Gary Hall Jr. on Olympic fun and Games

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BEIJING -- I put on a swim clinic for Chinese swimmers the other day. James Hickman, a three-time Olympian from Great Britain, and Ben Wildman-Tobriner, a gold medalist in Beijing for his part in the 400-freestyle relay, were kind enough to come out with me for the event.

The kids had a great time. I had staged a similar clinic in Japan many years ago. The swimming program was very orderly. But at the end of the clinic, I had all the kids form a circle in the pool. Then we started splashing with our arms and screaming at the top of our lungs.

The coaches seemed really bothered. The kids loved it.

We ended our clinic in China with this same act of wildness.

No matter where you go in the world there are some who need control, order and discipline. We get a lot of that stuff in swimming and in other sports too. But it is important to remember that sports should be fun, at any level.

Usain Bolt was having fun the other night, and it showed.

He’s the fastest runner in the world. It is possible to have fun and perform well? I think he proved it. Hard work can be fun. Competing can be fun. Bolt brought the crowd to its feet during his victory lap by smiling, mugging and posing.

For this Bolt was criticized by some stuffed shirt in the Olympic movement.

He had just won an Olympic gold medal in a world-record time. If he wants to mug for the cameras and dance, let him. He earned the right to celebrate. His celebration brought an element of humanity and emotion to an event that can sometimes come across as robotic if you take the fun out of it.

It took a lot of order and discipline and hard work for Bolt to be that good. Let’s not forget to allow the fun in sports too.

-- Gary Hall Jr.

Gary Hall Jr. became a three-time Olympian after being diagnosed with Type I diabetes. He is an ambassador for Inspired by Diabetes, a global campaign that encourages people touched by diabetes to share their stories with others around the world. The program is a collaboration between Eli Lilly & Co. and the International Diabetes Federation’s Unite for Diabetes initiative. In the U.S., the American Diabetes Assn. is the program’s national advocate. For more information, visit inspiredbydiabetes.com.