Almost enough to make you want to move to Norway

posted by The Vidiot @ 5:40 PM Permalink

I don't care much about the Olympics these days. The way it is covered and the athletes' off stage antics make it seem more like an episode of Survivor than a sporting event. But Norwegian cross-country skiing coach Bjornar Hakensmoen deserves his flag to be flown from the highest masthead.

Quick summary: Canadian Sara Renner broke a ski pole during the race, Coach Hakensmoen, out of the blue, (or white in this case), handed her a spare from his team. His team had just been able to pass her because of her equipment failure. She, and her team, came back from behind. The Norwegian team finished fourth, the Canadian team finished second.

"We talked about this as a group before the Games," Hakensmoen said. "Our policy is to help others when they need help."

Even when it costs your nation a medal?

"How can you be proud of a medal if you win when someone else's equipment is not working?"

This is what the spirit of the Olympics is about, what good sportsmanship is about, and lesson in how to achieve a victory that doesn't win the Gold, but stands for something more precious.