by Greg Levinsky
Say these 2024 Olympic Games weren’t in Paris, but instead, in our home state of Maine.
Switch rowing in the Seine River to our (somewhat) beloved Kennebec, which might just be cleaner. Forget La Concorde for 3×3 hoops, how about at the rarely-used half-court on the Eastern Promenade in Portland? Surfing for this summer’s Olympics is in Tahiti, more than 9,500 miles from the Olympic Village in Paris. In my Maine Olympics, surfing happens at Scarborough’s Higgins Beach, a mere 100 miles from the makeshift Olympic Village in Unity.
We know it’ll never happen. Not even Boston got a serious look at hosting. So here’s a completely fictitious take on what a Maine-based Summer Olympics might look like and where you’d catch your favorite sport.
Of course, each Olympics begins with an opening ceremony in the host city. In this completely made-up scenario, all of Maine serves as the host, full-state, at-large. Our Olympic Village lies in Unity, perhaps on the former campus of Unity College, where there is, or at least was, some sort of dorm space, athletic fields for training, and the awesome Amish community market nearby to stock the in-village cafeteria.
Sticking with central Maine as our base, opening ceremonies would be held at the Belgrade Lakes. Similar to the actual Paris opening ceremonies, we’d see athletes representing their countries on small boats motoring along throughout the chain of lakes, culminating with a final rally at the outdoor amphitheater at Snow Pond Center for the Arts just off Messalonskee Lake in Sidney.
Now, for the locations of some key events.
Track & Field
Venture west from the Olympic Village and head over to Lewiston High School. The Blue Devils hosted outdoor track state championships in years past. It’s also a nod to Lewiston native Isaiah Harris, the 27-year-old Olympic hopeful and professional runner, who in this scenario earned a non-existent wildcard entry to the 800-meter.
Gymnastics
Perhaps the most popular Olympic sport goes to the state’s largest indoor venue, Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena. With plentiful floor seating, more than 9,000 spectators catch Simone Biles’ return to the top. Resale tickets go for more than $10,000 on the day of the team final. Who wouldn’t want to be there?
Tennis and swimming
A little over 20 minutes from our Olympic Village, Colby College in Waterville boasts a modern 10-court facility fit with a scoreboard and some seating. The Olympic-sized pool at the Harold Alfond Recreation and Athletic Center next door gives way to some Olympic records. When it was built, then-Colby College athletic director Mike Wisecup lauded the 29,000 square foot pool as “the fastest in New England.”
Rowing
Flowing 170 miles from Moosehead Lake to the midcoast, the Kennebec River hosts rowing. With a handful of launch points available for use, I’m a bit unsure exactly where the best place to host is. Near Moosehead Lake sounds nice and provides a bit of geographical diversity to these Olympic Games.
3×3 basketball
As mentioned, the new 3×3 basketball event holds court in Portland. There’s an unassuming half-court on the Eastern Promenade fit for some love, and temporary seating, complete with a beautiful ocean view. Parking might be a hassle, hence the food trucks moving from the street to a parking lot, so the Eastern Prom only gets one event despite serving as Portland’s crown jewel park.
Surfing
I couldn’t believe how far away this year’s Olympic surfers are from the rest of the action. Quite literally the other side of the world. In Maine, Olympic surfers catch the waves at Higgins Beach in Scarborough.
The Maine Olympics needs an event in all 16 counties. Not sure where Washington County fits, but there’s plenty of space there for an event of any scale. Will taxpayer money fund the structures? Not sure. And for the sake of this exercise, not my problem.
We know the Maine Olympics won’t ever happen. Doesn’t hurt to conjure up a good “what if?”
