Last night I was in the audience of a few Olympic beach volley matches, of which the most anticipated and most interesting was the women’s game between Sfyri and Karadassiou from Greece and Tian Jian and Wang Fei (pictured) from China. With Wang Fei being the prettiest of the foursome and with absolutely no Chinese representation in the audience (I searched but could not spot a single Chinese supporter) the visitors’ team quickly earned my sympathy. What’s more, I felt embarrassed of my compatriots when they started booing the Chinese athletes when it was their turn to serve. Driven by a strong, instinctive need to compensate I managed to sneak in cries of “Zhôngguó!” in a couple of rare quieter moments. The Greek girls went on to win the game easily in two sets, but with very good plays from both teams. In all, the event was held in an incredible party atmosphere, what with the loud music, the rousing commentary, and the scantily clad dancers (and female athletes). It is no coincidence that currently several of Yahoo’s top 20 most emailed photos are of Olympic beach volley behinds, as noted by Kottke.

The perceived lack of any activity unrelated to the Olympic games makes Athens eerie. However, swept up by this furore, I have been thinking about the games a fair bit. One of the most oft-quoted truisms about the games is that it helps bridge gaps between different countries, bringing athletes from all over the world together in an international celebration of sport that defies borders. As it happens, that is not quite the case. The illusion of unity projected by the congregation of all athletes in the centre of the arena during the opening ceremony soon breaks down as the athletes then proceed to compete for the glory of their standards, fueling nationalistic practices such as applauding extra hard for athletes from Iraq and Palestine before they even compete, the constitution of medal tables, and the rudeness that Tian Jian and Wang Fei had to endure last night. The athletes themselves seem to not care about this minglement in peaceful competition, preferring the company of their countrymen, as revealed to me tonight by one of the minders working in the Olympic village. If the games are to be truly international, the athletes’ national identities need to take the back seat, allowing their sporting ability to come to the forefront. Athletes could, for instance, parade in the opening celebration grouped by discipline, rather than by country. The use of national flags and anthems could be minimised. Teams competing in group sports could even consist of athletes from different countries. The athletes themselves, and their performance, could then take over the attention of the world.

Or, as the case may be, their firm, round buttocks.

On the other hand, one of the most oft-quoted aphorisms regarding the Olympics is that they are overtaken and spoiled by the use of performance-enhancing drugs. My modest proposal for the resolution of this complaint is that the taking of drugs should be allowed. Better swimsuits, better shoes, better exercise regimes, and even better diets are also performance-enhancing. Everything else being equal, the athlete with the better trainer will probably prevail; why shouldn’t the same also be true for the athlete with the better pharmacologist? The argument that drugs are harmful to the athletes’ health disregards the fact that years of physical training also create health problems: see for example the severe spine problems plaguing weight lifters and gymnasts. I say allow the use of drugs and let athletes take their own risks and command the fans’ respect accordingly.

Unconnected to Olympic events is the much-rumoured grand opening of a luxurious spa facility in the Cycladic island of Tzia; more details as they become available.