s marathon became official.

Rosie Ruiz beat them all to it.

Unique, innit?