With our Olympics over, I picked up this book about the Rome Olympics, subtitled “The Olympics That Changed the World”. I am only 1/4 of the way through, but it is really quite fascinating. The Cold War tension with the Soviets and the Americans using the games for propaganda, the controversy of Taiwan being able to use the name China, the refusal of South Africa to send non-white athletes (their claim that they weren’t good enough), the inclusion of more events for women (once around the track was enough) etc.
I had to laugh though at the shock generated when a female Australian swimmer was seen smoking a cigar. And this was before her event.
Our women’s hockey team was 50 years too late.