State-of-the-art technology and round-the-clock coverage surrounds the Olympic Games these days, but one thing has remained a constant since the beginning of the age-old competition: people from all corners of the Earth excitedly gather to celebrate the top athletes in the world. This mission of uniting the world with sports has been at the center of the modern iteration of the Olympics, which began back in 1896. And while it’s hard to imagine the games before these modern-day grand displays became the norm, the Olympics has built a clever bridge between past and present. They produced a series of comparisons of how the Olympic Games looked a century ago.
By taking a deep dive into their video archive, the Olympics are able to draw individual comparisons in each discipline. For example, they juxtapose footage from the women’s javelin competition from Los Angeles 1932 and Tokyo 2020. First, we see Mildred Didrikson from the U.S., as the available technology can barely keep up with her throw. Then, we watch the 2020 champion, Liu Shiying is captured from multiple angles in 4K.
The achievements also show the passage of time. Didrikson throws the javelin at a distance of 40 meters (about 132 feet) while Liu got a stunning 66.34 meters (217.65 feet,) becoming the first Asian female to win an Olympic gold medal in the women’s javelin throw. This is reflected in other comparisons as well, including the men’s 400 meters. The winner of the 2020 Olympics was Steven Gardiner, with a mark of 43.85 seconds, while it took Arthur Wint, the London 1948 champion, 46.20 seconds to finish the race.
Despite the conditions of each video, one thing’s for sure: the excitement and sportsmanship are a mirror between competitors of today and yesteryear. It doesn’t matter if they are from 1912 (the oldest available footage), 1932, or 1948—they all give it everything they’ve got.
To stay up to date with these insightful then-and-now comparisons, make sure to follow the Olympics on YouTube.
The Olympics produced a series of then-and-now comparisons of the Olympic Games.
By taking a deep dive into their video archive, the Olympics are able to draw individual comparisons in each discipline.
The achievements also show the passage of time.
Despite the conditions of each video, one thing’s for sure: the excitement and sportsmanship are a mirror between competitors of today and yesteryear.
Olympics: Website | Instagram | YouTube
h/t: [Open Culture]
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