Everyone loves a winner. Micheal Phelps has made us smile since the Olympics began. It's impossible to watch him swim, um win, and not feel some American pride.
But long after the flame goes out and the athletes return to their families, a few images will remain in our minds. They won't all be joyful.
Sometimes it's the losers that you remember. The pain-stricken faces that haunt you. The tear-filled eyes that break your heart.
Like Lolo Jones.
The 100-meter hurdler looked like she would easily go home with a gold medal. Fast out of the blocks. Clearing hurdles so gracefully that it appeared effortless. Ahead at the 50-meter mark. Certain to win at the 75-meter mark. Then she hit the second-to-last hurdle with her back foot. She struggled to stay upright. Somehow she cleared the final hurdle. Her momentum was gone. Others raced by. She stumbled across the finish line in seventh.
It was an awful moment to watch. It was an awful moment to live.
Jones crouched over on her knees pounding the track and staring in disbelief at monitors replaying the race.
Jones leaning against a cement wall, head back, eyes shut, face contorted in a painful grimace.
Poor Lolo Jones.
But where there's a loser, there's a winner. In this race, on this day, that winner is Dawn Harper.
We can smile again. Harper is an American.
1 comment:
I didn't get to see this race, but I feel like I did after reading this blog. Great job Dawn.
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