Lessons from Olympic Gymnastics 2024
When you have extraordinary talent, you can take risks with better odds of success. Without such talent, it’s smarter to aim for flawless execution, which may still lead to success if others dare too much.
I am not an expert in artistic gymnastics, but I must say that the skill of the women’s teams at the Olympics fascinated me. The United States, of course, competes in a different league, but the Italian team truly shone. I saw a story behind their medals.
The Italian gymnasts, unlike the other champions, seemed to have chosen a very specific strategy: keeping the difficulty of the exercises low and focusing entirely on impeccable execution.
Alice, one of our own, maintained a lower level of complexity in her routines, but she performed them to perfection. On the beam, her mastery made all the difference. While the others, driven by the desire to excel, made mistakes, Alice deservedly claimed the Olympic gold.
On the uneven bars, a different story unfolded. Despite Alice’s flawless performance, the audacity of the others in executing highly difficult routines prevailed, and Alice found herself off the podium.
There is a moral to this: when you have phenoms on your team, you can afford to be daring, to push beyond the limits. Success is not guaranteed, but the odds are in your favor. If you don’t have phenoms, it’s wiser to keep a low profile and focus on perfect execution. Again, victory is not certain, but if the phenoms falter, your increased effort might be rewarded with a well-deserved success.
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