As the Olympics moves into its final days, a number of people have been highlighting the efforts of the less-fancied athletes participating in the tournament. While the achievements of Bolt, Ennis, James and the other medal-winning athletes will deservedly grab the front pages, there are others in London who have gained admirers through their perseverance, despite the fact that they have no chance of winning.
One of the most high profile stories to emerge has been the participation of female athletes from Saudi Arabia. Although they stood no chance of reaching the finals, Wojdan Shaherkani and Sarah Attar captured the imagination of the crowd due to the historic nature of their participation. Lasting just over a minute in a judo match and finishing the 800m in last place, over 40 seconds behind the winner, are not the important aspects of these women’s participation. They have blazed a trail for their nation, and their pioneering efforts could not be more aligned with the Olympic spirit.
While the spectators have saved their loudest roar for the athletes from Team GB (with good effect!), they have also reaffirmed their commitment to the underdogs, standing to cheer both Saudi women in their respective events.
This is nothing new, as anyone who remembers the Olympic Games in Sydney will be more than aware. Eric the Eel’s performance in the 100m freestyle was one of the standout moments of the Games, and in breaking his own Equatorial Guinea national record, he firmly won over the hearts of everyone who watched the event.
The sight of Niger’s Hamadou Djibo Issaka participating in the men’s single sculls was reminiscent of Eric and the novice rower completed the race over a minute behind the penultimate competitor. ‘Issaka the Otter’ only began rowing three months ago, and did so in a traditional fishing boat. Yet his efforts have been one of the highlights of the Games, and he will undoubtedly inspire many others.
Growing up, we are constantly told that it is the taking part, rather than the winning, that matters. This is a worthwhile sentiment and one worth keeping in mind as we get carried away with the antics of professionals in other sports over the coming season when success is often pursued at the expense of honour, integrity and class.
The Olympics still retains the magic and mystique it has always held. While some can break world records, those who cannot are still pushing themselves to perform at the height of their capabilities; that is what the Olympics are all about.
How often have we seen athletes achieve their season and personal bests over the past couple of weeks? Taking part, pushing yourself to being as good as you can possibly be and doing so with integrity are what makes the Olympics so special, and it is wonderfully refreshing to see spectators and viewers all over the world appreciating this.