es

22nd Olympics — a triumph of reason

; The 22nd Summer Olympic Games
which opened July 19 in Moscow are a

_ triumph of reason over hatred.

Athletes from more than 80 nations

_ are participating in a unique event that

traditionally brings together hundreds
of millions of people via radio and tele-
vision for a few brief days every four
years.

The Olympic movement with its aims
of peace and understanding, of competi-
tion in friendship has survived the hard-
est test in its modern era. The Games
now underway show that the ideals of the
pics are stronger than the voices of

ear. z

Never in this century have the Olym- _

pics been so assailed. The boycott en-
gineered by the United States and taken

up by a number of states was designed to.

smash the modern Games. That effort
has failed.

ae

Canadians, now being subjected to a
crescendo of smears and anti-Soviet re-
ports, are the losers. Instead of informa-
tion about these unique sports events,
about the lives and reality of the Soviet
Union, we have a sports blackout ard a
media campaign to denigrate the Games
and the host country.

Canadian athletes are also the losers,

‘pawns in a cold war power play which

the Liberal government has chosen to
join.

Canadian sovereignty is a victim be-
cause our government. betrayed its
promise made during the elections to act
as a force for reproachment and has
backed Carter’s dangerous drive toward
war

There should be no misunderstandin
— the Olympic boycott is a key part 0
the drive to destroy détente: It is calcu-
lated to sow mistrust, to divide peoples.

It is an ingredient in the process of
building a war psychosis, especially in the
minds of North Americans. It fits neatly
into Washington’s overall offensive
aimed at preventing social change on this
earth.

* * *

Let’s greet the 22nd Olympics as a vic-
tory for peace and friendship. We
should be proud that the majority of the
world’s nations are in Moscow taking
part for these ideals.

It is an important victory because it
shows that the combined voices of pro-
gressive humanity are stronger than
those calling for a return to the days of
anxiety and confrontation.

have had to acknowledge the suc-

cess of the Games and to give
grudging admiration. Some who
have come as correspondents (and
there is a large contingent fromthe tures.
U.S.), have been forced to have
second thoughts. The overwhelm-
ing, sincere spirit of all those asso-
ciated with the Games, the host of-
ficials in particular; have demon-
strated that the desire for friend-
ship and peaceful competition is
universal.

The Moscow atmosphere has
contributed greatly to the success
of the Games. Everywhere there is
a striving to cooperate, to do things
properly, to go out of the way to
provide a smooth functioning for
_an incredibly complex event.

The city itself is very clean, very
green, very orderly. English an-
nouncements are being made for
the first time on the subway. A di-
versified cultural program has been
organized to meet everytaste—the very j é
circus, the Bolshoi, the Pushkin Sie
Fine Arts Gallery, river cruises, vis-
its to factories, collective farms,
and the architectural masterpiece
that is the Kremlin. Misha posters
and banners proclaiming various
Olympic themes decorate all public

The facilities are simply superb,
both those that strictly speaking are
athletic, and those associated with
living facilities. The Olympic Vil-
lage is universally drawing rave re-
views, and after the games it will
become part of a regular Moscow
suburb with affordable rents.

The 10 million citizens. of Mos- Sh
cow lined the streets on Friday ‘0 Participate.
night to see the Olympic flame ar-
rive from Greece. The closest I
could get from the final destination
at the city Soviet building was just
beyond Red Square, a couple of
kilometres away. Even at this dist-.

Continued from page 1

PACIFIC

Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN
Associate Editor — FRED WILSON

Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186 .

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ance the crowds were immense, but which performed the mass displays
exceptionally polite, letting me (changing patterns depicting var-
through with my journalist badge ious themes — an outstanding fea-
and helping me to scramble upa 20 _ ture itself). Right through the mid-
foot scaffolding to try to take pic- dle of this section which led up to

At the sporting events them- miraculously turned into a wooden
selves on Monday the crowds jam- ramp held aloft by thousands. The
med every facility to capacity and Soviet Olympic champions runn-
managed to match the true spirit of ing with the torch effortlessly raced
the Games by giving applause, not upwards to the urn, lit it and simul-
on the basis of nationality as such, taneously thousands of white doves
but strictly on performance.
. The opening day ceremonies fantastic, flawless execution,
were almost poetic, a true display whosesymbolism gave concrete ex-
of the flowering of the human per- Pression to the Olympic credo —
sonality that socialism makes poss- faster, higher, stronger. . .
ible. The diversity, unity, color and

