Michael Schumacher, Skiing and Safety as the Olympics begin

Former Formula One racer Michael Schumacher is recognized throughout the world of sports as the greatest F-1 driver of all time. An athlete since he was four years old, Schumacher is undoubtedly a veteran of the sport. His F-1 career spanning 21 years was filled with an exceptional amount of achievements. A seven-time Formula One World Champion, among many other titles and records; he retired most recently, in 2012, but is still a large part of the racing world.

Schumacher after winning the US Grand Prix in 2006. Source: F-1

Affectionately called “Schumi” by his fans, he started his F-1 career at Benetton and won the first of his 7 World Championships there. In 1995, after winning his second Championship, he shifted to Ferrari and has forever since been associated with the iconic red car with its prancing horse. He retired for the first time, a 7 time champion, in 2007 and continued with Ferrari till 2009 as an assistant race director. From 2010 to 2012, he raced for the Mercedes team under former boss Ross Brawn and retired, for a second time, in 2012.

Schumacher skiing in Meribel, France. Source: People

Recently though, he has been in the news, to his fans and the racing community at large, for the direst of reasons. While vacationing in the French Alps, in December 2013, Schumacher suffered a near fatal head injury from a skiing accident. His accident happened over a

month ago, yet the media glare surrounding him and his condition has not waned. Constant medical and public attention has followed Schumacher since his nearly fatal accident (and, subsequent coma) last month; this has intensified in the past 24 hours, as rumors spread that he was slowly being lifted out of his coma.

           Site of Schumacher's accident at Meribel, France. Source: grandprix247                               

Throughout the entire ordeal, Schumacher’s family has requested absolute privacy in regards to his condition, yet information leaked this week revealing doctors’ plans to gently release his sedation. No prognoses have yet been confirmed by Schumacher’s doctors at the clinic in Grenoble, France, where he is being treated at. Regardless, fellow athletes around the world, who are eager for Schumacher’s recovery, have come out with messages of hope and good wishes towards the veteran driver and his family.

Recovery, in this circumstance, is not entirely guaranteed. The severe trauma Schumacher sustained to his skull caused his brain to swell at a rate that forced doctors to medically induce a coma in him. While in a coma, his brain will, hopefully, stop swelling and return to a more stable and treatable condition. Doctors have expressed their concerns that even if Schumacher wakes up from his coma, he may never be the same person, let alone the supreme athlete that he was before.

Schumacher’s accident and, now, early stages of recovery are happening at a time when the world’s eyes are intensely focused on sports. With the Sochi Olympics having begun yesterday, both athletes and avid skiers have been focusing more and more of their attention on winter sports.

Schumacher’s accident brings up an extremely important aspect of these sports: safety. While Schumacher’s condition leaves the world hoping for his full recovery, it also leaves us questioning our safety practices when it comes to activities like skiing. Safety should never be taken lightly and hopefully the many athletes participating in the Games will reinforce our knowledge and understanding of proper safety in regards to winter sports. As we watch the Olympics this year, we will not only hope for safety for all of the athletes competing, but we will continue hoping for Schumacher’s recovery as well.

-Brynn Rollo

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Fears over athletes' safety as Russian government's anti-homosexual attitude mars Sochi Olympics excitement

Official Logo of the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014

Sporting events bring together massive amounts of athletes, friends, family, journalists and spectators. In a world where athletics seems to be the closest thing we all have to a universal language, it is never a welcomed thought to think that a worldwide event, such as the Olympics, would have such a negative connotation to it. The Sochi Winter Olympics, scheduled to start in under a week, has been surrounded by surprisingly hateful ideas.

The Olympics has always intended to hold a humane standard, meaning that any athlete, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, can equally compete. These have been (or attempted to be) the standards for the Games for years. This is debatably the greatest aspect of the Olympic games: equality. The Olympics focus on athletic ability. It is not concerned with and does not discriminate against where you are born, what kind of accent you speak with, or what your political views are.

However, the Olympics is a sporting event just like any other, and it comes with a great deal of publicity. Citizens of host countries have often used sporting events to publicize either their political or social reform efforts within their countries. Protests, marches, and strikes are all tactics used by groups of people attempting to force change, or at the least force some global attention onto their country’s problems.

Gay rights activists in St. Petersburg, Russia, May 2013. Source: Bloomberg

This year, the major theme surrounding the Sochi Olympics, is Russia and its anti-gay laws and attitudes. Even though Russia’s constitution claims equality and rights for all people, it has not stopped the mayor of Sochi from claiming that homosexuality will not be tolerated, and has never been tolerated in Russia. Russia claims to respect their citizens’ privacy, while at the same time condemning any homosexual activity and publicity.

Countries around the world, especially the United States, have been making efforts to boycott these Olympics. They have been concerned about the safety of their athletes, but Olympic committees around the world have deemed it more beneficial to participate in the Games, as opposed to causing a global disagreement. 

Sochi has promised the Games’ attendees’ safety, in exchange for their respect of Russia. This hypocritical view has left many in a state of confusion. Journalists have been attempting to challenge these statements in order to gain some clarity. Not much progress has been made on this account because when the mayor of Sochi- Mr. Antoly Pakhomov of President Putin's United Russia Party, was questioned about his views on homosexuality, he stated that Sochi has simply never had homosexuals thus far and therefore will never have them in the future as well.

Sochi Mayor says no gays in his town Source: BBC

It is unfortunate that any negative attitudes are being created in regards to the Olympics, an event that is supposed to unite the world in a common goal. Regardless of disputes and disagreements, athletes everywhere wish for a peaceful Games during which they can compete at the highest caliber against the best competition. As the Games get closer and closer, we must keep not only our ears open but also our minds, and hopefully our divided world can come together again for such an important event – The Olympic Games.

-Brynn Rollo

>>Click here to read more on protests against the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia