In the
Paralympics of the
Sydney 2000 Games, a competitor in the
pentathlon was stepping up to the have his first attempt in the
javelin section.
Unfortunately, half way through his run-up, his false leg fell off. The crowd all started to laugh, then, realising the seriousness of the situation, (and not to mention the fact that laughter wasn't the politically correct response to such an occurrance), all fell silent and tried to hold back their giggles. A foul score was recorded and the next competitor was called.
The next time the one-legged guy was called he was still trying to attach his leg securely.Unable to get it on fast enough, his second turn was also recorded as a foul mark.
His final chance was called and he stood proudly on his two feet. The crowd went wild as the underdog made his way to the area, cries of "He got it on!" being passed around. The South African athlete threw the second highest score in the javelin, and eventually won the gold medal in the pentathlon.
It's things like that which make you believe in the Olympic spirit hype- overcoming the odds and prevailing in spite of severe adversity. The atmosphere was amazing and for that one moment everyone there knew that anything is possible.
Things like that also make you realise there's got to be a better way for those guys to attach their fake limbs.