Now that the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics are over, the population is already looking towards the future of the Olympics. Tokyo is grappling the torch this time around and is looking forward for their second time hosting the Olympics. Although 2020 seems to be far from now, Tokyo has already begun its preparations for the next Olympics with a new emblem, mascot, and outlook for a future in diversity.
Diversity?
According to officials of Tokyo 2020, the new emblem“incorporates the message of unity in diversity.” The Olympics is a world renown competition that is watched with intense scrutiny. We’ve had multiple scandals from doping to questionable biases in terms of judging— all of which quickly turned to pointing fingers at different countries. The Olympics is competitive and so it’s inevitable that the Olympics can become a breeding ground for anger and hatred. Yet, the Olympics wishes “to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind, in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” In theory, the Olympics could be a safe space with all 93 countries that participated this year. However, the world has a long way to go in terms of tolerance and acceptance.
Fox News Executive Vice President John Moody was the voice of bigotry in the 2018 Olympics. In his soon deleted column, he wrote: “It appears the U.S. Olympic Committee would like to change [their motto] to ‘Darker, Gayer, Different.’ If your goal is to win medals, that won’t work.” John Moody was correct in that this year’s Team U.S.A was the most diverse it’s ever been. However with 21 people of color and 2 openly gay athletes out of 242 athletes, I would hesitate to label them ‘diverse’. Here Moody exemplifies the hatred that can brew for the Olympics.
Looking To the Future
Hatred just might be the reality of the Olympics— but Senator Dick Durbin was quick to flip the situation. Durbin spotlighted U.S Olympic snowboarder, Chloe Kim and emphasized Kim’s gold medal as a win for her immigrant family. To him it was the win of Kim’s father who “might not have passed some of the merit-based tests that we’re hearing around here…but who came to the United States determined to make a life and to bring a family forward.” Team U.S.A may not be as diverse as they are publicized to be— but it’s the beginning of the start of diversity.
Hopefully in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, we will see the unity in diversity that Japan is adamant about promoting. Japan will be holding a “Hope to Light the Way” themed torch relay with the goal of advocating for unity within Japan and also in promotion of world peace. Additionally Japan had 6.5 million elementary students select the next mascot and educated the students on both the Olympics and Paralympics. Japan’s innovative turn doesn’t stop here as they are actively requesting the citizens of Japan to donate old technology to create medals for the athletes. Japan is actively involving its people to promote the Olympics and Paralympics in a way that brings unity within a variety of age groups and socioeconomic statuses, which in turn, stands by their emblem. As a company that also advocates for diversity— we hope to see Japan succeed in obtaining unity within diversity.