The Olympic Spirit

I spent a lot of time watching the winter Olympics over the past couple of weeks. I normally follow some of the winter sports like alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and curling during the winter so was really looking forward to the Olympics. The competition always has some interesting drama's and stories. This time was no difference. There was Lindsey Vonn's come back. She had recently come back from retirement and actually won a few races before the olympics so was hoping for a medal but instead had a horrible crash which is an unfortunate part of the sport. (The "trill of victory and the agony of defeat" all rolled up in a single person)

There was Federica Brignone on the Italian alpine ski team. She had just come back to the sport after almost a year off because of a fractured leg. She wasn't sure she was even going to be able to compete at the games and was just happy to be there then went on to win two gold metals through shear grit and determination. At the end of the race the silver and bronze metal winners bowed down in tribute to her acknowledging her amazing performance. 

And that is what is good about the olympics. Even though every one there is competing to win the gold metal there is not a lot of animosity between competitors. In fact they tend to cheer each other on and support each other. Very few people can understand the effort and sacrifice it takes to be a olympic athlete so it tends to be a close knit group. 

One of the best examples of this olympic spirit was at the 50k women's cross country ski race. Jesse Diggins is America's and the worlds best female cross country skier this year. She excels at a sport that America has never been good at. Most of best athletes on this sport are usually from Nordic countries which makes Jesse's medals and world titles all that more impressive. But her athletic endeavors are not the best thing about her. It is the joy that she has when she approaches each race and the sport in general. Its infectious and inspiring as any of her teammates or competitors would tell you.   

 At the end of the 50k (that's 31 miles on skies at about 14 mph) Jesse was racing for the bronze but her ski wax was wearing out and she was cramping so she ended up a close 5th. At the end of a cross country skiing race the athletes have used every ounce of energy that they have and so they usually collapse right after the finish and have to recover for a few minutes before they can get up. The picture at the top of the post is her right after the finish. She was totally spend and breathing heavy with the pain that comes from a long hard effort. Heidi Weng, from Norway, who took the silver medal walked over to Jesse and help her undo her skis and comforted her until she recovered. It was a beautiful jester of sportsmanship and shows that even in intense international competitive situations people can get along and be kind to each other. 

 I hope the people watching the olympics saw these moments and took them to heart because we could use more of this olympic spirit in our daily lives