Friday, March 29, 2024 -
Print Edition

A passion of Olympic proportions

TO say that Dr. Herb Weinberg has a passion for the Olympics might just be the understatement of the year.

The veteran print and broad- cast reporter spent more than a quarter of a century covering the Olympic Games and related competitive events, winter and sum- mer alike, across several continents.

When he retired a few years ago, he chose Colorado Springs as his new home, not only because of its beautiful location, but because it’s also the home of the US Olympic Training Center, which, with its Olympic library and wealth of historical information, would be a handy source for Weinberg in his post-career occupation.

Which is, not surprisingly, writing and speaking about the Olympics.

Weinberg has written a book on the history of the Olympics, Olympic Odyssey, for which he is seeking a publisher, and prepared a video presentation focused specifically on the athletic contributions that Jews have made to the Games, The Jewish Olympic Odyssey, which he presents before public audiences and hopes will reach wider viewership as a documentary.

When the Olympics are the topic of conversation, Weinberg reveals himself to be a walking encyclopedia. He can call up names, dates, records and statistics without a moment’s hesitation, and not only about the athletes themselves.

He is also more than conversant about the individuals who made the modern Olympics what they are today, the famous and behind-the- scenes people who for the past century and more have made, and remade, the Games. Not always to Weinberg’s liking, it must be added.

Although he is a proud proponent of the Olympic ideal — he likes to call it “Olympism” — Weinberg is also one of the Games’ fiercest and most persist- ent critics, precisely for what he sees as their forsaking of that ideal.

“Don’t get me started,” he says when asked for his personal opinion of the current Olympic Games.

Then he proceeds to get started.

The rest of this article is available in the IJN’s print edition only. Contact Carol to order your copy at (303) 861-2234 or email [email protected].



Avatar photo

IJN Assistant Editor | [email protected]


Leave a Reply