Fire and water

I’ve been avoiding watching the Olympics. Partly because most of the sports aren’t interesting to me, partly because the IOC is the only organization that can give FIFA a run for its money in terms of sleaze and mismanagement. From drug testing, through the choice of host venue, to the ridiculous lengths they go to in order to protect their trademark and sponsors, they pretty much manage to suck all the joy out of the competition for me. The only thing that can draw my attention back is the occasional athlete who clearly stands head and shoulders above the competition. These are the rare and freakishly talented individuals who inspire awe. I’m thinking about people like Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis, Emil Zatopek, Steve Redgrave and Nadia Comaneci. There’s something very satisfying and life affirming about seeing someone perform brilliantly.

Another name that could be added to that list is Michael Phelps, who recently clocked up a record 19th gold medal. He’s particularly relevant to this blog, because he’s been featured here in the past. Allegedly his interest in watersports extends beyond the confines of the swimming pool. In the last day or so he made headlines for cupping marks on his body. While it’s a old Chinese medical technique to promote healing, it’s also a BDSM technique. I’ve enjoyed it a couple of times in the past. It’s not particularly painful, but it does have a nice ritualistic feel that can create a great head space. If Michael has managed to combine kinky interests (alleged) with great sporting performance, then I can only salute his mental as well as physical genius.

This image is from a post by Lady Julianna.