The silence that precedes the apotheosis

Negative news that we are accustomed to seeing in everyday life will step aside for the realization of dreams.

There is an extremely difficult unit of time to measure or to understand. That’s why it doesn’t have a name, or a precise definition. But every athlete has experienced it. It is often felt in that short moment before the ball hits the basket or a cage. Or that millisecond that precedes the runners drag shot. In these moments, for the athletes, the world stops. There is absolute silence while a critical moment is unfolding.

Today, the world will go into absolute silence. A silence that will be broken by the apotheosis of victory! The point scored, the medal won! The bad news that we are used to seeing in our daily lives will be pushed aside to make room for the dreams of more than 11,238 athletes who are, at this moment, on the other side of the world, each one in search of the highest point on the podium.

The athlete feels courage, focus, and the pride of being an Olympian. The years of missed weekends, holidays, vacations and family events are justified by this Olympic moment. It’s an exuberant broth of thoughts and feelings alongside self-confidence and belief in one’s abilities, mind and energy.

Today, the extraordinary is present at the Olympic Games. It is in the joining of different races, creeds and political ideologies, without the influence of socio-economic status languages, habits, and customs mix and are embraced by all who strive to achieve the greatest sporting honor. It’s an environment of global brotherhood, mutual respect and competitiveness.

During the ceremony, men and women from 206 nations are united by the values that sport provides. And in this moment of time, between the lighting and extinguishing of the Olympic flame, we will be silent to witness the extraordinary. Let the games begin!