Days of Glory and Heartbreak

The centennial edition of the Olympic Games begins today in Atlanta, where the roar of the crowd at opening ceremonies is likely to be repeated throughout the 17-day marathon of sport. Television will transport the thrills and disappointments into more homes of the global village than ever before. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the Frenchman who in the 19th century proposed reviving the classical Games of Greece, would be amazed.

The 1996 Games are the first in the American South and promise to give Atlanta both glory and headaches. The modern Olympics have never been all fun and games. Host cities usually have had to grapple with daunting financing, aggravating traffic and the anger of fans who must pay staggering prices to watch the events and then return to hotels with rates that are misdemeanors at least.

But the Games do bring a special cachet to the host city, as they twice have to Los Angeles. Remember the 1984 Olympics? It was a party, a wonderful time for L.A., and the first modern Games to make money. Grainy film images have captured the contests of 1932, for which the Coliseum was erected, giving Los Angeles the reputation of an Olympic city par excellence.

But the Games are not perfection. The athletes are human, often high-strung. Memories of 1984 come to mind. Mary Decker Slaney, America’s premier woman distance runner, falling off the track when her foot was clipped by a rival, the barefoot South African Zola Budd. The photo of Slaney’s anguish captured the drama of the Games for all time, and now, 12 years later, she’s in Atlanta to compete again. The L.A. Games also introduced Carl Lewis, arguably America’s greatest track athlete of the 20th century, who will compete this year in his fourth Olympics.

The Atlanta events will put the national spotlight for the first time on young athletes like 14-year-old Amanda Beard of Irvine, a swimmer and Dennis Rodman fan who can’t wait to color her hair with Kool-Aid. More familiar to sports enthusiasts is sprinter Michael Johnson, who is seeking to become the first man ever to claim gold medals in the 200- and 400-meter events. And then there’s the Dream Team. No, not the awesome and professional men’s basketball squad, but the U.S. women’s team.

So ready, set . . . bang. Let the Games begin.