“True sportsmanship is…Knowing that you need your opponent because without him or her, there is no game. Acknowledging that your opponent holds the same deep-rooted aspirations and expectations as you. Knowing that, win or lose, you will walk off the course with pride. Always taking the high road. And always, always, always being a good sport.” – Lorii Myers
From time immemorial, sports seem to have provided us with a way to stay fit, entertain ourselves, express our loyalties and just have a good time. However, is this all sports are really about? Or do they have an even greater purpose in today’s modernised world?
According to me, sports and games alike, provide us, as people an opportunity to display our best qualities that we as human beings possess– grit, determination, courage, endurance, immense fighting spirit and above all, kindness and sportsmanship. Sports can also act as a medium, to promote peace and brotherhood. What better example can we take than the Olympic Games, the world's foremost sports competition which is held every four years, to prove this statement?
The 2016 Rio Olympics have been memorable for many reasons, Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik making a remarkable last second turn around to clinch India an Olympic bronze, ace badminton player PV Sindhu winning India its first ever female, individual silver medal and also both athlete Usain Bolt and swimmer Michael Phelps participating in their last Olympic events.
However, in my view, I feel that the most memorable moment from the 2016 Rio Olympics was the display of sportsmanship and empathy, along with the true spirit of sports and brotherhood…. or rather sisterhood shared by two rival athletes.
The incident I am referring to is the one where a Kiwi and American runner put a fall before their pride. Literally. New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin, a New Zealand middle distance runner who specialises in the 800 and 1500 metres, and American Abbey D'Agostino, the most decorated Ivy League athlete in track and field and cross country running,were over halfway done with their preliminary heat in the 5,000-meters when they found themselves in a tangle.
Hamblin got her feet caught up and fell on the track directly in front of D'Agostino, who then tripped and fell. D'Agostino then helped Hamblin to her feet. Both runners were visibly injured, but instead of choosing to continue on with the race, D'Agostino went back to help Hamblin up. As the two runners together moved toward the finish line, D'Agostino realized she was hurt more severely than she thought. It was then Hamblin's turn to help her through the race.
Hamblin's admirable compassion for her fellow athlete ensured that she received applause from around the world, as the 28-year-old athlete gave up on a chance of a medal to help the stricken runner, a total stranger, someone she had never met! D'Agostino urged to Hamblin to continue racing but the athlete refused to leave the American's side until a wheelchair could be brought to take her away. The two helped each other to the finish, where they came in last – but first in the spectators’ hearts.
Although Hamblin and D’Agostino failed to meet the qualifying time for selection to run in the final 5,000m event, both were included in the final after protests from their teams. Hamblin ran in the final, while D'Agostino with a knee injury, could not take part. She told reporters she was grateful for D’Agostino’s helping hand: “That girl is the Olympic spirit right there.” Together, they provided one of the most uplifting moments of the 2016 Games, embodying the Olympic spirit.
The spirit of sportsmanship
The “Olympic spirit” is the spirit of sportsmanship, and a medal is given out to athletes, former athletes, and officials who are deemed to exemplify this. It is for this reason that the two Olympic runners who helped each other cross the finish line have been awarded the International Fair Play Committee Award, which has only been handed out 17 times in Olympic history, by the International Olympic Committee for epitomising the Olympic values of fair play and sportsmanship.
In a time where sports have become synonymous with cut-throat competition and the burning desire to win, at all costs, this moment of compassion seems refreshing in a way, reminding us that life isn’t just about winning. It’s about giving your hundred percent at all times.
Winning is great, but what is greater is participation, knowing you did your best and helping those along with you win, too. As Nikki put it, “Sometimes I guess you have to remember trying to be a good human being is more than, you know. If I hadn’t waited for her or tried to help her I would have been 10 or fifteen seconds quicker and what does that matter?” This is what sportsmanship is all about.
As Nikki Hamblin put it herself while receiving the International Fair Play Committee Award, "Everyone comes here to compete but there are a lot of people who don’t achieve that and the journey is really important too. That was one of those journeys and it has gone on to be one of the most important moments of my life."
Just think of it. Two competent athletes from different countries, who had never met before, rivals in a competition, both vying for the same prize, an Olympic gold which is anyone’s dream.
Also read: The most unforgettably heartwarming stories to emerge out of Rio 2016
In that situation, for one athlete to give up her chance of winning to help the very person that she was trying to defeat requires courage, humility and an unlimited store of kindness, something we should all try to imbibe in ourselves. This is what I call a true inspiration.This must definitely be the reason why American coach, Knute Rockne said, “One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.”
These two athletes have shown us once again that winning isn’t everything. Instead, what is more important is how we are along the way while we reach our goal. At a time when India was desperate for medals, its citizens growing restless and impatient, Nikki and Abbey showed the entire world that there is something beyond the Olympics than winning a laurel to take home.
It is the feeling of satisfaction and pride that you get to carry forever. Aptly put by Hamblin,"I am proud that what we did and truly believe that you can be both a competitor and kind and responsive at the same time.”
From all the moments I could choose from, I believe that this moment was the most memorable from the 2016 Rio Olympics. Apart from being a welcome change from doping scandals, cases of match fixing, indiscipline and numerous other things that seem to have become a part of sport, I think that this small act of kindness is more memorable than any other achievement or medal earned in the Rio Olympics as,
“Victory is remembered for at most two decades, an act of good sportsmanship is remembered for a lifetime.” – Simon Nguyen
