By Jeffrey D. Jones
RIO DE JANEIRO ― The Rio Olympics have come to a close and a few observations about the games are worth some consideration.
The games were safe. They were not without incident such as the drunken vandalism by U.S. swimmers and a few minor brawls stemming from frustration in lines or access to venues. Most important, however, was the absence of major violence or acts of terrorism. The global attention generated by the Olympics provides the perfect stage for many hate groups to unleash their destruction of property and life. Not a single incident occurred during the Rio Games when so many were predicting it would happen.
Much credit for this goes to the Brazilian authorities for their diligence and incredible hard work. Police and military officials were highly visible throughout the event at every venue and road leading to a venue. Access was sometimes difficult, but the rules were uniformly, consistently, firmly and politely enforced.
It was clear also that advances in technology played a major role in security for the games. If we learn anything from the Brazilians as we prepare for the PyeongChang Games, I hope our organizing committee copies the playbook on security from the Rio Organizing Committee. How grateful the whole world should be for the diligence and competency of the Brazilian authorities in keeping the games safe.
The Olympic Games provide the chance to get a short glimpse of some very remarkable human achievements. This is apparent in the unbelievable athletic talent shown by all of the competitors ― medalists or not ― and in the technical support to put on the games. The broadcasting, judging, statistical management, etc. are simply incredible and not readily apparent when just watching the events on TV. Seeing the remarkable achievements of so many people required to put on an event like the Olympics was a thrilling experience.
One of my personal favorites was Lee Dae-hoon, a taekwondo athlete who was expected to win a gold medal in his weight class. Lee lost to the ultimate gold medalist during his eighth round match but he was able to come back to win a bronze medal, itself a remarkable achievement. More unforgettable was his reaction after losing to his Jordanian competitor. Despite the agony of his defeat, he warmly cheered the victory of his competitor and in so doing won the hearts of the crowd in the arena and made them all fans of Korea and Lee. His sportsmanship and courage were truly inspirational. It reminded me that winning a medal is not everything. Lee is clearly a winner in life and his bronze medal is a bonus, but not his greatest achievement. The greatness of his humanity outweighs the value of any medal.
Having the privilege of living in the athletes' village was a remarkable experience itself. The collection of some of the tallest, fastest, strongest, most enduring human beings on Earth was just plain awesome. It was heartwarming to see the diversity and variety of greatness gathered in the village and despite the fierce competitive nature of these athletes, everyone was warm and charitable. It was truly wonderful to see the greatness of the human race.
Finally, the Brazilians were wonderful hosts and fans. At every event the Brazilian crowds were generous and amazingly friendly. They would cheer for the athletes irrespective of nationality. The thousands of volunteers were always helpful and I have to conclude that the all-around gold medal goes to the Brazilians for making everyone feel welcome and special. PyeongChang is next. I hope we can meet and exceed the generosity of Rio!
Jeffrey D. Jones has been with Kim & Chang since 1980 advising Korean, U.S. and European companies involved in and outside Korea. He has worked as a legal advisor for Team Korea at the Rio Olympics. Contact him at jdjones@kimchang.com
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The games were safe. They were not without incident such as the drunken vandalism by U.S. swimmers and a few minor brawls stemming from frustration in lines or access to venues. Most important, however, was the absence of major violence or acts of terrorism. The global attention generated by the Olympics provides the perfect stage for many hate groups to unleash their destruction of property and life. Not a single incident occurred during the Rio Games when so many were predicting it would happen.
Much credit for this goes to the Brazilian authorities for their diligence and incredible hard work. Police and military officials were highly visible throughout the event at every venue and road leading to a venue. Access was sometimes difficult, but the rules were uniformly, consistently, firmly and politely enforced.
It was clear also that advances in technology played a major role in security for the games. If we learn anything from the Brazilians as we prepare for the PyeongChang Games, I hope our organizing committee copies the playbook on security from the Rio Organizing Committee. How grateful the whole world should be for the diligence and competency of the Brazilian authorities in keeping the games safe.
The Olympic Games provide the chance to get a short glimpse of some very remarkable human achievements. This is apparent in the unbelievable athletic talent shown by all of the competitors ― medalists or not ― and in the technical support to put on the games. The broadcasting, judging, statistical management, etc. are simply incredible and not readily apparent when just watching the events on TV. Seeing the remarkable achievements of so many people required to put on an event like the Olympics was a thrilling experience.
One of my personal favorites was Lee Dae-hoon, a taekwondo athlete who was expected to win a gold medal in his weight class. Lee lost to the ultimate gold medalist during his eighth round match but he was able to come back to win a bronze medal, itself a remarkable achievement. More unforgettable was his reaction after losing to his Jordanian competitor. Despite the agony of his defeat, he warmly cheered the victory of his competitor and in so doing won the hearts of the crowd in the arena and made them all fans of Korea and Lee. His sportsmanship and courage were truly inspirational. It reminded me that winning a medal is not everything. Lee is clearly a winner in life and his bronze medal is a bonus, but not his greatest achievement. The greatness of his humanity outweighs the value of any medal.
Having the privilege of living in the athletes' village was a remarkable experience itself. The collection of some of the tallest, fastest, strongest, most enduring human beings on Earth was just plain awesome. It was heartwarming to see the diversity and variety of greatness gathered in the village and despite the fierce competitive nature of these athletes, everyone was warm and charitable. It was truly wonderful to see the greatness of the human race.
Finally, the Brazilians were wonderful hosts and fans. At every event the Brazilian crowds were generous and amazingly friendly. They would cheer for the athletes irrespective of nationality. The thousands of volunteers were always helpful and I have to conclude that the all-around gold medal goes to the Brazilians for making everyone feel welcome and special. PyeongChang is next. I hope we can meet and exceed the generosity of Rio!
Jeffrey D. Jones has been with Kim & Chang since 1980 advising Korean, U.S. and European companies involved in and outside Korea. He has worked as a legal advisor for Team Korea at the Rio Olympics. Contact him at jdjones@kimchang.com
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