There are small players and great sports(wo)men. Athletes Nikki Hamblin (New Zealand) and Abbey D’Agostino (USA) belong to the second category, without any doubt. Yesterday, during a preliminary heat of the 5000 meters race of the Olympic Games, the two women have demonstrated an ironclad Olympic spirit. It started when both runners fell during the 4th lap of this long distance race: Hamblin, shoved, pulled the US D’Agostino down with her as she fell. Abbey D’Agostino got up first, encouraged and helped Nikki Hamblin to get back to her feet and continue the race. But once standing, it was clear D’Agostino was painfully injured in the leg and seemed unable to run. She fell again.
New Zealand’s Hamblin, despite the psychological repercussion begun to run again but stopped to help, in turn, D’Agostino to get up. However, the latter was limping badly, as a single step was painful. Unless you know what they have said, the US runner has apparently asked the New Zealander to finish the race alone; which she did. D’Agostino crossed the line too, limping, far from her usual running time and 27 sec. after Hamblin, two minutes after the “winner”. Hamblin waited D’Agostino at the arrival, embraced and thank her. US Abbey D’Agostino was then evacuated from the track in a wheelchair.
Both runners have obtained a place in the final ; Olympics officials thought they deserved it.
Hamblin then declared:
“Regardless of the race and the result on the board, that’s a moment that you’re never ever going to forget for the rest of your life, that girl shaking my shoulder, like ‘Come on, get up’.”
Il y a des petits joueurs et les grands sportifs. Les athlètes Nikki Hamblin (Nouvelle Zélande) et Abbey D’Agostino (USA) font partie de la deuxième catégorie, sans aucun doute possible.
Hier, lors d’une série du 5000 mètres des Jeux Olympiques, les deux femmes ont fait preuve d’un esprit olympique à toute épreuve. Tout a commencé quand les deux coureuses sont tombées lors du 4ème tour de piste de cette course de longue distance : Hamblin bousculée, entraînant l’américaine D’Agostino dans sa chute.
Abbey D’Agostino se releva en premier, encouragea et aida Nikki Hamblin à se remettre sur ses pieds pour continuer la course. Mais une fois debout, il est apparu que D’Agostino était douloureusement touchée à la jambe et paraissait incapable de courir. Elle retomba.
La néo-zélandaise Hamblin, malgré le contrecoup psychologique s’était remis à courir mais elle s’arrêta pour aider, à son tour, D’Agostino à se relever. Cependant, cette dernière boitait énormément, tant poser son pied lui était pénible. Sans savoir précisément ce qu’elles se sont dit, l’américaine a apparemment demandé à la néo-zélandaise de finir sa course seule ; ce qu’elle fit. D’Agostino franchit la ligne aussi, boitillant, très loin de son temps de course habituel et 27 secondes après Hamblin, deux minutes après la “gagnante”.
Hamblin attendit D’Agostino à l’arrivée pour la serrer dans ses bras et la remercier.
L’américaine Abbey D’Agostino fut alors évacuée de la piste en fauteuil roulant.
Les deux coureuses ont obtenu une place en finale ; les officiels ayant jugé qu’elles le méritaient.
Hamblin déclara ensuite :
“Quelle que soit la course et le résultat sur le tableau, le moment que vous n’oublierez jamais pour le reste de votre vie, c’est cette fille serrant votre épaule, disant « Allez, lève toi. ”
Seeing athletes surpassing themselves to go beyond the effort to win a medal can be beautiful and inspiring. (Personally, I think that Paralympic athletes should be more honored and covered by the medias because their physical efforts seem the most important, the difficulties the most insurmountable , their mental the strongest and they must also overcome prejudices because of their disability.)
But there are also good stories about Olympic athletes, even if they don’t win any medals. The important thing is elsewhere.
For example, the story of Yusra Mardini is simply amazing. Three years ago, she was swimming in international championships.
However, she is Syrian and she saw the war destroying her country. She decided to flee with her family and join her father who left early to come in Europe. Training at the swimming-pool becomes derisory when you need to save your life. With her sister, she fled Syria with all her things put in a small red bag, on foot, sometimes driven, she had crossed borders. In Turkey, she boarded a nutshell to cross the Mediterranean see and reach Europe. After half an hour of crossing, the engine stopped and the dinghy, overloaded with refugees seeking safety, threatened to capsize … Yusra, her sister and another refugee were the only ones who know how to swim, they jumped into the water and pulled the boat for almost 2 hours to reach the shore in Greece saving the lives of 20 people. She returned to Germany where she has started again the swimming training. (Those who find their room not comfortable enough should be reviewing their priorities.)
At 18, Yusra Mardini was invited to participate in the Rio Olympics under the banner of the Olympic Team of Refugees (ROT). Marching proudly with the team assembling a dozen refugees from different countries at the opening ceremony, she participated yesterday in her first race at the Rio Olympics: the 100m butterfly and she ... won her heat. Congratulations to her. And good luck for the 100m freestyle!
But hey, don’t worry. She has already shown she has courage !
” Yusra Mardini delights with butterfly heat win for Refugee Olympic TeamBY Robert Kitson in Rio de Janeiro
• Syrian teenager wins first Rio 2016 heat of women’s 100m butterfly • 18-year-old dragged dinghy carrying refugees to safety in Mediterranean
Yusra Mardini won her heat in 1min 9.21sec, just over a second faster than her nearest heat rival. Photograph: Michael Sohn/AP
There will be plenty of inspiring swims in the Rio pool this week but few to match the personal odyssey completed by Yusra Mardini on the opening day of competition. Last year the Syrian teenager was battling in the sea for survival with fellow asylum seekers while trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos. To go from there to winning the opening heat of the 100m butterfly at the Olympic Games is the ultimate illustration of drawing strength from adversity.
Full of contradictions. In need to see things in a positive light!
Pleine de contradiction. A besoin de voir les choses sous une lumière positive.
Try to run a bilingual blog.
Essaye de tenir un blog bilingue.
Il y a des petits joueurs et les grands sportifs. Les athlètes Nikki Hamblin (Nouvelle Zélande) et Abbey D’Agostino (USA) font partie de la deuxième catégorie, sans aucun doute possible.
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