Comment: The Olympic Games are back

Commentary: The Olympics are back – just as we want them to be

Remember three years ago? Tokyo was the host country and the Japanese people were more than welcoming. But there were no spectators. There were no cheers from the stands. Athletes wore masks between events, as did officials and members of the media. Daily saliva tests were required of all participants. Everything about the 2020 Olympics was unique.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the entire world, has changed the landscape of the biggest sporting event in the world. As with any other Olympics, the athletes have produced breathtaking performances, including world records for Caeleb Dressel and Tatjana Schoenmaker.

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As Paris prepares to host the Games for the first time in a century, there is a certain joy that the Olympics will once again be a gathering of the world. Athletes will be cheered in person by adoring fans. They will receive their medals to well-deserved standing ovations. Parents will weep, and journalists around the world, working around the clock, will tell stories of success, perseverance and heartbreak.

The Games are coming back in the form we want.

My trip to Paris will mark the fifth time I’ve covered the Olympics in person. My first trip was to the 2008 Games in Beijing, where I had the chance to document the moment one man won eight gold medals and set seven world records while making history. London followed, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. There were memorable moments at each stop.

If Michael Phelps' exploits stand out from that maiden voyage, there was something special about seeing Katie Ledecky win gold in the 800-meter freestyle in London. She was 15 years old then, and while she had the potential to do great things in the years to come, it was unclear whether she would one day be considered the greatest swimmer in history.

The 2016 Games offered the chance to see Anthony Ervin win the 50m freestyle, 16 years after he first won the title, and saw Simone Manuel and Penny Oleksiak tie in the 100m freestyle. It was then a five-year wait for Tokyo, with the Olympics pushed back a year from their original 2020 date. Just to be there, when few had that chance, was surreal.

What does 2024 have in store for us? I'm not a psychic, so I'm just guessing. I'm sure the French fans will go crazy as soon as local hero Leon Marchand steps into the starting blocks. And if he wins at least one gold medal, as expected, expect quite the celebration.

Based on history, I am sure there will be at least one surprise winner, similar to Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Balandin in the 200m breaststroke in 2016. There will probably also be some sort of controversy, with discussions of doping at the forefront of possibilities.

What is known is that the athletes who were invited to this sporting spectacle have dedicated their lives to being Olympians. In the United States, the events that are the Olympic swimming trials are generally considered to be more stressful than the Olympic Games. This theory explains why Shaine Casas celebrated his qualification for Paris with pure joy, his emotions manifested in his actions at the finish of the 200m individual medley and then in his words at his post-race press conference.

“I played that race in my head, I dreamed about it, I visualized what that moment would be like,” Casas said. “I was a little emotional because it was a lot to take in. It kind of represented my entire life’s work and everyone that was important to me, who helped me get to this point.”

That point? It's the Olympics. Ready to light up Paris. Back to what they should be.

I'm eager to.