So here are 10 great women in the Olympics, some
you may have missed…
10. The women who fell short of their goals. Best example, Lolo Jones leading in her race, and then not even
getting a medal after hitting the 9th hurdle. A great moment? No,
but her reaction afterward was first-class. After letting herself cry for a bit,
she went on-camera and congratulated her teammate, and put her own performance
into perspective.
9. The women behind the scenes – the athletes’ wives. My top
choice is Sarah Clay. She held down the fort for years, then watched as her
husband Bryan was totally robbed of the glory he deserved. (He’s “the greatest athlete in the
world” -- where was the coverage? Maybe a
total of 30 minutes. Bruce Jenner’s nose got more press this year.) Hopefully
the world will wake up, and the Clay family will reap the rewards of all their
hard work.
8. The other women behind the scenes – the athletes’ moms. Of
course, Debbie Phelps takes the top prize. She not only did the usual – driving and
attending and yelling her heart out – she also never gave up on a boy who was a
little different. And she did it on her own, to boot.
7. The woman in Phelps’ shadow – Natalie Coughlin. She was 6
for 6 in medals, but “only” one was gold so she didn’t make as big a splash in
the media. Her grand total is 11 for 11, counting her performance in Athens. If not for
Phelps, she would have been the big story in swimming this year. But she hasn’t
complained one bit and just keeps flashing that million-dollar smile
6. The women’s beach volleyball champs, Misty May-Treanor
and Kerri Walsh. What I love is that they are not afraid to show affection, and
that they were still jumping up and down during their post-win interview. And they
still had the presence of mind to make a point to thank the President for
coming out to the games and showing his support to the athletes.
5. The women who prevailed on much less heralded stages. The women's rowing and fencing teams come to mind, but I loved the gold medal winner in the discus, Stephanie Brown-Trafton.
She dreamed of being the next Mary Lou Retton, but then grew to be 6’4” – tall even
for a discus thrower. But she used the hand she was dealt, followed a different
path. and her dream came true.
4. The first and only female athlete for the United Arab Emirates,
Sheikha Latifa al Maktoum, who carried her nation’s flag in the opening ceremonies.
She is the daughter of a Dubai ruler who persuaded her country to let her compete. She and other Muslim women wore
outfits that followed their religious beliefs. Only Saudi
Arabia and Brunei are still in the Dark Ages.
If those nations don’t come around by 2012, let’s hope the IOC stands up and
bans them both.
3. The sole woman amongst the plague of photographers that
descended upon Michael Phelps. I noticed
her – despite the fact that she was dressed just like them in the obligatory
t-shirt with tan shorts and vest-of-many-pockets. She must have been drowning in
a sea of testosterone. That shutterbug's got guts.
2 and 1. The moms and the “moms.” A tie for second and first,
between the women who have children, and the women old enough to be the moms of
their teammates.
There were 20 moms on the U.S. squad this year, from
Lisa Leslie, playing in her fourth games, to weightlifter Melanie Roach,
mother of four including a boy with autism, who said this about motherhood:
“I just hope I can inspire that one athlete afraid that it
will interfere with her sport… it makes you better.”
And amongst the older women were the 38-year-olds who won
the gold in the marathon and the silver in the vault. (In gymnastics! She’s
almost old enough to be a grandmother of one of the Chinese team members!)
And of course, there was Dara Torres. She took her younger
competitors under her wing, while proving that a 41-year-old can win without illegal
enhancement. She also had my two favorite quotes:
About motherhood: “It never crossed my mind that I couldn’t
train for the Olympic games and still be a mom.”
About age: “I’m teaching my daughter that you shouldn’t put
an age limit on your dreams.”
Well said, Dara, and well played! Congratulations!
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