At the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, athletes not only showed the highest achievements in sport, but also showed solidarity, kindness and warmth towards each other. Here are some stories.
Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi lost to Brazil’s Italo Ferreira in a surfing match, his debut at the Olympics. Then there was the press conference. Ferreira needed help translating a question into Portuguese. Canoa rushed to help translate for his opponent, applying his knowledge of Portuguese. “Yes, thank you, Canoa,” said Ferreira with a beaming smile.
In another case, two runners fell during the 800m semi-final. American Isaiah Jewett and Botswana’s Nigel Amos lay on the treadmill for a while, then helped each other up and headed for the finish line together.
A few days after the event, Italian Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatari Mutaz Barshim matched each other in the high jump, clearing 2.37 metres. The bar was then raised to a height of 2.39 metres. After three unsuccessful attempts, they decided not to move on to the tie-break. Both won gold.
“I know for a fact that for what I did, I deserved this gold. He did the same, so I know he deserves this gold too,” said Mutaz Barshim. “This is not just a sport. It is a message that we are passing on to the younger generation,” the athlete added.
“Sharing with a friend is even more beautiful,” said Gianmarco Tamberi. “It was just magical.”
Another incident occurred after the United States defeated Brazil in three sets in the beach volleyball round-robin final. American Kelly Klas was being interviewed after the hard-fought victory. Brazilian Rebecca Cavalcanti walked up to Kelly and jokingly poured a bottle of water on her back. The winners laughed it off, saying they were friends.
Lotte Miller of Norway took 24th place in the women’s triathlon. After finishing, she matched Belgian Claire Michel, who finished last and fell to the ground, sobbing.
Claire finished 15 minutes behind the winner. But she still made it to the finish line. There were 54 competitors in the race, but 20 were either ineligible for the lap or dropped out of the race.
“You’re a bloody fighter,” Miller said, turning to Claire. “That’s the Olympic spirit. You have it 100 per cent.”
At the Olympics, athletes celebrated victory, wiping away tears of emotion and cheering each other on.
