Opinion
Aussie gold is great, but sometimes there’s a better story
Rob Harris
Europe correspondentWhat in the World, a free weekly newsletter from our foreign correspondents, is sent every Thursday. Below is an excerpt. Sign up to get the whole newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Old-time American sports journalists had a catchy phrase for discussing what really mattered in their jobs: “rooting for the story.”
They meant rooting in the same way Australians might use barrack. But it was supposed to distinguish journalists as a professional field from just everyday sports fans.
While fans live and die with their teams’ successes and failures, sports journalists shouldn’t care who wins or loses. They have a job to do. They should “root” for the most interesting, compelling account for their readers.
Ukraine high jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh carried the pride of her besieged country when she won gold.Credit: AP
This past week I’ve been incredibly fortunate to sit in the stands as a reporter and watch the cream of the world’s athletes compete in Paris. As someone who fell into love with the Olympics as a child and has never lost that feeling, it has been a pinch-myself experience. The stuff of dreams.
But there I was at the Stade de France on Sunday night, surrounded by many Australians and watching two Aussies aiming for gold in the women’s high jump. And as much as I wanted them to do well, I couldn’t stop thinking about what a gold medal would mean to their opponents.
Of course, now we know. Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, wearing her trademark blue and yellow eyeliner – the colours of the Ukraine flag – dedicated her Olympic high jump gold medal to the nearly 500 athletes and coaches who have been killed since Russia invaded her country in 2022.
“This medal is important, but in my country, Russia killed people,” Mahuchikh said. “They will never celebrate, they will never feel this atmosphere, so I am happy for this medal. It is for all of them.”
Mahuchikh said her mind is constantly on her family’s wellbeing back in Dnipro, 391 kilometres southeast of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, which lately has been shelled on an almost daily basis.
The same goes for Illia Kovtun, whom I was also lucky enough to watch compete in the men’s gymnastics this week. The 20-year-old Ukrainian has rapidly ascended the ranks of international competition, winning the hearts of millions.
Competing in Paris, Yaroslava Mahuchikh says her mind is constantly on the destruction back home in Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images
With 140 athletes competing in Paris, this is the smallest Ukrainian team in Olympics history. Each competitor carries an incredible weight, representing their besieged country on the world stage.
And while all our eyes are on Paris, or indeed on the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities and towns, last week launching one of the biggest drone attacks since the start of the war.
The Ukrainian air defence systems shot down 89 Iranian-designed explosive drones in one day alone, most of them targeting Kyiv. Buildings were damaged by falling debris, but thankfully, there were no reports of casualties.
Kovtun, also now a silver medallist, is Ukraine’s sportsman of the year and is currently based in Croatia. He has continued to compete internationally while the Russians have bombarded his home region of Cherkasy.
Two years ago, when a Russian opponent, Ivan Kuliak, goaded him on the podium by displaying the symbol “Z” on his jersey, supporting Putin’s invasion, Kovtun’s composure transformed him into an emblem of resistance, garnering global admiration and respect.
He now has a tattoo on his forearm that says “home” and features a map of Ukraine as the letter “o.”
“It shows that I’m Ukrainian – I’ll fight to the end,” he said this week. His presence, and that of his teammates at the Paris Games, goes beyond gymnastics.
Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson claimed silver and bronze in the high jump.Credit: AP
“We come here not only for sport,” said twice Olympic medallist Oleg Verniaiev, who finished eighth in the men’s individual gymnastics all-around. “It’s not possible to explain to you what’s happening (in my country), you need to come to understand.
“Of course (gymnastics is) our first job, but every day in my country, people die, animals die, buildings are broken – sport buildings, civilian buildings.”
The Olympics is a festival of fun and joy in so many ways, and it must never lose that. It must always strive to rise above politics. After all, sport is the ultimate escapism for many.
But sometimes, we need to remind ourselves about what really matters. As much as Australian gold would have meant to Nicola Olyslagers, Eleanor Patterson and their friends and family, just imagine what it means to people in Ukraine right now.
Theirs is a story we should all be rooting for.
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