Rio: let's focus on the good of the Games

Arrived into the beautiful city of Rio today?@olympics @Rio2016_en @AUSOlympicTeam#rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Kj31TjQZZ2

— Caroline Buchanan (@CBuchanan68) August 12, 2016

By Ryan de Souza
Doping violations, security threats, infrastructure and health concerns: heading into Rio 2016 there were undoubtedly some serious controversies threatening to derail the Games of the 31st Olympiad.
Russia was banned from fielding an athletics team and there were calls for the IOC to hand down a blanket ban. Mysterious packages were found near venues and athletes were robbed and threatened as they walked the streets of the Olympic city. The media was inundated with stories about the condition of Australia’s athlete accommodation and the risk of contracting the zika virus.
But here we are within reach of the end of competition and it seems reasonable to say even with these problems in the lead-up, the Rio Olympic Games have been a success.
The elation that surrounds the world in the midst of the Games has been present and this joy is deepened through the feel-good stories. Who wasn’t thrilled when Fiji won their maiden gold medal in the men’s rugby sevens?
We got the chance to witness the most dominant, athletes on the planet. Even when your country loses, there’s something beautiful about watching the likes of Bolt, Phelps and Biles blowing their competitors away.
Yes, we’ve had the green pool fiasco, but until that is found to indeed be hazardous, we might as well be of the opinion the Brazilians dyed the water themselves to match their national colours. American swimmer Ryan Lochte claimed to have been robbed at gunpoint, but he allegedly left Brazil after being requested to present evidence, so how can we know if his account is true?
Forget the controversy and remember how great Rio has been. The Olympics unite the world through competition, and even though Rio was controversy-ridden, these Games have done just that. The real dilemma is that we’re left to wait another four years for the next one.