_ imagination that permeated every prise at the end of the superb cul-
aspect of the three hour long pro- tural performances which featured
gram have brought universal all 16 Soviet republics, 16,000 per-
praise. Precisely 10 minutes before formers in all, mostly young ama-
opening the sun broke through and _teurs. Out onto the track came 30
blue skies appeared. Even the cor- motorized containers. On the top
respondent of the Wall Street Jour- of each was a gymnastic vaulting 2 cee
nal told me personally that he was apparatus and one very young am- g Ce ge

opening themeashe raising ofthe was all about, the containers were

fag, dhe turning ovenolthe fag by opened and out frolicked hundreds new sports hall in foreground.

the two Canadians, the march past A saeetoren
of the delegations in their various of small children dressed in Misha

national costumes, the tremendous

round a 5 a for valiant Viet- i :

nam, for Afghanistan, for Cuba Laon : co-existence. The Olympics are liv-
F : : > show. Andtotopitallofftherewas_ . Bie :

ay Sane ovation ve i SO\n: yg spontaneous touch. When the eae 2 its oe of its so

ate alas ion thors Mishas danced their way off, tWo eversed. —

countries miich only es the of them got, lost end wreath sp Se

Olympic flag rather than their na- pie eppeeerindec htt ae

tional one, proved in practise that P ioded a foeahis

the important thing was to be there right human touch for this mascot

Bune, » — symbol of the Games.

When the Olympic flame arriv-

RiBUNE

Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O‘’CONNOR
Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive,

Games opening fantastic,

the urn, the colored pentards had

were released into the blue skies. A

And there was a wonderful sur-

ateur gymnast for every container. ¢
These gymnasts did a few horizon- <

Their teddy bear antics on the
infield completely stole the

from the U.S. cold warriors. It is

national leader of the Communist
Party, William Kashtan.

different political persuasions and

that they are having their eyes
costumes. pene

Finally a word about peaceful

Outstanding in this regard has
been the role of Lord Killanin, who
not only made fine statements at
the Lake Placid Winter Olympics
when the boycott was inaugurated,
A few words about the Cana- but has stood firm, taken a prin-
ed, one couldn’t help but wonder dian angle. We have experienced cipled position throughout, and
how the torch would be put to the Shame because the Trudeau gov- upheld the Olympic spirit of fair
um which was situated at the very ernment caved into the pressure play and peace.
top of Lenin Stadium. Suddenly ‘rom :
there was activity in the section criminal that no Canadian athletes ‘
are present, that the Canadian flag - opening of the Games, when a new
was not flown at this truly interna- president was elected, Lord Kil-
tional gathering. However, 10 Ca- lanin called a press conference and
nadian journalists are present and called a spade a spade — saying it
this is proof that it has been im- ’ = ee sh Seven

ible to completely ignore the and parti 'y Jimmy er who Soa
Zoe per ier tried to sabotage the games, who to Bord Kilanin. -.-

More to the point, it should be cared little for sports except base-
noted that it has been the Com- ball and American football . . .
munist press that has consistently and that God help the world if Car-
called for full support to the tergotthesamekindofpoor advice
Games. It is represented here with on other matters as he had been
- two correspondents along with the —_given on the Olympics.

And to underscore oe matter A

e unprecedented step 0

It is good to report that there are a saditicnal forthright re-
Canadian correspondents here of marks in his opening address thunder!””
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 25, 1980—Page 3

A day or so before the official

-

One event after another, con- : a we BE =e
: dope } irals, and then when everyone
stituted a highlight. The Greek tal sp i . ~  LUZHNIKI SPORTS COMPLEX ... site of most Olympic events,
in the stands was wondering whatit renovated stadium seats 103,000. Complex also includes # new roof-
ed arena and a new Olympic pool, a smaller stadium (at left), and

here.”’

opening day:

ag pci i sis in x asain en Se

wless’ event

before 103,000 fans, 35 percent of
them non-Soviets. It is well to
quote it precisely: ‘‘I would like to
welcome all the athletes and offi-
cials here today, especially those
who have shown their complete in-
dependence to compete, despite
many pressures placed on them. I
must repeat that these Games be-
long to the International Olympic
Committee, and are allocated
purely on the ability of the host city
to organize. I ask you all to com-
pete in the true spirit of mutual un-
derstanding above all differences
of politics, religion or race, in the
wonderful facilities provided

I can think of no more fitting
tribute to all those who have made
these Games such a huge success
than to make certain that the 1980
Nobel Prize for Peace be awarded

The Games are on. World rec-
ords are being broken even on the
first day. The spirit of peaceful
competition has been unleashed. In
the words of the Ode to the Olym-
pics flashed on the score board on

“The Olympic path is wonder-
ful. Dreams are always with peo-
ple. Dare Olympiad be. Step, live,