Time are un numar special dedicat Olimpiadei 2012 cu citeva povesti demential scrise, insotite de fotografii de Martin Schoeller.

doua imi plac in mod special.

Lolo”s No Choke – povestea atletei Lolo Jones care a ratat teribil la Olimpiada de la Beijing (concura la 100m garduri, a lovit 9 din cele 10 garduri, a iesit pe 7, desi era marea favorita) si care vrea sa -si ia revansa la Londra.

unul dintre cele mai frumoase fragmente:

When the gun went off, the Australian girl got out on me. Se beat me to the tirrd hurdle. You know, I was cool and calm about it. She had been doing that all year, and I would always get her in the end.
(…)
And then there was a point after that where I was like, WOW, these hurdles are coming up really, really fast. You have to make sure you don’t get sloppy in your tehnique. I was telling myself to make sure my legs were snapping out. So I overtired. I tightened up a bit too much. That’s when I hit the hurdle. Honestly, I should have relaxed a little bit and just run. Instead, I was just so paranoid because they were coming up so fast, I snapped it down too fast.

You know, when I hit it, I though I would still be able to get a medal. But when I crossed the line, I knew how bad it was. I collapsed on the track, and I couldn’t stop thinking. I just wish the nest Olympics were tomorrow.

***

a doua poveste minunata este cea despre gimnasta Gabby Douglas, care face parte din echipa care tocmai a cistigat medalia de aur: echipa SUA.

cind era olimpiada de la beijing, gabby l-a vazut la tv pe antrenorul echipei Chinei si-a zis ca el e cel care o va face campioana. cind antrenorul s-a mutat in statele unite, si-a convins familia sa o lase sa se mute in Iowa, fara parinti, ca sa fie antrenata de el.

Chow was initially reluctant to take Douglas on. He recognized her talent but wasn’t keen to move such a young girl away from her family. (…) She was sacrificing being with her mom in order to be the best gimnast she can be, and that touched my heart”, he says.

copilul a fost mutat intr-o noua familie , cu 4 fetite mai mici, ca sa poata fi mai aproape de antrenor. iar astazi e deja campioana olimpica iar disney vrea sa-i ecranizeze povestea.

***
ambele povesti – care-s f lungi, 4 pagini de revista – merg adinc in viata sportivelor si te fac sa intelegi sacrificiile pe care le fac sportivele. sunt atit de intim scrise, iar reporterii au fost geniali, incit Jones vorbeste chiar despre virginitatea sa si despre faptul ca nu si-a gasit un iubit pentru ca nu a avut timp.

geniale povesti. povestea lui Lolo e integral pe net, aici, iar povestea lui Gabby aici

dar cumparati revista de la chioscuri mai sunt multe alte povesti minunate in ea:)