The Paradox at the Heart of the Olympics

Issue 129: While cooperation and competition might seem like opposites, the Olympics are a timely reminder that healthy competition is rooted in cooperation.

As a glowing hot air balloon ignited by the Olympic torch lifted off over Paris and Celine Dion emerged from a long period of illness to sing from the base of the Eiffel Tower, Dom downloaded a streaming service and settled in with his kids to gorge on sports. Over the next two weeks, they will easily watch more competitive athletics than they have in the past two years combined. Unlike Jay, Dom isn’t really into sports, but there’s just something about the Olympics, that biannual celebration of physical and psychic prowess that draws him in.

Photo credit: Vadim Ghirda/AP

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are in full swing. With attachments to both Canada and the United States, Dom’s kids have no difficulty finding people to cheer for. But even when the Canadians or Americans aren’t in contention, they root for amazing athletes from many other nations. During the Women’s Skateboarding Street competition, they cheered for Coco Yoshizawa of Japan—erupting in glee as she secured the gold medal.…