Many events that will take center stage in Rio de Janeiro this month are on our sports radar only once every four years. Even some of the more ubiquitous events can be tough to get a read on. For that reason, there’s much of the Olympic equation that goes unseen by fans. Good thing there are athletes and coaches who can shed light on these overlooked elements.
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WHAT MIGHT THE CASUAL VIEWER NOT SEE OR REALIZE WHEN WATCHING YOUR SPORT?
Gabby Douglas, gymnastics
“I think people don’t see the hard work, the hours, the effort that we put into the gym. They see the beautiful leotards and the makeup and the beautiful performances out on the floor. They don’t see the behind-the-scenes, when we’re struggling in training or sliding down the beam or crying. They don’t see that.”
Jill Ellis, soccer coach
“There’s a little bit more, probably unknowns traveling down to Brazil. There are certain things that aren’t in place yet that we’ve been told, this is going to happen, and you have to trust that those things will happen. It’s an attitude of having to deal with curveballs; I think you have to have that. You have to be prepared to roll with what comes your way and not get too emotional about it.”
Julie Johnston, soccer
“Travel is always something [that can be overlooked]. We’re not one of the teams that is just staying in Rio like a lot of other sports do.”
Ibtihaj Muhammad, fencing
“There’s some great strides that have been made in our sport internationally that will help to make it more spectator-friendly, whether it be slow-motion replays or lighting the strips or our masks or different things that can help you identify who scored the point. I think that it will be exciting for people to watch, and I think we have the strongest American contingency that we’ve ever had. … We’re all in a position where anyone can bring home a medal on any given day.”
Alyssa Naeher, soccer
“Managing the rest days and getting timing of that kind of preparation, getting your bodies back.”
Hope Solo, soccer
“Set pieces are really hugely important to our team; it helped us win the World Cup last summer. I think everyone kind of knows that, though. We’re [also] traveling with certain pillows, making sure we’re getting proper rest.”
Maggie Steffens, water polo
“I’ve played a lot of sports and I’ve talked to a lot of different people and I’ve seen people in other sports try water polo, and I truly believe it’s the hardest sport to play. The reason I say that is because swimming in itself requires you to use every single muscle in your body the entire time. So imagine a swimming workout while somebody is pushing you around, maybe trying to drown you a little bit while your’e holding a ball, while you’re fending somebody off, while you’re trying to leg up over the water, and on top of that, you are playing one of the hardest mental games.
“Because not only do you need to be mentally tough to withstand all that physical attributes of the game, but it’s like a chess game. You’re trying to figure out each little piece. Where am I passing next? What’s the next move? And so because of all that, the physicality that makes it so tough kind of just adds to the fun of it.
“I always say there’s three games being played during water polo. There’s the underwater game that no one sees that really plays a huge role in how people are getting open or what’s happening … . It kind of allows you to be sneaky and fun because you get to be physical but in a smart way. Then there’s the over-the-water game, which is what the audience sees, the quick ball movement, the over-water physicality, the excitement of it. Then there’s the mental game. It’s like basketball where you’re finding passing lanes, going up and down the pool and having to read out every situation. It’s tough. You’re trying to do that while someone’s trying to drown you.”
Freelancer Paul M. Banks contributed to this report.
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