Olympia 2024: A declaration of love for team sports

Opinion

Alexander Zverev imagined the Olympic Games differently. With his head hanging, the German tennis player appeared in front of the journalists’ microphones last Thursday – as a loser. He had just been beaten in the quarterfinals by the Italian Lorenzo Musetti. “It was a relatively bad Olympics for Germany,” Zverev sums up and disappears dejectedly into the catacombs.

Germany has only performed mediocrely at the Olympics so far

Alone with his frustration. Only individual athletes know that. The Games also ended disappointingly for swimmer Angelina Köhler. She was just 0.21 seconds away from bronze in the 100 meter butterfly final. The 23-year-old burst into tears in the pool and continued to sob in the interview afterwards. One wished for teammates who would give Köhler a hug.

Germany is currently in a mediocre tenth place in the medal table, but some individual athletes were very successful. The German riders, Lukas Märtens in the 400 meter freestyle and Olli Zeidler in the single sculls – they all won gold. I admire the athletes for their willpower, which they muster in competition without any teammates. Nevertheless, I am convinced that it is better to be together in sport, regardless of victory or defeat.

A team welds together

I can hardly imagine sport without a team. I tried tennis once, but on the court I felt left alone, without support. I tried handball – and found the togetherness that I had previously missed. As a team, we motivated each other, helped each other up, but also spoke frankly at the right moment. The excitement before the competition, the tight phases of a game – dealing with all of that on my own? Unthinkable!

My teammates became close friends. And still are. No wonder: If you trust each other in tricky situations on the field, you trust each other off it too. We celebrated victories, were lonely together after defeats, went out for a drink – sometimes with the opposing team! The main thing was that we weren’t alone. When it hurts, it brings us even closer together. In good times and bad. Even those who were injured weren’t alone. Visiting your teammate in the hospital? A matter of honor.

Moments that only exist in team sports

Team sports release energy. The German handball players’ energy exploded in the quarter-final against France. The outstanding Renārs Uščins, spurred on by his teammates, played himself into a frenzy and scored 14 times. When the 22-year-old scored the decisive goal in extra time for a 35:34 victory, boundless jubilation broke out. The teammates ran to the “Man of the Match” and hugged him. A goosebump-inducing moment that – in my opinion – can only happen in team sports.

This doesn’t just apply to handball. When the hockey men hugged each other after their dramatic victory against India, I would have loved to cheer with them. Athletes who win and lose together – Markus Lanz would say: “that does something to you.” And to me as a spectator too.

If I had to choose: I’d rather be the twelfth man on the couch than alone on the pitch.