The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) was held from July 28 to August 12, 1984. It marked the second time that Los Angeles had hosted the Games, the first being in 1932. California was the home state of the incumbent U.S. President, Ronald Reagan, who officially opened the Games. The emblem of the 1984 Games is shown below:
So why did Grenada release a commemorative set of collector stamps in 1983? Grenada sponsored five men and one woman in these series of games. They competed in just two different sports: Athletics and Boxing. Unfortunately, they did not finish in the medals. But competing at Olympic level is an accomplishment in itself! So releasing these stamps could be put down to good sportsmanship.
So let’s have a look at the Disney competitors and the sports they try to master on these fun stamps:
The pommel horse is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. Traditionally, it’s used by male gymnasts, likely because female gymnasts know better! It is composed of a long body with plastic handles, or pommels, hence the name. A gymnast flings himself around the ‘horse’ using arm strength alone. Yeah. I’m out.
Daisy Duck is used twice in this set. It may have made more sense to use Goofy here as it apparently is a male-specific sport.
Boxing is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time until one of them falls down and can’t get back up again. And people do this… willingly?
Mickey is feisty enough for this sport but he might find it a bit harder to win if Pete were actually there in person!
Archery is the sport of using a bow to shoot arrows. Seems simple enough! But I’m sure it’s harder than it looks. The word ‘archery’ comes from the Latin arcus, meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat but is now mainly used as a competitive sport or recreational activity. But I think the bow Daisy is using looks positively medieval! And does it have a scope?!?
The uneven bars or asymmetric bars is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. Clarabelle isn’t making them look too artistic! The bars are placed at different heights and widths, allowing the gymnast to transition from bar to bar. At least that’s the goal. A gymnast usually adds white chalk to the hands so that they can grip the bar better. Apparently white gloves don’t do the same trick!
Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. Hurdling is a highly specialized form of obstacle racing, because just running isn’t hard enough. In hurdling events, barriers known as hurdles are set at precisely measured heights and distances. Each athlete must pass over the hurdles; passing under or intentionally knocking over hurdles will result in disqualification. And I’d have to believe that running hand-in-hand with your competitors would probably result in disqualification as well, or at the very least, a stern talking to!
Olympic weightlifting, is a sport in which the athlete attempts a maximum-weight lift of a barbell loaded with weighted plates. In other words: They lift heavy stuff. The two competition lifts in order are the ‘snatch’ and the ‘clean and jerk’. Or those might be 50s dances, who can be sure?
Grenada is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, and several other small islands.
From the official Grenada travel website: “Welcome to Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean, a hidden gem with unspoiled beauty offering a lifestyle so pure and authentic that you will feel instantly renewed. Famed for its aromatic spices and organic chocolate, the tri-island destination of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique is located in the eastern Caribbean just south of Barbados. The Pure Grenada experience amplified by the “Pure Safe Travel” initiative, beckons visitors to its 40 white sandy beaches including the world-famous Grand Anse Beach, 15 breathtaking waterfalls, 5 chocolate factories, 3 rum distilleries, and more than 30 unforgettable dive sites, including the largest shipwreck in the Caribbean ‘Bianca C’ and the World’s First Underwater Sculpture Park.”
This part of the world looks amazing and I highly recommend that you click the link to the website to see all that it has to offer! It’s a pity geographical beauty isn’t an Olympic sport, because Grenada would definitely be in the medals if it were!
