Souvenir From The Olympics In Barcelona And Seoul
Sweet little girls as though ballerinas were facing their “trial” with anxiety. But once they started to “dance”, with shining eyes, they forgot all about the jury and spectators.
Yet, one of them, failed twice to land safely on the “earth”. Her heart was crying as she remembered the hundreds of times she landed safely during her gymnastic sessions before. As a little angel with a broken wing, downcast eyes, she went away to mourn her misfortune.
Her coach went to her. He did not blame, reproach her. He felt the soreness, pain in her heart and knowing that misfortune could overcome everyone, even champions, he held his arm around her shoulders. I don’t know what he whispered to her, then a lovely smile as a budding flower lit up her face. That was the gold medal which her coach awarded her in the Olympic Games in Barcelona as seen on TV.
What I still remember from the Olympics in Seoul are not the speeches during the opening ceremony, nor the incredible feats of Kristin Otto, Flo-jo, neither the fairness of the tennis queens Steffi Graf and Sabatini, but a brief report about Mariana Ysrael, who participated in the marathon. She wasn’t who finished first, instead, arrived last, yet, ….
Lonely, she was very far behind the others. Tired, very thirsty, while the officials who had to take care of the water supply for the athletes along the road, were already returning to their office. and still she had to run this hellish never ending road.
Others would have given up, but she refused to surrender and succeeded to reach the finish. Yet, the spectators didn’t forget her. They were still there. And it was no jeering, mocking crowd that awaited her, on the contrary, a cheering, warm hearty welcome, for her who came in last. That was like raining flowers from heaven or the coolest drink among the coolest drinks, for this was the gold medal the public awarded her for her courage in overcoming “hell” during the Olympic Games in Seoul.
From Jayakarta, August 19, 1992
Sweet little girls as though ballerinas were facing their “trial” with anxiety. But once they started to “dance”, with shining eyes, they forgot all about the jury and spectators.
Yet, one of them, failed twice to land safely on the “earth”. Her heart was crying as she remembered the hundreds of times she landed safely during her gymnastic sessions before. As a little angel with a broken wing, downcast eyes, she went away to mourn her misfortune.
Her coach went to her. He did not blame, reproach her. He felt the soreness, pain in her heart and knowing that misfortune could overcome everyone, even champions, he held his arm around her shoulders. I don’t know what he whispered to her, then a lovely smile as a budding flower lit up her face. That was the gold medal which her coach awarded her in the Olympic Games in Barcelona as seen on TV.
What I still remember from the Olympics in Seoul are not the speeches during the opening ceremony, nor the incredible feats of Kristin Otto, Flo-jo, neither the fairness of the tennis queens Steffi Graf and Sabatini, but a brief report about Mariana Ysrael, who participated in the marathon. She wasn’t who finished first, instead, arrived last, yet, ….
Lonely, she was very far behind the others. Tired, very thirsty, while the officials who had to take care of the water supply for the athletes along the road, were already returning to their office. and still she had to run this hellish never ending road.
Others would have given up, but she refused to surrender and succeeded to reach the finish. Yet, the spectators didn’t forget her. They were still there. And it was no jeering, mocking crowd that awaited her, on the contrary, a cheering, warm hearty welcome, for her who came in last. That was like raining flowers from heaven or the coolest drink among the coolest drinks, for this was the gold medal the public awarded her for her courage in overcoming “hell” during the Olympic Games in Seoul.
From Jayakarta, August 19, 1992
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