The year 2016 is not just special because it is a leap year, but also because it is the year the Summer Olympic Games return. Every four years, athletes from all over the world compete in various events to show their athletic ability. The first, second, and third place winners will receive a gold, silver, or bronze medal, respectively. These medals are then put to each country, and the countries compete to see who has the most medals. The Olympics are more about independent categories though, not about who gets the most medals.

This year, the Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio is a beautiful place, but some people feel that having the Olympics here is not a good idea. One of the most concerning issues is the mosquito population. Mosquitos are one of the most deadly species, because of their propensity to carry diseases. Will Connors of the Wall Street Journal says, “As of early December, a record 1.58 million cases of dengue fever were reported in Brazil in 2015. Chikungunya is mushrooming too. Most worrisome is a relatively new, fast-spreading virus called Zika. Authorities estimate it may have infected as many as 1.5 million people in recent months and has been linked by some health officials to nearly 3,200 cases of infant brain damage. While Zika has hit hardest in the Brazil’s poor northeastern region, it’s spreading quickly in Rio de Janeiro state.” If the athletes are exposed to these diseases, it could spread from athlete to athlete through a pool, mat, or anything else that the athletes share. Another issue that has become apparent is the subway system the city is creating – they have decided to construct a 16-kilometer subway system to help with transportation to the stadium they are building. It is set to be up and running on July 1st, and the Olympics start on August 5th; if something were to go wrong with the subway, there is very little time to solve the issue.

People all over the world watch the Olympics, and they have a large variety of sports to watch. From teamwork sports like water polo and hockey, to individual sports like trampoline and swimming. According to Top End Sports, the most watched Olympic sport of the 2012 games in London was swimming. Many people like to watch swimming because of its different strokes mixed with different distances. There is also a relay, in which different athletes from the same country team up against other countries. The United States swim team was very successful in their last Olympic appearance in London, but this time they will be without 22-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps. Phelps had won a medal in every Olympic games he has been to, except the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. Phelps has been an inspiration to swimmers everywhere, and at all levels of competitiveness. Lauren Gutstein, English teacher at WFS, says, “Even though I am not a swimmer, Michael Phelps’s achievements are inspiring to me and the young swimmers in my classroom.” The US swim team will have to rely on Ryan Lochte to fill the shoes of Phelps. Lochte and Phelps swam together and have been clear leaders of the team. The two competed with each other in several Olympic games, such as Beijing in 2008, and London in 2012, but although rivals in the pool, Lochte and Phelps were friends outside of competition. This very well may be Ryan Lochte’s last Olympics, too. Lochte is 31 years old, and even though he had a very good appearance in London, he looked as if he was struggling. Being as old and successful as Lochte is, he should be able to retire with pride of his career.

The United States is looking very strong in many events this year, as they always are. Gabby Douglas, a gymnast, is coming off a very successful 2012 Olympics, earning two gold medals. Douglas was 16 when she made the Olympic Gymnast team, which was known as the “Fierce and Fabulous 5.” The five gymnasts were Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Jordyn Weiber, Kyla Ross, and McKayla Maroney. This team brought home a gold medal for the United States, and hope to do the same this year. Viewers are also getting very excited to watch these women compete this year. When asked to reflect on her thoughts about watching Gabby Douglas and the 2016 gymnastics team, Margaret Sullivan ’17 says, “I am very excited to watch her this year, and hope she does just as well as she did in 2012.”

The Olympic games are undeniably a special and important event, where people all over the world can come together and watch their country compete. Olympians have to be good sportsmen, and treat everyone with the same amount of respect. It is evident that many members of the WFS community are excited to watch the action unfold this summer. Ethan Fruchtman ’18 says, “I look forward to see America compete and take home the gold.” The summer games only happen once every four years, so be sure to tune in and support your country!