A closing note:
Opening/closing ceremonies are a real lens into the cultural aspects of the participating countries.
Team Norway looks uniformly Nordic.
Team Nigeria, South Korea, China, etc- same story.
I love that Team USA looks like the entire world.
Yes, there is a growing number of European squads that now present similarly to us, but we were essentially the first. And we're still the best.
"Give me your tired, your poor..."
For me, the Olympics is a perfect example of strength from diversity. We live in that aspirational place that draws people from the farthest reaches of the planet.
So yes- I feel a very real sense of nationalistic pride when the US competes/presents itself upon the world stage, but it extends beyond jingoistic surface-level tribalism. It's also a pride that comes from living in a nation that is now home to people who came from every one of those other competing nations. That is truly something special... and it's something I get to revisit/remember every four years.
Yes.
I am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America.
I'm already looking forward to seeing us host the '28 games, God willing.
