Everybody knows that what the Olympic Games do best, provide us with unparalleled feats of human performance. The Olympic motto of “Higher, Faster, Stronger” has never proven more apt, as athletes in Beijing have continued to push the boundaries of what we thought was physically possible.
But, as with any major sporting event, there is a lighter side to the Games. As tensions run high, so do emotions, and not all athletes can control that other inevitable side of human nature—error. Arguably, it is this humorous element that gives the Olympics its unique feel.
So, in only the slightest semblance of an order, here are just a few moments from the past two weeks that gave me a right good laugh:
10. Wrestling with the Result
In one of the more widespread stories from this year’s Greco-Roman wrestling competition, Swedish 84kg competitor Ara Abrahamian took a lot of criticism for declining (in perhaps the least polite way possible) his bronze medal, as he believed he had been a victim of “politics” in his semifinal bout.
To be fair, the 2004 silver medalist can be forgiven for being devastated to once again miss out on his target, but a bronze medal is still an Olympic medal. You don’t just put one down and walk away!
Apparently, the big Swede had to be persuaded to even compete in his bronze medal bout, so disgusted was he with the judges' earlier decision. Eventually, he came out and sweated and struggled to earn that medal.
Having gone through all that, he proceeded to get on the podium and just throw away the medal (and his effort). What a waste of time—he didn’t really think that one through, did he?
9. The Surprise of Success.
It’s the classic mistake. You train hard for four years, pushing yourself to the limits while focused completely on winning an Olympic medal. What you never once do though, is prepare yourself for how you might react when you actually reach that target.
That was the problem that befell double-trap shooter Francesco D’Aniello. Having secured a silver medal, the Italian had obviously never worked on his celebration. So he did what came naturally—he broke down and cried
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