The Agony of Defeat

Yes, it's time for the Olympics. Since Sunday I have been watching religiously from 8p-12a. Last night the men's gymnastics all around competition was on. Paul Hamm (WI) was trying to win the gold for the United States. He did his vault routine, and totally fell down on the mat instead of "sticking" the landing. One of the judges had to stop his momentum. The commentators (Bart Conner and Elfie Schlagel) were going on and on about how his hopes were dashed, and no one had ever won after such a disastrous routine. They showed Paul's face and he was so sad. I continued watching becuase 1) it's the Olympics and 2) you never know what can happen. Once Paul fell, the other Olympians started waivering on their events. One guy on the parallel bars bent his arms, another didn't stick his landing on the vault, and others just weren't doing the best that they could. In the end, Paul finished the night on the high bar. His routine was excellent, he stuck the landing, and won with a score of 9.837 on the bar. He needed a 9.825 in order to beat the Korean man in the lead, and he did it. That is what the Olympics are all about. Even though I'm tired at work today, I wouldn't have traded last night for the world, and I'm sure Paul wouldn't either. GO USA!!!