A taste of the Winter Olympics in Sapporo
Who better to tell the story of the Olympic experience than a former participant, an athlete who has prepared tirelessly to qualify and compete in the Olympics?
In Sapporo, Masashi Abe, an Olympic gold medalist born in Hokkaido, takes us through Sapporo’s winter sports legacy as the first Asian host of the Winter Olympics in its 11th edition since 1972. As an honorary director of the Sapporo Olympic Museum in 2017, he’s taken the role of promoting winter sports and Sapporo to heart.
Abe still clearly recalls his first jump at the Sapporo Okurayama Ski JumpSki Jump in high school. His journey to get an Olympic gold medal had its challenges but the strong support he got from family and the community pushed him to win a team gold medal during the Nordic Combined event in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.
The museum first opened as The Sapporo Winter Sports Museum but the Olympics invited them to be part of the Olympic Museum Network. After a four-month renovation in 2017, it reopened as The Sapporo Olympic Museum.
An open panoramic theater enfolds you in the exciting sights and sounds of the Olympics. The short but compelling audiovisual highlights the traits of an Olympian. Focus, determination, concentration, confidence, excellence.
The exhibits tell you the story of how the historic hosting of the 11th Winter Olympics happened. There is a section where the evolution from ancient Olympics to modern-day Olympics was detailed.
“With the cooperation of Olympians and Paralympians of Hokkaido, I would like to contribute the knowledge and experience of my professional career as an Olympic athlete and coach to share the excitement, passion and splendor of the Olympics and Paralympics to our children, who will inherit its legacy into the next generation,” Abe stressed in the official museum's website.
The Olympic spirit transcends the boundaries of nationality. It fosters a sense of global camaraderie, reminding us that we are all part of a greater humanity, united by our pursuit of excellence and a shared love for sport.
Standing amid the grandeur of the Sapporo Olympic Stadium here in Japan, I couldn’t help but be struck by the powerful emotions that transcend the final scoreboards and medal tallies.
The Olympics, I realized, represent far more than athletic excellence. Even merely qualifying for the Olympics is a potent symbol of national pride. The games also promote unity, peace, and the unwavering spirit of human potential.
An exhilarating ski-lift ride to the Okurayama Observatory takes you to three decks that provide a sweeping view of the city of Sapporo and its surrounding mountains. It might be the end of May, but it was still nine degrees in Sapporo with gusts of chilly wind that make it feel like nearly zero degrees.
Situated on the eastern slope of Mt. Okura, this is one of the few 90-meter-class jumping hills throughout the world. The observation platform on top of the ski jump sits at 300 meters elevation.
Whether you are on ground looking up the jump-off point or on top looking down at the massive drop, you can only imagine the fear of heights athletes have to conquer. Another perspective: Imagine the exhilaration of flying like a graceful bird.
Well, experience is the key word here, and that’s what the museum wants us to do. They have six simulation areas on the lowest level of the museum where you can try out several winter sports.
The main attraction is the Ski Jump. You brace yourself on top of the virtual reality hill. You must launch yourself into the sky and complete in a landing position. Your distance and score will show up on the big screen just like for competing athletes.
There is also a virtual cross-country skiing race, known as the marathon on snow, where you compete side-by-side with two other people. The big screen shows who’s leading in real time. In the end, your medal standing shows onscreen, complete with gold, silver, and bronze virtual medals.
My son’s favorite winter sport to watch is the Bobsled Run, so he led his sisters into the four-seat bobsled simulator. The brochure promises you will “feel how it is to hurtle down an ice-wall at 130 kilometers per hour.” He was shouting instructions to shift weight left or right as they navigated the curves.
Another simulation measures your takeoff timing and stance. This is a good virtual test of your takeoff skills. All three of my children failed, though, falling facedown, as their virtual counterparts onscreen showed.
You can also experience being an ice hockey goalkeeper. With five chances to block a shot from the net, you have to have quick reflexes and good anticipation of which side the opposing player will flick the shot.
Last but not the least is the Speed Skate Training: You wear a special shoe “sock” that allows you to glide laterally from side to side on a board. This is actual training equipment used by elite speed skaters. You enter into a virtual race with them.
After participating in all six of the simulated winter sports activities, my children only have one word to describe the experience: “Fun!” However, they had two realizations. Winter sports are difficult and tiring. They also realized the importance of core strength in all of the challenges.
We also learned a new word: Olympism. “Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles,” the official Olympics website said.
It’s about striving for excellence, pushing our limits, and embodying the values of sportsmanship, perseverance and healthy competition. These are values we Filipinos can readily embrace. We are a nation known for our resilience, our determination to overcome challenges, and our unwavering support for one another.
While Filipinos erupt in cheers with every victory secured by our athletes, the true essence of the Olympics lies in the ideals that it upholds. The games serve as a powerful reminder of these strengths, a platform where we can showcase our talents on the world stage and inspire future generations.
Imagine the young Filipino athletes glued to their television screens, witnessing the dedication and grace of Hidilyn Diaz as she clinched the Philippines’ historic first Olympic gold. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, a beacon of hope that Filipinos can achieve anything they set their minds to.
The Olympic spirit transcends the boundaries of nationality. It fosters a sense of global camaraderie, reminding us that we are all part of a greater humanity, united by our pursuit of excellence and a shared love for sport.