[Canadian skier] Renner was leading the third lap of the six-lap relay when her pole broke. [Norwegian coach] Haakensmoen, standing on the side of the course, handed her another one.
Even though it was a man's pole, and too long for Renner, she still was able to complete her lap without falling too far behind the leaders.
Ironically, Norway finished fourth in the race. Haakensmoen laughed when asked if his skiers complained to him about helping another team.
"No," he said. "Canada was better than Norway. They
were clearly better. The pole had nothing to do with it."
To add a Korean connection:
There have been other notable incidents of lending a helping hand at the Games.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Canadian sailor Larry Lemieux looked poised to win a medal in the Finn class when he saw two competitors from Singapore struggling in the water after their boat had capsized. Lemieux broke off his race to help the two men.
From now on, this is what I want the world to remember when they think about Canada and the Seoul Olympics (rather than our (in)famous sprinter, Ben Johnson).
Anyway, a wonderful story.
Posts
1 comment:
As a Norwegian I would say: You're welcome of course. It's important to show good sportsmanship and next time one our ours might need a hand you know:-)
Post a Comment