Faster, Higher, Stronger

We‘ve been hearing a lot about excellence in sport recently and it always gives me an uneasy feeling. What do people really mean by it? It sometimes sounds like this: gold means excellent, bronze is close but not very.

I believe in excellence but my excellence includes ethics.

I don’t want to rain on the Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt parade but doesn’t the Olympic movement need them so we will forget about past champions like Canadian Ben Johnson or US track star Marion Jones? Johnson had his gold medal in the 100 M race at the 1988 Seoul Games rescinded because of steroid use. Jones won 3 gold and 2 bronze at the 2000 Games in Sydney. She is not competing in Beijing for two reasons. First, the IOC has barred her from these games and stripped away her medals after she admitted to using steroids before the Sydney Games. Secondly, she is currently in a Texas jail having been convicted of perjury.

The Tour de France is the most famous cycling race in the world. It is currently on the brink of collapse because drug cheating is so widespread. Tour champion Floyd Landis has been discredited in spite of his denials. Several corporate sponsors have refused to back their teams and now whole teams have quit the race after their riders were caught blood doping. The American satirical magazine, The Onion, has started selling versions of the yellow bracelets made popular by cycling champions. Their bracelets read “Cheat to Win”.

Can sports ever be ethical? Let me tell two stories that will say yes. The Velux 5 Oceans yacht race covers 30,140 nautical miles and is held once every four years, just like the Olympics. In 2006, in the middle of the Southern Ocean, British racer Alex Thomson was in 3rd place when his boat overturned causing irreparable damage to his keel. His nearest competitor was Mike Golding, 80 miles ahead of him in 2nd place. Mike Golding turned his boat around and sailed back to perform a very complicated rescue.

Mike Golding’s actions were not unprecedented. This kind of accident is common enough in sailing that assistance is obligatory. Failure to assist is grounds for disqualification. Mutual assistance is part of what it means to be excellent in sailing.

Story #2: In April of this year, the Western Oregon Wolves were playing the second game of their softball doubleheader against the Central Washington Wildcats. The winner would proceed on to the Division championships. In the second inning, with two runners on base, Wolves outfielder Sara Tucholsky hit the first home run of her college career. In her excitement she neglected to touch first base. As she turned around to retrace her steps, he knee buckled and she lay on the ground writhing in pain.

Baseball rules prevent teammates from helping each other to round the bases. Acting on instinct, Wildcat first baseman Mallory Holtman looked at shortstop Liz Wallace and together they carried Tucholsky around the bases, allowing her to touch her one good leg on each one. The Western Oregon Wolves ended up winning the game 4 – 2 and went on to the NCAA tournament.

Most news reports described that as a tale of good sportsmanship. I call it excellence.


For other moral economy blogs see christopherlind.blogspot.com