The hopes of 1.3 billion Chinese people rested on the shoulders of Liu Xiang, the golden boy of China’s Track and Field. Today, 90000 strong crowd cramped into the Bird’s Nest in anticipation. Many more had their eyes glued to the television. They expect him to breeze past the qualifying rounds and finally face Dayron Robles, the Cuban who broke Liu’s world record. Their hopes were dashed when Liu limped away into the tunnel, his hamstring apparently injured. It was not the ending everyone wanted. Watching him limping away reminded me of Britain’s Derek Redmond at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and Tanzania’s John Stephen Akhwari at the 1986 Olympic in Mexico City.

Sportsmanship and Fatherhood – Derek Redmond, 1992 Barcelona Olympic

Redmond was competing in the 400 meters semi-finals when he too, tore his hamstring. He fell to the ground in pain. When he saw stretcher bearers running towards him, he got up again and hobbled on one leg down his lane. He was determined to finish the race. His father barged his way past security to help him past the finishing line. It won a rousing ovation from the 65,000 crowd and the incident has become a well-remembered moment in Olympic history.

Finish the Race – John Stephen Akhwari, 1986 Mexico Olympic

Like Redmond, John Stephen Akhwari finished the marathon last. In fact, he finished the race one hour after the event had been won. He fell during the race, badly cutting his knee and dislocating the joint. Not deterred, the lone runner pressed on and completed the race to the standing ovation of the small crowd left in the stadium. When asked why he did not retire from the race and chose to continue running, he seemed confused but gave a simple answer:

“My country did not send me 5000 miles to start the race. They sent me 5000 miles to finish the race.”

His words inspired countless people.

Credit: Beijing2008

Recently, he appeared in Beijing as a goodwill ambassador in preparation for the Beijing 2008 summer games. During his visiting, Akhwari encouraged the students to be strong-minded, just like him.

Liu Xiang limping cross the finishing line would have showcased his mental strength and humanity’s strength of character…

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