“In the modern world, full of powerful possibilities and yet also threatened by perilous decline, the Olympics can become a school for moral nobility and purity as well as physical endurance and energy, but this can happen only if you continually raise your concept of athletic honor and impartiality to the level of your muscular ability.”
These, the words of Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin, to whom the Olympic Games owes its restoration in the modern era. In less than 20 days, the beautiful city of Río de Janeiro will have the honor of being the first South American nation to host the biggest world sporting event, the thirty-first edition of the summer Games.
Although Coubertin also said, “The important thing in life is not to triumph but to compete,” all athletes view reaching the podium in the demanding events under the iconic five rings as the ultimate achievement. But before the battles commence in Río, August 5 -21, there are many attempting to emulate Pythia, the priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, who served as the oracle, providing the prophecies of ancient Greece.
As typically happens in the lead up to these meetings of muscle, there is no shortage of entities that have already predicted the final medal count in Brazil.
If we go by the calculations of Dutch company Infostrada Sports, the United States will lead the medal table, followed by China, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Britain, Brazil, New Zealand and Hungary, as the top ten nations. According to this agency, Usain Bolt will not win the 100 meters sprint, but will be beaten by Justin Gatlin of the U.S. To the Jamaican’s favor, this same company predicted four years ago that the British would see a total of 19 gold medals, but in fact they won ten more. However, the forecast was more accurate regarding the overall medal count for the hosts, set at 65, and finishing with a total of 67. Infostrada does not include Cuba among the top fifteen on the medal table.
Meanwhile, the site docudeportes.es offers the same top three nations, with Japan positioned fourth and South Korea in the ninth spot, pushing Hungary and Brazil out of the top ten. The host nation is placed in 18th position with four gold, five silver and eight bronze medals, while Cuba stands at 13 (7-5-4).
The economists of PwC, who take the size of the competing nations’ economies (measured by GDP based on purchasing power parity exchange rates) as the first element is forming their predictions, also exclude the Brazilians and Hungarians from the top ten, together with New Zealand, in favor of Italy. As such, Brazil takes the 11th spot, and Cuba finishes 16th, without offering details of the color of the medals, just a total of 25 for the hosts and 16 for the Cubans.
Beyond the crystal ball, the Olympic Games take place under a veil of mystery, which often sees a shadow cast over leading lights of world athletics and the rise of new stars considered by many as incapable of realizing their dreams. In the case of Cuba, the Games present a huge challenge and their magnitude makes for historic moments. No Third World country has secured more than 70 gold medals in the elite contest and none has managed to maintain its position in the top 20 on the medal table.
Our athletes are not in Delphi or summoned by Apollo, they are called on to perform by the Cuban people, who are not only the beneficiaries of achievements made in sports or in any other field, but also their greatest supporters, who have made it possible today for many of these “prophesiers” to include our rebellious nation among their calculations.
I prefer to talk about purposes and not forecasts. The first is what has exalted us, and made us proud to continue to be a reference in sports. If today we think of the Cuban delegation to Río de Janeiro as one of the most compelling of this multi-sport gathering, it is because its potential has been maintained through effort, tenacity, and confidence in victory. If Cuba today can aspire to be among the top 15 nations, or even beyond, it is because the island has not failed in its commitment to sports, despite facing more serious obstacles than those of its rivals on the competitive scene.
Cuba’s athletes will arrive in the so-called “Marvelous City” of Río not only in search of a dream, but aiming to experience and repeat what so much Olympic glory has provided for this small nation.
