They Could Have Been Champions

Article by:

So you’re the disputed winners of the Olympic gold medal in pairs’ figure skating from Russia, what do you do? You could hang on to your prize and fight off criticism that your victory is tainted, never really exulting in, or being recognized for, this achievement. Or, you could acknowledge what is plain to even the most uninformed viewer....you didn’t really win, and give the Canadians the gold medal yourselves!

Doing the former will necessitate that you will have to prove yourselves whenever you compete again. Doing the right thing, however, may take your name off of this year’s gold medal list but will indelibly mark them on the hearts of the whole world.

Not many people actually have a shot at true greatness. The Canadian skaters will have their “15 minutes” and then slip back into the obscurity of their sport, an interesting footnote to the ‘02 Games. Ah, but the Russians....what a missed opportunity to rise above the clamor and stand the process on it head! They could have been better than winners, they could have been champions.So you’re the disputed winners of the Olympic gold medal in pairs’ figure skating from Russia, what do you do? You could hang on to your prize and fight off criticism that your victory is tainted, never really exulting in, or being recognized for, this achievement. Or, you could acknowledge what is plain to even the most uninformed viewer....you didn’t really win, and give the Canadians the gold medal yourselves!

Doing the former will necessitate that you will have to prove yourselves whenever you compete again. Doing the right thing, however, may take your name off of this year’s gold medal list but will indelibly mark them on the hearts of the whole world.

Not many people actually have a shot at true greatness. The Canadian skaters will have their “15 minutes” and then slip back into the obscurity of their sport, an interesting footnote to the ‘02 Games. Ah, but the Russians....what a missed opportunity to rise above the clamor and stand the process on it head! They could have been better than winners, they could have been champions.