The day after Detroit wins the AYF Olympics

It is the day after the 90th AYF Olympics. I think of Tamar Kanarian’s post on Labor Day the last time the Olympics were in Detroit. Her post was simple and resonates with all of us: “Home. Let the post-Olympic misery begin.” Ten years later, it is Labor Day 2024, and Tamar’s words ring as true as ever.

We anticipate and look forward to the Olympics. We arrive and are swept up in the exciting whirlwind of the Armenian microcosm fueled by the AYF spirit — seeing old friends, watching the various athletic events and kicking up our heels at the dances. As alumni, we enjoy watching the current AYFers compete and celebrate their accomplishments and the simple joy of being with other Armenians. It does the heart and soul good. 

And then it just ends.

We go back to daily life, which for the large majority of us is way less Armenian than Olympics weekend. We pick up where we left off four days ago. A combination of coming down from the Olympic high and the sleep deprivation makes it seem like four years ago. All of this and more are reflected in Tamar’s seven words: “Home. Let the post-Olympic misery begin.”

Many people post on social media after the Olympics. With the whirlwind of the weekend over, we have time to go through our photos and post them with our impressions. Tamar’s good friend Heather Krafian usually does this. This year, I loved Heather’s post and thought I would share it in its entirety. 

Today, the flood of AYF Olympics posts has begun, our Armenian tribe heads home, the Post-Olympic blues will ensue, if they haven’t already. It’s not often I hang around after Olympics, but this year I happened to. I was going to post as well, but instead I took the opportunity to take a walk and take in the riverwalk, as I have not been downtown in decades. It was eerie to be back in the hotel with everyone gone, almost sad. How empty it felt that just the night before it was full of Armenians embracing their culture and heritage, dancing & singing to historical village music of our grandparents. My walk took me past the Joe Louis “The Fist” statue in the boulevard on Jefferson Avenue and then on to the Gomidas Vartabed monument. Had anyone this weekend even known his statue was down the street? Had anyone come to visit our nation’s most famous priest, musicologist and composer? He stands in the shadow of Joe Louis, a fighter, just as our nation fights to remember the memory of Gomidas and our ancestors who perished in 1915. I wonder if he heard the musical sounds of Van, Keghi & Sepastia, the Pompouri, Tamzara and Halleh that played all weekend, the notes surely must have been in the air for him to hear. It is truly a miracle after so many decades, that this music is still kept alive & performed. I know many say it’s old, but it is a snapshot of a time of our ancestors, something to connect us to them. Thank you to Hachig Kazarian & Johnny Berberian for keeping it alive. The AYF CE lifetime achievement award was fitting, just down the road from the Gomidas monument. Pardon my nostalgia but being downtown without my Armenian tribe felt awkward, until I stumbled upon the Gomidas statue. Wanted to share as we say goodbye to this 90th Olympic weekend. 

Thank you, Heather.

The hardworking organizing committee is to be commended with gratitude on a job well done.  All the venues were excellent, and returning to a downtown hotel in a revitalized Detroit was simply wonderful. The games were a joy to watch and to experience the efforts of our young people. The dances captured the joy of the Armenian and AYF spirit. What more could one ask for from an Olympics?

Next year we are back in Boston. Can’t wait.

For a full reporting of the weekend’s events, look for the Weekly’s upcoming AYF Olympics Special Issue. We hope you will support the publication of the special issue by being a page sponsor by visiting hairenik.com/ayfolympics/.

Following is a summary of the results from the 90th AYF Olympic Games:

Final Chapter Standings

1 Detroit 253
2 Greater Boston 93
3 New Jersey 67
4 Providence 65
5 Philadelphia 63
6 North Andover 25
7 Chicago 19
8 Granite City 11
9 Racine 10
10 Pasadena 7
11 New York 5
12 Middlesex County West 4
13 Toronto 3
(tie) San Francisco 3
15 Orange County 2
16 Washington, D.C. 1

Most Improved Chapter: Racine “Armen Garo”

Softball Winner: Providence “Varantian”

Women’s Pentathlon Winner: Teny Topouzian — Detroit — 1720 points

Men’s Pentathlon Winner: Sasoun Tcholakian — Detroit — 2401 points

Outstanding Records

Natalia Oganesian, Providence, 50 yd. breaststroke, 34.64 (Old record 34.80 set 2009 by Lynne Tutunjian, Providence)
Anoush Krafian, Greater Boston, triple jump, 33’5” (Old record 33’2.5” set 2018 by Lindsey Santerian, Philadelphia)
Hagop Taraksian, Providence, tennis, 8 titles (Old record 7 titles shared by Harry Derderian, Springfield and David Mossoian, Detroit)

Ernest Nahigian Sportsmanship Award: 

Michael Ohanesian — Detroit
Ani Comella — Providence

Author information

Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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