It’s so important for the Olympics to inspire the next generation, writes Rob Walker
It’s incredible how one moment can leave such an impression on your life, memories, ambitions and friendships.
It’s also hard to believe that it’s already 40 years since Seb Coe and Steve Cram battled it out for Olympic 1500m gold at the LA 1984 Olympics.
It pitted the reigning world champion against the defending Olympic champion. A great occasion for everyone, especially a nine-year-old boy who asked to be woken up in the middle of the night to watch it.
They ran like Gods. I’d never seen such commitment and speed.
From that moment onwards I told my mum and dad that one day it would be my turn to go to the Olympics. Either to run the 1500m or be the man in the stadium talking about it.
That’s the magic, power and inspiration of the Olympics. It makes children believe amazing things are possible. And they are.
Seb Coe beats Steve Cram (Mark Shearman)
Four decades on after that magical night, I’m pleased and grateful to be able to say that thanks to hard work and help from several key people along the way, Paris will be my sixth consecutive Games (10th if you add the Winter Olympics), plus a second as the lead international TV athletics commentator.
I can assure you I’m every bit as excited, as I write this, as I was watching [Cram v Coe] when I was still at primary school back in 1984. It’s going to be amazing!
It is also the reason I was humbled and over the moon to be asked to write a book on the Games for Paris by the Renowned Children’s Publisher Hachette.
Laced with little historical anecdotes as well as the basic principles of each sport, I’ve tried to pepper it with enough intriguing stories to make children want to watch and find out more.
It was a labour of love and not one undertaken for profit.
I told Becky Adlington and Keely Hodgkinson, who both agreed with me. Adlington did the forward and Hodgkinson the athlete Q&A free of charge. This is a book to spread a message.
Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
I’ve also used my 50% author discount to buy and give away many more copies than the modest fee I was paid for writing it.
Some things are not about money. This is one of them. It was the same with both the US and Australian versions.
Not one of Sanya Richards-Ross, Dan O’Brien, Sally Pearson or Tamsyn Manou asked for a penny to be involved.
All of us want the next generation of children to revel in every single moment and for the seed of an idea to be sown in a chosen few.
Athletics has events for every single body shape and size. There is no other sport in the world like it.
Hugues Fabrice Zango (Getty)
The inclusivity element is also a vital unique selling point for athletics, as we struggle to hang onto the tag of the number one Olympic sport – which we undoubtedly are.
If anyone from outside of athletics alludes to it not being the number one global sport, then hit them with one of my favourite stats: “When Hugues Fabrice Zango struck bronze in the men’s triple jump at Tokyo 2020, Burkina Faso became the 100th nation to win an Olympic medal in athletics”. Enough said!
So here’s to the greatest sporting show on Earth. It’s time for the best in the world to inspire a generation. And I believe they absolutely will.
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