the lost art of sportsmanship


(Ohno, Ahn Hyun-Soo, Lee Ho-Suk... photo from OhnoZone)

So the 2006 Winter Olympics are finally over, but even for someone like me (who can waver in his passion for watching sports), I find this Olympics to be as memorable as any. Watching native Seattleite Apolo Ohno win a gold medal in 500m and a bronze medal in the mens' relay event was a dream ending to the event.

It seems like a lifetime ago that Ono won a controversial gold medal in Salt Lake City and became the focus of South Korean wrath... but it looks like the hatchet may have finally been buried between Ohno and South Korea.

Give credit to where it's due - Ahn and Ohno have been models of sportsmanship. After Ahn won the 1000m event, he made the conspicuous effort to skate over to Ohno and shake his hand. In post-race interviews, Ohno refused baiting by US reporters to talk smack about the South Korean team, instead acknowledging the strength of Ahn's ability and Ohno's own mistakes in the 1500m and 1000m. His humility as an athlete and an Olympic competitor is unfortunately not typical of the kind of sports culture we have here in the US - Ohno's achievement of three medals in Turin is veritable proof that the arrogant swagger that sometimes accompanies US athletics is unnecessary to success.

So props to the South Korean short track skaters and Ohno. Who woulda thunk sportsmanship is still alive at the Olympics?

Hopefully Ohno doesn't have to worry about any more death threats the next time he visits Seoul... but that punk Paul Hamm better stay the hell away, though. Haha.
posted by G at 8:23 PM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33