Albertville Olympics — 30 years on

On the day of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, some thoughts. 30 years ago in 1992, I was very proud to be walking in the opening ceremony of the Albertville Olympics.

No, that’s not me carrying the flag, I was only a mid-ranked moguls skier.

Wilf Owen carrying the flag for the British Winter Olympic Team, Albertville 1992

OK, since you asked…

This is me, skiing moguls, 30 years ago. Nice form, you have to admit.

Here’s another one. Yes, that is me. No, it’s not a one-piece. And no, we didn’t wear helmets.

Chamonix 1992. Not actually taken during the Olympics, but you get the idea.

Opening ceremonies are great for the athletes. It’s like four years of work is finally over. You don’t know what the next two weeks is going to bring (Glory? Injury?) but the excitement is at fever pitch. OK, yes, those were one-pieces. In 1992 Team GB had the worst uniforms.

Team GB had the worst uniforms in Albertville.

Opening ceremonies are very inspiring. All that symbolism! Trigger alert: this is where this piece is going to take a bit of a darker turn.

Olympic flame, Albertville opening ceremony

You know where all that symbolism in the Olympic opening ceremony comes from? The torch relay, the flags, the oath, the bell? All introduced in 1936 at the Nazi Olympics, lifted straight from the Nuremberg Rallies. Watch Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph des Willens and you’ll be left in no doubt.

If you want to know where the Olympic Opening Ceremony got its symbolism, watch this.

In 1992, there was a particularly stark reminder of the dark past of the Olympics. President of the International Olympic Committee at the time was an old fascist, Juan-Antonio Samaranch, who dropped in to declare the Games open. Nice work, if you can get it, right?

Old fascist declaring the Albertville Olympics open.

When I say he was an old fascist, it’s not a figure of speech. He was old, and he was a fascist: the de-facto sports minister under Franco. The Olympics was never de-nazified after WWII, unlike most public bodies. Here he is, giving the fascist salute.

Juan Antonio Samaranch gives a Nazi salute in 1974, six years before becoming IOC president.

If you’re about to say “let’s keep the politics out of sport”, please don’t. Sport has been political since the first ancient Olympic games in 776BC was used to identify who was and who wasn’t Greek — and probably before.

“Keep the politics out of sport!” said every demagogue in history.

By the way, f you have not listened to or watched my conversation with Ban Ki Moon on my podcast and YouTube channel, Cleaning Up, I strongly recommend it. He stunned me by saying we need deal with climate change first and human rights later. And he’s the chair of the IOC’s ethics committee!

Ban Ki Moon on my podcast and YouTube channel, Cleaning Up. According to him, climate change is so urgent we need to deal with it first, and human rights later. I think we need to do both at the same time.

Despite being an Olympic athlete, I support the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games by the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India and Denmark. Japan is sending no senior officials. Let the athletes go and compete, but that’s all.

If you need to ask why a diplomatic boycott is justified, you need to read more news. Tibet, Hong Kong, Uyghurs, Covid, threats to Taiwan, Peng Shuai, labour rights… we cannot turn a blind eye. And I speak as someone well aware of the West’s history and present-day failings.

Anyway, you’re all asking, how did I get on 30 years ago? Olympic Gold went to Edgar Grospiron, who kept his cool despite skiing through a hellish snow shower. His look of concentration at the start is everything: he was born to win this and he knew it.

Edgar Grospiron in the start gate for the finals of the mens’ moguls in Albertville, 1992. 31.23 seconds later he was the Olympic champion.

I didn’t medal. In fact I came 32nd. Out of how many, you ask? Oh, about 5.5 billion, and the top-placed management consultant! But seriously, I put in some good turns, hit a few problems. Would have liked to make top 20. But can’t complain — what a day!

I came 32nd. It’s on the internet, so it must have happened.

And I did get an Olympic Participation Medal. A bit like school, everyone gets some sort of prize, but a cool bit of merch nevertheless.

My Albertville Olympic Participant’s Medal.

Not everyone can get one of these! Oh wait, here’s one on Ebay.

An Albertville Olympic Participant’s Medal on Ebay.

I mustn’t forget the pin. Four years of my life, and I got a medal you can buy on eBay and a lapel pin. Oh, and I get to use the letters OLY after my name, should I so desire (I don’t).

Nice lapel pin.

But enough cynicism. What an experience! What a joy to push your body to its limits! What stories! What friendships! What fun!

So, back to the opening ceremony. Here’s me, preparing to march into the stadium as part of the British Olympic Team, Albertville 1992.

The whole thing was like a dream.

Me, backstage before the Opening Ceremony. I’m the one with the halo. That’s Wilf with the flag.

Coda. Before you ask how my knees are: not great to be honest, but then I am 58. Having said that, I was skiing icy bumps just a month ago. Good genes: my mum is about to turn 91, she skied until the start of the Covid pandemic!

Me skiing moguls 30 years later, January 2022. Nasty icy ones, as it happens.

So there you go. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the Games, but do so with a bit more sense of history and wisdom. The Olympics are a great sporting festival, but they are also a great vector for propaganda.

Selah!