Despite the controversy surrounding his “blade” prosthetics, I have found the efforts of double-amputee Oscar Pistorius (“Blade Runner”) in the Men’s 400m during the 2012 London Olympics to be nothing short of inspiring. It’s hard to think about making excuses after watching him compete…
Yesterday, during the 400m semifinal in which Pistorius did not qualify for the finals tonight, I was blown away by the act of sportsmanship exhibited by eventually 400m gold medalist Kirani James. After completing the semifinal, James walked over to Pistorius and asked if they could exchange bibs. He took Pistorius’ bib, embraced him, and then held it high in the air as he walked around the track…
James offered the following when asked about the exchange…
“Just spur of the moment,” James said. “Oscar should be a huge inspiration for everybody, whether you’re a track athlete or a normal person. You can be somebody no matter what kind of disability you have.
“Being out there and competing against Oscar is a huge honor for me. He’s a great guy, very down to earth. I’m happy to be here and compete against Oscar.”
Tonight Kirani won the first ever gold medal for his home country of Grenada, which seems fitting after such a classy move and show of sportsmanship.
These are some of the reasons why I LOVE the Olympics! Congrats to Kirani and Oscar!