As I was scrolling through my favorite news site, looking at coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympics, I was struck by a particularly touching article. On Tuesday, the first round of the women’s 5000-meter race was held. Two women, Abbey D’Agostino of the United States and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand, were not expected to emerge winning champions. However, through an act of kindness, they walked away with something much more important than a medal from that race.
Roughly 3,200 meters into the race, the two runners collided and fell onto the track. It appeared that Hamblin had slowed down to avoid colliding with another runner, and as she did, D’Agostino fell into her from behind. As they went to rise and continue, it became apparent that D’Agostino had suffered injuries to her leg and would be unable to resume running, even once Hamblin paused to help her up. D’Agostino reportedly then told Hamblin to run on without her. Hamblin did not, however, and helped the injured runner for awhile longer. She recalls, “I went down, and I was like, ‘What’s happening? Why am I on the ground?’ Then suddenly, there’s this hand on my shoulder, [and D’Agostino saying], ‘Get up, get up, we have to finish this.’” The crowd cheered loudly as they crossed the finish line triumphantly.
Though they finished last, after protests they were both advanced on to the final round. For Hamblin, though, it was not about advancing or winning. When talking to reporters after the accident, she commented “I’ve never met this girl before, and isn’t that just so amazing? Regardless of the race and the result on the board, that’s a moment that you’re never, ever going to forget for the rest of your life, that girl shaking my shoulder like, ‘Come on, get up.’”
To me, this article embodied the true spirit of the Olympic games. It is so easy to become focused on rooting for Team USA and supporting all the gold medalists, but the games represent so much more. They are a chance for the top athletes from around the world to come together, and while the athletes compete fiercely, they also develop friendships and memories that will last them a lifetime. Such a show of sportsmanship and kindness was truly lovely and inspiring to witness. In my opinion, Hamblin and D’Agostino are the real champions, no matter what the scoreboard or medals show.
