Unsolicited Suggestions for New Olympic Traditions

A letter dated May 25, 2024, went out via U.S. Mail addressed to Maison Olympique in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

Here's a slightly redacted version, posted to see what may resonate. 

Reader feedback via the comments at the base of the post will be greatly appreciated. 

To: Thomas Bach, International Olympic Committee President

From: Nicholas Wolaver, Editor of Olympic Rings And Other Things

RE: Unsolicited Suggestions for an Olympic Opening Ceremony Tradition

President Bach: Greetings from Atlanta. Though your schedule and priorities perhaps enabled the memories to slip, we met on two occasions during and between Olympiads, first at the Coca-Cola Pin Trading area of Russia House in Sochi (at a ceremonial Winter Games pin exchange) then again at Rockefeller Center when the IOC and Intel announced their worldwide partnership in 2017.

At this latter meeting you were kind enough to offer encouragement for a longtime research project through a lifetime membership of International Society of Olympic Historians. 

As a witness to the IOC's and your progress, both through media coverage and from conversations with two of our mutual acquaintances, I am aware of your general desire to pass the torch to future successors with the IOC on solid footing and some fresh or refreshed traditions. With this IOC presidential legacy in mind, I am writing to suggest an idea for the Opening Ceremonies that could establish a new tradition while solving a longtime challenge.

The challenge is finding a way to memorialize Olympic Family members who were lost due to tragedy, war or upheaval, or natural causes. With varying degrees of success, the IOC and Olympic host city organizers created one-time fixes, such as moments of silence for the Munich '72 families or those who perished in the London bombings only hours after that city won the 2012 Olympic bid. 

Though it is possible and likely others suggested similar ideas, what follows is my version of a solution: Create a permanent "in memoriam" segment during the Olympic opening ceremony combined with a toast to Olympians past, present and future. 

Here are details in support of this suggestion:

• The Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other global ceremonies each including "in tribute" or "in memoriam" segments of their live broadcasts. The popular segments are intentionally brief with highlights spanning the past year of losses for the organization's membership, award winners and influencers. Through a highlight reel during the opening ceremony, the Olympic Family could pay tribute to a partial list of Olympians or contributors lost since the most recent previous Olympiad and/or icons for all time. 

• As with the Grammy, Oscar and other events, the highlights need not be comprehensive as an expanded version of the "in memoriam" tradition could live online, in social media or elsewhere, inspiring conversations and tributes to those lost (with a broader audience beyond the opening ceremony telecast viewers).

• 
  Various cultures worldwide celebrate those who were lost with a memorial toast at special celebrations. In my native USA, a family Thanksgiving holiday meal may include a toast in remembrance to those lost during the previous year followed by a toast to everyone's health or victory in a struggle.

• The IOC's version of a toast could mark a transition in the opening ceremony just after the athlete and official oaths but before the arrival of the torchbearers to light the cauldron.

• Possible remarks from a designated/invited VIP presenter could speak with a traditional toast: "Please join the world in a moment of silence as we reflect on Olympic Family members lost along the journey to tonight's celebration" (after 15 seconds of silence, roll tribute footage compiled to include nods to Munich '72 and other Olympic Family members with memorial music).

• 
  Historic Olympic toasts include modern Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin offering a toast on 23 June 1894, the final night of the first Olympic Congress in Paris: "I lift my glass to the Olympic idea, which has traversed the mists of the ages like an all-powerful ray of sunshine and returned to illuminate ... a dream of joyous hope."

• Whether viewed in the stadium or on live streaming or televised broadcasts with official host TV networks, the globally universal themes of "good luck" or "to your health" -- as assembled in the world's languages listed [below] just after my signature of this letter -- could appear upon the screen, inspiring audiences at hope to make their own toasts to goodwill. Through translation of the phrases pasted below, you will find commonality or overlap with Faster, Higher, Stronger, Together.

• With Worldwide partners AB InBev and Coca-Cola, all could ceremonially "raise a beverage" for the toast.

• With a seemingly endless parade of increasingly tragic world events from the pandemic to armed conflict, natural disasters to the misdeeds of doping, the toast/memorial segment could support the underlying message of "we're all in this together" and "we're more alike than we may realize" or "we're all human."

My guess is that your team already found creative answers to the recurring challenge of commemoration. Additionally, my hope is the suggestion outlined above may express support for answers already devised or contribute a voice in the spirit of finding a solution to "the memorial problem."

I look forward to future opportunities to informally meet, compare notes on Olympic history/future, and to trade pins. Please enjoy the enclosed as an addition to your collection, with my compliments. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Nicholas Wolaver, Editor

Olympic Rings And Other Things

Ceremonial Toasts In Any Language

अच्छी सेहत • Bersulang • به سلامتی • Будем! • Brindem • Будзьма! • Будьмо • ชัยโย • Chang hala • Cheers! •   乾杯 • Chin-chin • cul sec • Dô  dzô • Egészségünkre • Εβίβα • Fenékig • გაუმარჯოს! • 건배 • Gesondheid • Gëzuar • Կենացդ • Наздраве • 予焦啦 • Hölökyn kölökyn • Εις υγείαν • I sveikata • Jam e Sehat • Je via sano! • Kampay • 乾杯 • kippis • lechyd da • Le’tanachin • לחיים • Mabuhay • Mayri ora • หมดแก้ว • 請請 • На здравје • Nazdravlje • Noroc • Pohjanmaan kautta • Priekā • Proscht • proosit • Proost • Prost • بصحتك Saħħa ¡Salucita! • Salud • Salut! • Salut i peles! • Sănătate • santé • Saúde • Serefe • skool • Hirup • Skål • skál • Sláinte mhath • Tagay • "तरङ्ग • Tchim-tchim • Terviseks • Tjeers • Tjorts • Topa! • Uzdravlje • vives • Ваше здоровье! • Wasze zdrowie • 飲勝 • Yam seng • Yeghes da! • Xin-xin • За здоров'я • Živjeli • Zum wohl

Top image via Architectes.ch. Image of Phoenix rising from London 2012 Olympic cauldron by Ursula Petula Barzey via GuideLondon.org.uk. Photo of Glenn Close introducing the 2014 Oscar memorial tribute by John Shearer/Associated Press via WSJ.com. Vangelis image via this YouTube post. Coubertin wine bottle via Ebay. Last of the 2010 blogger pins photo by Nicholas Wolaver. Ceramics by Lorrie Wolaver.