“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.
ADVERTISEMENT The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
The Olympic spirit is best expressed by the Olympic Creed above. Athletes train for the games for years just to have a shot at the medal, to imbue their names as a one of the greats of the Olympics. But when the time comes, it’s rarely just the skill we see from these amazing athletes, but also their spirit and sportsmanship. .
All of these athletes possess an incredible amount of skill, but what’s amazing is the camaraderie and SPORTSMANSHIP between them.
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During the Olympics, there is also a fierce divide that comes with each event, but there’s no better display of unity for a sport than when athletes find their competitors in peril.
During the ’16 Rio Games, two athletes, Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin demonstrated the TRUE Spirit of Olympic Champions.
The two had collided during the 5,000 meter race. D’Agostino had accidently clipped Hamblin, a runner from New Zealand, took a fall at around the 3,000 meter mark.
Rather than sprinting off back into race, D’Agostino offered her hand and decided to help Hamblin up.
At this point, most people would start looking to point to finger, but both Hamblin and D’Agostino were more concerned with their safety, rather than the results of the race.
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After taking a few steps, D’Agostino would take another tumble. She had suffered a knee injury during the fall, but Hamblin wouldn’t leave her behind.
Hamblin, who was moments ago, D’Agostino’s competitor, had turned into a sister and insisted that they finish the race together.
D’Agostino, would finish what would be her final race of the Olympics with her competition, side by side.
The two embraced each other, grateful for the opportunity to finish, but even more so the opportunity to compete with one another.
According to Independent News, “Nikki Hamblin or Abbey D’Agostino did not win gold, silver or bronze in their respected event but instead have been presented with the Fair Play award, the only award of its type this Olympics.”
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Nikki Hamblin said after the race, “That girl [Abbey D’Agostino] is the Olympic spirit right there. I’ve never met her before. And isn’t that just so amazing. Such an amazing woman. Suddenly, there was this hand on my shoulder, like ‘Get up. We have to finish this’ and I was like ‘Yup, yup, you’re right’. This is the Olympics Games. We have to finish this.”
Watch the video below and please SHARE with your friends on Facebook if you honor the Olympic spirit they showed.
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