The Winter Olympics are a spectacular opportunity to showcase an athlete’s ability and unite the world under the common interest: athletics. Every four years, the international community marvels at the display of peak human athletic ability. At PDS, the Olympics remain a popular event for all to enjoy. Junior Jace Li shares this perspective, explaining that she enjoys watching the Olympics, where, “athletes are able to showcase not only their athletic abilities, but also good sportsmanship.” Li voices that the Olympics can be enjoyed by both athletes and non-athletes, something only a handful of sporting events can do. She continues to express that the Olympics will never really die, as it is such a historic and cherished global tradition

Senior Justin Philip holds an opposing view, expressing that the Olympics do not hold the same weight as they once did, but that many still tune into the big events. “Obviously, people still follow the big games like USA vs. Canada in hockey, but I feel that the hype around it is dwindling.” While Philip maintains that the event still retains most of its charm and awe, he believes it has lost some of the appeal it once had. 

Personally, I do not believe the Olympics have fallen off. In fact, the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics averaged about 23.5 million viewers in the U.S., 96% more than the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the highest since 2014. I believe this was in part due to the compelling American competitors this year. Alysa Liu, for example, has recently become the first American since 2002 to win gold in women’s figure skating. Moreover, Elana Meyers Taylor of California has just made history, tying Bonnie Blair for the most medals by an American woman in history. 

While it is clear that the international spectacle has lost some of its popularity and excitement over the years, it remains one of the most coveted and glorious world-wide sporting events.