My entire FYP is Olympic videos and I haven’t stopped crying

July 30th, 2024 | Written by Sierra Madison

The Olympics were a pretty big deal in my house, I remember as a kid squeezing onto the couch with my mum and brother to watch the opening ceremony, and every time without fail my mum would sob the moment the Canadian team walked in. My brother and I used to tease her for this, neither of us able to understand why the Olympics made her so emotional.

I’m happy to report I haven’t been spared from the tale as old as time, aka growing up and turning into my mother. That’s right, I am now the one sobbing on the couch. Yesterday, as I watched Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old Toronto native become the first Canadian woman to take gold in the women’s 400-metre individual medley, I couldn’t hold back the tears that came streaming down my face.

It wasn’t necessarily watching her swim that brought me to tears (though it did play a factor of course, being able to see first-hand the years of hard work and sacrifice these athletes make just for this one moment), the waterworks started when the camera panned to the crowd, specifically to her parents, who were holding onto one another. Even through my tiny iPhone screen, I could feel the tension rising as the crowd started roaring, people leaning over the railing, cheering her on during the race’s final seconds.

The absolute human emotion in that moment, the feeling of an entire room banding together to support one person’s dream, and bearing witness to the years of hard work and dedication it took McIntosh to get there. How could you not burst into tears?

I asked a few of my friends (and my mother) what about the Olympics made them so emotional:

So, it seems I’m not alone in my emotional responses to the Games, but can science back us up? Or is my community just reallllly emotional?

Well, maybe, but science does have our back on this one!

While speaking to TripleJ Mary Spillane, a psychologist at the Australian Institute of Sport said, “As humans, we're predisposed to connecting and empathising with people. So if we see someone who looks sad and upset, we're likely to feel a bit sad and upset for them. And likewise, if we see someone, you know, just absolutely elated and joyous, then we're really likely to connect with that as well. So it's sort of this really great part of the human experience where we feel what others feel as well, and connect with people in that way.”

Thomas Dixon, another expert, wrote a book on the history of weeping, contending that sports hold the same significance for modern humans as profound religious and theatrical experiences did for those of centuries past, writing "For those of us weeping among the spectators or on our sofas at home, what we are doing is not so different from someone who weeps over the grief of Mary Magdalene or the woes of Titus Andronicus - namely, experiencing our common humanity and performing it through our body.”

To sum it up, there are a few reasons we tend to get so emotional while watching the Olympics:

Emotional Intensity and Athletes' Experiences

The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement, embodying years of dedication, training, and sacrifice. We witness athletes experiencing a spectrum of intense emotions, from the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat. Research shows that these emotional experiences are deeply embedded in the athletes' identities and social contexts.

As we watch their journeys, it's hard not to connect emotionally with what they go through. The narratives built around the athletes' journeys often highlight themes of overcoming adversity, achieving personal bests, and national pride, which leads to emotional investment in their stories. This connection often results in empathetic responses, such as crying during particularly poignant moments.

Social and Cultural Factors

The Olympics hold a deep social and cultural significance and are profoundly impactful for both athletes and spectators. They act as a stage for multicultural integration, promoting equality and fostering a global sense of community. Influential cultural figures and government entities, like the British Olympic Association’s push for amateurism, shape societal values and public perception, heightening emotional investment. As a major international event, the Olympics captivate worldwide attention, transforming them into a democratic celebration that unites people and creates shared emotional experiences.

The universal appeal of the Olympics, magnified by extensive media coverage, strengthens the emotional connection for participants and viewers alike. Local support and the anticipation of positive legacies, evident in the 2016 Rio Olympics, also play a significant role in shaping emotional responses. The rise of social media has further revolutionized intercultural exchange, allowing for immediate and widespread sharing of cultural and emotional expressions related to the Games. This collective experience, enhanced by the global reach and communal aspect of viewing, creates powerful emotional moments, often leading to shared feelings of joy or sorrow.

Media Influence

Media coverage of the Olympics significantly amplifies viewers' emotional responses by highlighting dramatic and emotional moments. The portrayal of athletes' triumphs and setbacks evokes strong reactions, allowing viewers to connect deeply with their personal stories. Research indicates that the media's emotional framing of events intensifies spectators' identification with national teams and athletes, fostering a heightened sense of national pride and collective identity. For example, NBC's coverage of the 2012 London Olympics was designed to maximize emotional engagement by focusing on the journeys and achievements of American athletes, which, in turn, amplified viewers' emotional involvement and national identification.

The media's influence extends to the portrayal of mental health issues faced by athletes, as seen during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Coverage of athletes discussing their mental health struggles added a humanizing and relatable aspect to their public personas, fostering empathy and emotional connection among viewers. This emotional engagement isn't limited to broadcasts; it also flourishes on social media platforms, where real-time interactions and emotional exchanges further enhance the collective emotional experience of the Olympics.

Maybe me and my besties are a little more emotional than the average person, but I think it’s safe to say that the Olympics spark waterworks for a lot of us. So, next time you burst into tears while watching a 17-year-old win a gold medal just know I’m probably sitting on my couch sobbing too.