Rankin Inlet residents weigh in on Summer Olympics

The Olympic Games are in full swing in Paris, France, this week and there could be a lot more on the line than normal at the 2024 event.

The Games are scheduled to run from July 26 until Aug. 11.

Kyle Tattuinee, of Rankin Inlet, said he wasn't really looking forward to the arrival of the Games this year.

Tattuinee said the only event he always makes a point of watching is the 100-metre dash.

He said that's the only sport that really makes him excited while watching a Summer Olympics event.

“That and the 4x100 metre (relay race) event are the only two events I go out of my way to try and make sure I see during the Summer Olympics,” said Tattuinee. “This year, I might tune into a little bit of female soccer with Canada's women's team rated so highly.

“If they make it to the medal games, then I'll watch for sure but, honestly, first and foremost for me is the 100-metre dash and the 4x100 metre relay race. If we had more world-class athletes who were a threat to win a medal, I might watch a bit more.

“I will watch a bit of the swimming if I happen to be in front of a TV set when it's on, but that's, pretty much, it for me. So swimming and running, I guess you could say, are my two favourites to watch.

“I certainly wasn't counting down the days until they began.”

Darrin Nichol, of Rankin Inlet, has interest in this year's Summer Olympics but not entirely for traditional reasons.

Nichol said the sports are the main event at the 2024 Olympic Games, but he's somewhat more interested in what might happen at the Olympics with so much discord in the world right now.

He said he's interested in seeing what disruption might, or might not, befall the spectacle.

“I'm interested in seeing how things might play out in Paris with everything that's been going on in the world, that's for sure,” said Nichol. “I don't know that there's going to be any skulduggery of the worst kind take place, but there is the potential for the fanning of the flames with all that's been happening with the Russians, the Israelis, some of the Arab countries and China.

“It could be, potentially, a fresh start and, maybe, bring some people together talking, but I think it could also lead to an escalation of tensions, too, so it could prove to really be an interesting two weeks.

“If I were a betting man, I'd bet on an escalation. The Russians are basically banned and it's tough to have an Olympics without the Russians because they're so prolific at so many different sports. They're sending 12 people, but they're not allowed to march in under their own flag, which is understandable, so I see it as having the potential to go either way.

“It could prove to be an exercise that, kind of, brings the world together in the name of peace, good sportsmanship and co-operation, but it could also be a target for an escalation of world international tensions. You could almost liken it to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, which were a precursor to the Second World War. I hate to be a party pooper, but I do see similarities between the 1936 and the 2024 Olympics.”