Bruins bask in Olympic pride
By Sara Salam
Aug. 24, 2008 9:34 p.m.
In the first documented Olympic Games centuries ago, a cook from Elis named Coroebus won its sole event, the equivalent of a 210-yard dash.
Now, every four years, thousands of athletes from every corner of the globe flock to a pre-selected destination to participate in this prestigious international athletic showcase consisting of more than 300 events.
This year, 39 Bruins made the journey to the Summer Olympic Games to take part in the storied spectacle.
With the conclusion of the XIX Olympiad Sunday in Beijing, China, Bruins return to the hills of Westwood. Some come home laden with Olympic hardware, others are awash with disappointment.
But all come home indelibly affected by an experience unmatched in competitive vigor and with horizons eternally broadened.
The caliber of competition the Olympics host arguably transcends that of most day-to-day contests.
But so does the ethos that characterizes the international competitors.
UCLA women’s soccer coach Jillian Ellis served as an assistant coach of the U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team that won gold during these past summer games.
She said she was very impressed by the atmosphere of the Olympic Village, complexes that were built to house all participating athletes, their trainers, officials and other staff.
“Being in the Olympic Village is an incredible reflection of the power of sport to unite people,” Ellis said in an e-mail.
“National pride is everywhere, but you really do feel a part of something bigger.”
The sheer grandness of the games stimulates competitors to engage in sport at levels perhaps previously deemed unfathomable.
Junior soccer forward Kara Lang, who played on the Canadian national team, described the grand aura of the Olympics.
“I’ve been to a few World Cup competitions now, but they cannot even compare to this experience,” Lang said in an e-mail.
“It means so much more because you are a part of something bigger than your own sport.
“There is so much pride in being a part of the whole Canadian Olympic team and being amongst so many of the world’s best athletes ““ not just soccer players.”
Though it may seem that the international character that typifies the games may supersede the athletes’ connection with their home and the university, there is evidence that suggests otherwise.
Essentially, each athlete serves as a diplomat for the Bruin namesake.
Lang said that in her experience UCLA’s reputation overseas has been positive.
“UCLA is very well-known throughout the world,” Lang said. “I’m not sure if there has ever been a time in my travels where I’ve mentioned that I go to UCLA and someone has not known about the school and had not had something good to say about it.”
Former UCLA water polo player and 2003 graduate Natalie Golda echoed this sentiment.
“Whenever I discuss UCLA overseas, it is usually a great conversation,” Golda said in an e-mail.
Golda also said that there are quite a few recognizable faces, even though the matches take place in a completely different setting.
“We play against a bunch of girls that have played polo in the States, so sometimes the competition looks familiar,” Golda said.
Even within the collegiate community, most water polo players know each other from high school and club competitions. This degree of intimacy also manifests itself within the international realm of competition.
Though the Olympics represent a coming together of multiple athletic communities into one universal enterprise, each enclave possesses its own identity.
While not officially recognized as a national delegation, UCLA commands a similar presence.
Though the Bruin Olympians did not travel to Beijing as a single competitive body, 14 countries total were represented by UCLA including Singapore, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago. Individually each athlete represents the greater UCLA community regardless of which nation’s flag they fly.
Golda described the Olympic Games as a test of personal strength and a measure of how well one can cope with the undulations of the competition.
“The Olympic Games are a struggle of highs and lows ““ managing the victories and working through the adversities of competition,” Golda said.
Despite the emotional stress that accompanies the tension of competition, the games retain a special place in the hearts of all who share in the grandeur.
“The Olympics has been an amazing experience,” Ellis said. “I feel fortunate to have been a part of such a special team and involved in the Olympic Games. It will always be an experience I treasure.”
