Olimpíadas: indicadores revelam a direção do impulso, por Percival Maricato

SPORTS BRETÃO  

Renato Maricato

OLYMPICS:  RESULTS SHOW WHERE THE WIND BLOWS ON EARTH

To avoid saying we don’t pay attention to other sports, this edition prioritizes our evaluation of the Olympics. I resist, however, from talking about the plane that crashed (at this point, even the pet owners’ union must be discovering something negative about the plane’s owner company and sending a commission to participate in the investigations and give an interview to TV). The Olympics show more than just sports results, they also leave clear aspects of economic, political-social, and political development. And, finally, I inform you of the Brasileirão’s progress.

BRAZIL REGRETS: IT ENDED WITH LESS THAN HALF OF THE GOLD MEDALS WON IN THE TOKYO AND RIO OLYMPICS

Brazil won 20 medals in total, but only three of them were gold, four fewer than what it won in the Tokyo and Rio Olympics. And thanks to the girls, who won in judo, gymnastics, and beach volleyball. Brazil lost even to Kenya. And in recent years, athletes have been better paid (the amateur era is over, now it’s all about supply and demand) recognized, including for earning money through commercial advertising, than in previous years.

CHINA IS OVERTAKING THE US AND ASIA IN SPORTS

A reflection of China’s growth in all areas, this Olympics saw the country balance with the US in gold medals and come in second overall, but it’s likely to win by a landslide in the next games. The Russian Federation was banned, but in “compensation,” countries like Kiribati, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Palau, and others that seem to have come from a Star Trek journey; or must be somewhere in the world. It was up to Asia to put 15 countries among the top 50, two among the top five. Australia came in 4th place and confirmed it will be the protagonist, a pleasant surprise.

NEW SPORTING POWERS

Asians, another sign of the times, are now rivaling Europeans. Besides China, in second, and Japan, in third, a little below, came South Korea, Uzbekistan, New Zealand, and even Iran, where everyone thought only sheep and ayatollahs existed. Africa was bad, three representatives among the top 50, but still managed to balance with Latin America, which placed four. Everything indicates that in the next one, it will surpass our Continent. Latin Americans are decadent in football and also in Olympic sports. The first-placed country in the African continent was Kenya, which came in 17th, ahead of Brazil, 20th.

RUSSIA, THE GREAT ABSENTEE

The complex US-Europe, which controls the Olympic Committee through representatives, managed to take the Russians out of the games, and this time not because they were communist, but because they were seeking markets, raw materials, power (or exercising their right to defense?), taking part in Ukraine. Thus, the games, which have always served to bring people together, were used to reinforce political disputes, to show the world the power of the US-Europe duo to isolate and punish nations, according to their side.

CUBA REDUCES ITS PACE, ARGENTINA IS 52ND

In the years following the Cuban Revolution, the total blockade imposed by the Americans prevented companies and countries from the world from negotiating with the small Caribbean nation, under penalty of not being able to do so with the Americans. Even medicines, including vaccines, and hospital products, could not be sold, and nothing could be bought, more or less what is happening with Venezuela. The Cubans had to take care of what they could and where they succeeded: education (the lowest illiteracy rate in the Americas), health (with preventive resources, lower infant mortality rate, and longer life expectancy than in the US), and sports, where they reached being among the best in Olympic competitions, 14 gold medals in Barcelona in 1992 (corresponding to 7th place in this Parisian version), and 11 in Sydney, shortly after. But in recent years, the Cubans have been dwindling, as if they had lost their enthusiasm, and what was a sporting power, in this Parisian edition of the games, Cuba is 32nd. Still, it is the second-ranked country in Latin America, losing only to Brazil. Ecuador came in among the top 50, but Argentina only managed 52nd place. Chile came in 55th, just after Botswana.

FOOTBALL SEEMS TO BE CONSUMING THE ENERGIES AND ENTHUSIASM OF BRAZIL

The places obtained by Brazil are, proportionally, well below its economic expression and population, both among the top 10 in the world. In women’s football, we came in second, losing for the third time to the US, but it’s an honorable place. The American team is very good, aggressive. Our Olympic team, men’s and women’s, has not won any of the two vacancies that South America had to go to France: Argentina and Paraguay had the privilege, but did not do well.

THE TOP 10 IN PARIS… AND BRAZIL

BRASILEIRÃO:  Fogão surrado  –  Fortaleza está em segundo –  Palmeiras e Flamengo empatam – São Paulo ganha e encosta – Timão e Fluminense continuam flertando com o rebaixamento,