Latest Editions

The evolving Olympic medal ceremony

By The World ⋅ February 23, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
Play

Audio: Play | Download

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3
Medal ceremonies at the Olympics used to be solemn moments. But that’s changed over the years, as is evident in Vancouver. The World’s Jason Margolis has more on the history and evolution of the medal ceremony.

Read the Transcript
This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

MARCO WERMAN:  I’m Marco Werman, this is The World.  If you’ve been watching the Winter Olympics, you’ve been hearing a lot of this.  Through the end of Olympic competition on Monday, the U.S. team had won seven gold medals.  The medals ceremony is traditionally an emotional yet sober moment but that tradition has been waning.  The World’s Jason Margolis looks at how the medal ceremony has lost some of its luster.

JASON MARGOLIS:  Mexico City, 1968.  Winner’s podium.  Two American sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos lowered their heads and defiantly raised their fists, wearing black gloves as the Star Spangled Banner played.  It was a sign of black power.  The two men were quickly suspended from the U.S. team.  That put the International Olympic Committee on high alert at the next Summer Olympics, explains David Wallechinsky, with the International Society of Olympic Historians.

DAVID WALLECHINSKY:  And so four years later, in 1972 when two other Americans, one medaled in the 400 meters, they were very casual.  They didn’t stage a protest but they were casual, they joked, they came off the podium, one of them twirled the medal around his finger.

MARGOLIS:  The International Olympic Committee kicked them out.  There was nothing political about their actions; it was just seen as poor taste.  Ten years ago at the summer games in Sydney, U.S. sprinters won gold in the four by one hundred relay.  The men got their medals and struck mock body builder poses.  Sprinter Maurice Green stuck out his tongue at the camera.  People were offended and the sprinters quickly apologized.  Fast forward to Vancouver.  U.S. snowboarder Shaun White won gold.  As the national anthem was being played, he pointed to somebody in the crowd and mouthed some words.  His teammate, bronze medalist, Scott Lego, did the same.  White also played a little mock air guitar, a la Jimmie Hendrix.  Everybody seemed to love it.  It didn’t bother David Wallechinsky either.

WALLECHINSKY:  I think it’s just 2010 and these guys are snowboarders.  I mean Shaun White doesn’t appear to me to be an unpatriotic person.  He just, nobody ever schooled him in the protocol of medal ceremony at the Olympics.

MARGOLIS:  Then there’s U.S. skier Body Miller.  When the national anthem was played for him, Miller stood tall with a slight smile and misty eyes.  The portrait of a proud, respectful Olympian.  But then the cameras held a close-up and he was chewing gum.  Miller also didn’t have his hand over his heart.  According to the U.S. code, when the national anthem is played, non-military people are to stand at attention, their right hand over their heart.  So far, only two of seven U.S. gold medalists have done it right.  Downhill ski champ, Lindsey Vonn and figure skater, Evan Lysacek.  Snowboard cross-gold medalist, Seth Wescott, did not put his hand over his heart.  I asked him if it was a predetermined decision.

SETH WESCOTT:  Yeah, I mean I couldn’t actually tell you what I did with my hands at all.  I’m not sure.

MARGOLIS:  You know that feeling when everybody is singing happy birthday and watching your reaction?  Wescott says that’s nothing compared to standing through an 84 second anthem at the Olympics.

WESCOTT:  I mean walking out on that stage and there’s many thousands of people surrounding you, you feel a little awkward as well, you know?  It’s kind of like God, I feel like I should be doing something up here but …

MARGOLIS:  What Wescott did was sing.  He’s been the only American gold medalist to sing his whole national anthem.  Canadian freestyle singer, Alex Bilodeau tried to do that too but he appeared to stammer on the words to “Oh, Canada.”  He was clearly overwhelmed as thousands of ecstatic countrymen serenaded him.  Bilodeau had just won his country’s first ever gold medal on home soil.  One other problem though.  According to Canadian custom, men should take off their hats during Canada’s national anthem.  Bilodeau forgot about that.  Whatever Bilodeau’s gaffes, he remains the toast of Canada.  For The World, I’m Jason Margolis.


Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

Discussion

5 comments for “The evolving Olympic medal ceremony”

  • Frank May

    Jason -

    Thanx for your piece on this subject. I sing the National Anthem at many high profile events. I am honored to sing and my role as the solo singer is to be the catalyst for the Americans in the crowd to render honors to our Nation in a dignified method.

    You provided many interesting perspectives in your piece. Looking back, I think the athletes back in 1968 were pretty brave for their “black power” hand motion. I was only 8 back then, so I did not have any understanding or context.

    You spoke of patriotism. I think the obvious outward indication of patriotism is to honor everything good that our flag and National Anthem mean by following the prescribed behavior during our National Anthem. There is not only the law, which you mentioned in your piece, but also Code for the National Anthem. See The National Anthem Project website for details. All Americans are supposed to sing during the National Anthem. Our Olympic Committee should make sure that our athletes know the words and that they automatically go right into singing when it is played to honor them winning the gold medal.

    Here is a great resource from the National Anthem Project. Read carefully the entire document. It has been revisted after each major American conflict since its inception.

    http://www.thenationalanthemproject.org/reprise.pdf

    Take care ~

    Frank

  • Margaret

    Why are Americans surprised that their Olympics athletes don’t behave with dignity when their anthem was played, when the anthem has been sung at other event like pop songs?? There have been R&B, pop rock versions of the supposedly solemn anthem sung at football, baseball games, how “serious” and respectful is that?

  • Alex

    That Alexandre Bilodeau was overwhelmed may not be the real reason behind his treatment of the Canadian anthem — it might just be that he doesn’t know the words very well. The anthem is not widely sung in his home province of Quebec where patriotism (for Canada) in Quebec tends to be muted among the francophone community (I won’t go into the details). For instance, the anthem is not played at the beginning of the school day as it is in all the other provinces (as far as I know). The only time you really hear the anthem in Quebec would be at the beginning of a Montreal Canadiens home game.

    Interesting piece.

  • Shannon

    On the broadcast, it was posited that Shaun White’s behavior on the podium was due to not being taught how to act. This is a ridiculous defense of his behavior. He is 23 years old and has been to the olympics before, and has certainly watched the ceremonies of previous olympics. Beyond that, every sport has such ceremonies at every level. He can see how the other winners behave, and doesn’t need to be further educated. He just needs to be roundly criticized for not acting as he knows he should.

  • Maurice Guindi

    Concerning Alex Bilodeau, winning the first canadian Olympic medal on Canadian soil is a huge honour. Also, our national anthem is sung in two languages. I can easily change from French to English and back. I grew up in Montreal and we heard the anthem daily. We do sing the anthem here in Quebec but being bilingual half of us would sing in English while some in French. Go Canada Go!!!

Putin Warns Against Interference in Russia
Go to Video