Radio Australia Today Editorial

Olympics. One Person’s Magic is Another’s Despair

15 August 2008

Now, I’m not normally a glass-half-empty person, but lately when an athlete wins something at the Games, I’ve found myself looking more and more at the poor person who just misses out.

I mean, these Games have been so tight, that many gold medals are being decided by a fingernail. History will decide that the person with the longer nails will be the Olympic gold medallist, while someone else who has worked just as hard for just as long will be the second place getter, and will not be the Olympic champion, not the person who will have their country’s anthem played for them on the podium.

Take yesterday’s final in the mens’ 100 metres freestyle. The world record holder, Eammon Sullivan (Australia) was red hot favourite to win this one. He had only broken the world record the day before, and he was fit and confident. But in the end he couldn’t do it, or at least he was a fingernail short of the French swimmer Alain Bernard, a man who is so huge in the upper body that he looks like he’s got wings on his back. Sullivan is much slighter, but swims like the devil.

This monring commentators were suggesting that Sullivan was tense as he took off from the starting blocks, his country’s expectations obviously weighing him down. Maybe. Or maybe he just didn’t swim as well on the day in a race when over one hundred metres, it comes down to a fingernail.

He did Australia proud. Remember that here in Australia two months ago, it was Eammon who? Today he wakes up an Olympic silver medallist and world record holder. Not a bad 2008.

Another story of winners and losers came from the 100 metres event pool yesterday, but in the women’s event. Four years ago Aussie swimmer Libby Trickett missed out on the final of her special event, the 100m. She was devastated. Yesterday she miseed out again, mistiming her semi-final swim (remember she’s the world record holder). Australian newspapers have photos of Trickett minutes after the failed semi, sitting poolside, at the very moment that she realises it has all drifted away from her,s bursting into tears, with the team psychologist sitting helplessly by her as she realises it’s all over.

Or is it? The news came through soon after this that the winner of the other semi. China’s Pang Jiaying, was disqualified for breaking early. Trickett gets a chance now to swim in the final. It’s from the outside lane, but she’s there at least.

Going back to my first point, you have to think of Pang. She was the fatest, and a silly little error at the very beginning of the race cost her everything. She probably would have won anyway.

So Libby gets the joy. Pang gets the nightmares for four years at least. Here in Australia we can feel happy for Libby, but we should remember the heartbreak of Pang Jiaying.

No-one said the Olympics is all joy.
– Phil