[M T]

The Olympics are a fun diversion but very few if any people wrap up their whole identities with being a fan of different Olympians or their national teams like they do with college athletics.

Many, many athletes from a very young age dream of being good enough to go to what you label a “diversion”, be it archery, equestrian, women’s gymnastics, etc, etc. That dream is part of their drive to train and compete for a decade or so, long before choosing a college. Almost all of them wind up not  making the Olympics but that doesn’t make the Olympics a “diversion”.

[M T]

The Olympics are a fun diversion but very few if any people wrap up their whole identities with being a fan of different Olympians or their national teams like they do with college athletics.

Many, many athletes from a very young age dream of being good enough to go to what you label a “diversion”, be it archery, equestrian, women’s gymnastics, etc, etc. That dream is part of their drive to train and compete for a decade or so, long before choosing a college. Almost all of them wind up not  making the Olympics but that doesn’t make the Olympics a “diversion”.