Read the arguments by Sports Geek and Loyal Homer.
What do Tanith Belbin, Ben Agosto, Chad Hedrick, Walton Eller, and Mariel Zagunis all have in common?
Aside from being four people who have never been in my kitchen, each has also won an Olympic Medal for the United States during either the 2006 or 2008 Olympic Games. Yet, you probably had no idea who they were (unless you first looked up the answer on Google like I had to).
Now, if I had instead used names like Dan Jansen, Kerri Strug, or Nancy Kerrigan, you would have known the answer in a heartbeat. So, why is it that some Olympic medalists are simply better known than others?
It is not the sport they participated in that separates them. Tanith Belbon and Ben Agosto won a silver medal for figure skating, just like Nancy Kerrigan. Likewise, Chad Hedrick and Dan Jansen have both won gold in speed skating. Clearly, the sport itself is not the separating factor.
Instead, it is the exceptional obstacles that the latter group had to overcome which propelled them from simply being Olympic medalists into the status of becoming Olympic Legends.
That is not to say that Zagunis or Eller had an unobstructed path to Olympic glory. Every Olympian from every nation must make great sacrifices in order to pursue the dream of one day hearing their nation’s anthem played on their behalf in front of the entire world. I am referring to those obstacles that are so exceptional that even the “average” Olympian would buckle under the weight of their seemingly insurmountable stature.
For Jansen, it was the loss of his sister just hours before competition in the 1988 games, followed by heartbreaking near-misses in the 1988 and 1992 games. In fact, it would not be until six years after that first heartbreaking loss that Jansen would realize his dream as he won gold during his final Olympic race in 1994. For Kerrigan and Strug, it was the ability to overcome the physical pain of suffering injuries that would have been too much for mortal athletes. Not even Jeff Gillooly on a severely injured ankle could stand in the way of Kerrigan and Strug achieving their dreams.
Americans thirst for stories like these. We love to watch as our compatriots achieve what just moments before had seemed impossible. We cry tears of joy alongside those Olympic heroes as they refused to surrender, fighting their way through so-called unbeatable odds to ultimately emerge victorious on the other side. It is the very essence of America, and we take great pride in seeing those moments of glory unfold before our disbelieving eyes.
It is for those same reasons that the United States will hold its collective breath once more as we watch the Vancouver games unfold. This time to watch Alpine Ski Racer Lindsey Vonn.
In the 2006 Winter Games at Torino, Vonn crashed during a training run, ultimately costing her a chance at winning any medals during those games. Four years removed from that crash, Vonn entered Vancouver slated as one of the favorites to win gold. At least, she was favored until she injured her shin during a pre-Olympic practice two weeks ago.
It appeared that once again a fall would stand in the way of Vonn’s Olympic dreams.
The pain, bruising, and swelling for Vonn has been so severe that she actually feared a possible break in the bone. Vonn has refused an X-Ray on her leg, despite that possibility, because she refuses to surrender her dream of standing on an Olympic podium, even if it means using crutches for support.
For what it is worth, fate also seems unwilling to oblige this latest setback. Thanks to a very rare problem by Winter Olympic standards, rain has actually postponed many of Vonn’s events during the first few days of competition. As a result, Vonn has been given some unplanned additional rest so that she can continue to prepare herself mentally and physically for the grueling competition which lay ahead.
Now, Vonn-watch is at an all-time high. Every press-conference and practice-run is being watched closely – not just by American fans, but by the entire Olympic world. Will Lindsey Vonn compete? Can she ski, despite a seriously injured (possibly broken) leg? Even if she can set foot on the mountain, will the pain be too much for her to remain competitive?
Thanks to heartbreak suffered during the 2006 games, the major setback of a leg injury, and the never-say-die attitude of one of the world’s greatest downhill ski racers today, the stage has been set once again for Olympic legend to be born. All we have to do now is sit back and watch as the drama (and hopeful magic) unfolds.
Posted by Bleacher Fan 
