Over the past week, it’s been hard not to get caught up in some aspect of the Olympics. This weekend was especially emotional: watching Canadian triathlete Paula Findlay struggle to finish, Goucher and Flanagan cross the marathon finish line, and Bolt break the Olympic record with Blake right behind him. The event that really grabbed my attention, though, was the finish of the Men’s 400m relay semi-final.
Kirani James’s exchanging bibs with Oscar Pistorius was one of the classiest moves I’ve seen in a long time. James, the heat’s winner – okay, the current world champion – immediately turned around after finishing and went to Pistorius to exchange bibs. Even though he was racing for Grenada, that heat was not about his country or himself; for James, it was about admiration and respect for the competition, for Pistorius.
I was thrilled when James went on to win the gold medal for Grenada. He gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “World Class.”
What Olympic event has had the biggest impact on you?
The two of them really struck me. Pistorius for obvious reasons, but James for his exchange of bibs right after that heat and in the final, for going and shaking hands with each and every competitor first before taking his victory lap. I didn't notice any other runner do that and I found that truly remarkable.