Why the US reaction to coach Dean Boxall’s celebration misses the point

Ariarne Titmus’s coach Dean Boxall’s winning celebration has been criticised in America. But is that just because Titmus beat American Katie Ledecky?

To become an Australian citizen, you should have to answer this question. Did you find the celebrations of Ariarne Titmus’s coach Dean Boxall, after she won gold at the 400m freestyle event in Tokyo, crazy fun or crass?

Because while most Australians have spent the last 24 hours lauding his joyous exuberance, some of our American friends don’t seem to share the same opinion.

Minutes after Titmus touched the wall in first position, Boxall’s Ultimate Warrior wrestler inspired display of happiness went viral. And not just in Australia, where we are so desperate to see unbridled joy after a month of pandemic and politics gloom. But across the world.

Ariarne Titmus celebrates after winning gold. Picture: Davis Ramos/Getty Images

Dean Boxall celebrates in the stands.

Twitter particularly erupted (of course it did) but surprisingly not all the noise was positive (of course it wasn’t!)

There was an uprising, mainly for Americans, who thought that Boxall’s performance was toxic and sexist.

“What the Australian coach did isn’t funny or cute. It Bigfoots a woman athlete winning a gold medal and centers [sic] the attention on him,” one viewer wrote on Twitter. “It’s vulgar and frankly offensive and he should apologises to her!”

Now, while many jumped on the post to defend Boxall (including ABC radio host Wendy Harmer, who called said user a “drongo”), there was also a lot of people who agreed.

Which begs the question, have we become a world so robbed of joy in the last 18 months that we can’t recognise it when it’s waving its curly hair in our faces?

Titmus hugs her coach Dean Boxall after winning the Women's 400m Freestyle final. Picture: Adam Head.

It’s an interesting reaction considering one criticism of this Olympics has been the lack of atmosphere due to crowds being banned.

It’s also a bit confusing coming from some Americans, considering, it’s a country renowned for its elaborate sporting celebrations and festival-like atmosphere around sporting events.

After all, you don‘t need to know the rules of NFL to appreciate the players’ celebrations after scoring a touchdown. And the reason the Super Bowl is such a global event, has less to do with the actual game taking place, but more to do the halftime show and the advertisements.

Sports fan tune in for the score. Life fans tune in for the drama.

Titmus walks with her gold medal for the Women's 400m Freestyle Final. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

So does the criticism of Boxall really have to do with the celebration, or, that Titmus defeated American swimming legend Katie Ledecky?

Titmus’s win gave Ledecky, rightly considered one of the greatest female swimmers of all time, her first ever loss at an Olympics.

And she’s been competing in them since she was a 15-year-old in London. Would there have been the same protests if Ledecky had won and her coach had done something similar?

One of the themes of these Olympic Games, especially on the pool deck, has been athletes calling out the support from coaches, family and friends to help them achieve their dream.

Trying to debunk the myth that swimming is an individual sport, many athletes are going out of their way to name check their team and thank them for the sacrifices and the early morning starts that it took to get them to Tokyo.

Titmus poses with the gold medal on the podium. Picture: Clive Rose/Getty Images.

So why shouldn’t these people, who will never get their name written into the history books, also celebrate?

The reason sport plays such a big part in so many people’s lives, whether we play or watch it, is because it gives us a chance to feel part of something bigger than ourselves.

Boxall’s celebration will never take away from the fact that Titmus, in her debut Olympics and in one of the most hyped events of the games, won that race.

But sport isn’t just about the winning. It’s about the drama and theatre around it. The expression of raw human emotion. That’s why so many of us tune in.

In a world which is constantly trying to tear us apart and make us individualistic, feeling pure joy for the achievements of another should be celebrated. Ultimate warrior style and all.