Posted on Feb 21, 2010 under Championships/Events |
Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo
Today is the 9th day of the Winter Olympics 2010, hosted by Vancouver in Canada. The Winter Olympics often seem to be the overlooked relative of the better known Summer Olympics, so I thought I would use this weeks post to pay tribute to the athletes who are making history on the snow and ice!
Reaching an Olympic final is the aim of the majority athletes at an elite level; the dream of holding an Olympic medal is often the driving force behind their commitment to their sport! The Olympics are a championship that brings together the best of every sport, from every nation. It is an opportunity to witness a moment that is an accumulation of thousands of decision points and years of hard work to achieve a goal. Whether it be a summer or winter Olympics, I am always amazed by the number of sports which I never even knew existed or certainly wouldn’t normally take the time to watch! This week I got to see BBC coverage of the mixed pairs Figure Skating final. Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao took the gold; they are a husband and wife partnership that decided to come back from retirement to have one last stab at adding Olympic glory to their already very successful career. Their ‘free program’ performance was like poetry on ice and I would highly recommend watching it once it becomes available on Youtube! The picture above shows the pair in mid–throw. I found their precision and the expression of their ‘story’, coupled with the music they had chosen, completely awe inspiring.
I believe that we can draw inspiration from many different sources. Even if you are not a winter sports fan, watching any event at the highest level is a treat too good to miss. The link below takes you to the official Olympic site where you can watch a round up of each day’s action:
www.vancouver2010.com
And here’s something to ponder…
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”
Pierre de Coubertin
(French Educator, primarily responsible for the revival of the Olympic Games in 1894. 1863-1937)
Posted on Jan 31, 2010 under Championships/Events |
”I think that’s also thanks to guys like (Andy) Murray. They’ve made me a better player, because I think this (the final) has been one of my finest performances, you know, in a long time. Or maybe forever.”
Roger Federer
Roger Federer, taken from Australianopen.com
Today was the conclusion of what has been a fantastic Australian Open 2010. In an awesome final between the world number one; Roger Federer and the great British hope; Andy Murray the audience got to witness some of the finest tennis ever played.
I have to say, I was torn between supporting the ‘young pretender’ Murray who has played some fantastic matches and knocked out Rafael Nadal in his journey to this final, and Roger Federer whose game is simply awe inspiring. Federer’s ability to place the ball with extreme accuracy and keep his opponent guessing gives him that edge which often makes him unbeatable. Federer won the match in straight sets , 6 – 3, 6 – 4, 7 – 6. This was his 16th Grand Slam title – more than any other male tennis player in history. It was also his first title as a father, something that he referenced in the presentation speech.
It was awesome to hear both players share how they felt about the match and pay tribute to one another. Murray was very emotional after losing his second Grand Slam final – he broke down in tears as he spoke into the microphone:
“Congratulations to Roger, his achievements in tennis are incredible … He was a lot better than me tonight. Hopefully one time I can come back and win here.”
He was also able to crack a joke, referencing Federer’s own display of tears after losing to Nadal in last year’s final;
“I can cry like Roger it’s just a shame I can’t play like him..”
After which Federer turned to face Murray and said;
“You’re too good not to win a grand slam, so don’t worry about it”
Federer also shared his feeling of apprehension about the nail biting 3rd set tie-breaker; “After losing that point (with the drop shot), I’m thinking, ‘my God, he just grabbed the trophy out of my hands. I might end up losing this thing’. Which reminds us that even though Federer is a great champion, he is also human, and has his own moments of self-doubt. When he was asked what he thought about Murray being emotional at the end of the game, he responded, “You know, in a way it was hard to watch, but at the same time I like seeing players who care for the game. I don’t know. It’s nice to see, you know. So you wish, you know, only the best for him.”
Sport gives us the opportunity to build and test our will. Although a loss or a failure can feel like such a bitter disappointment in the moment, it always holds a valuable lesson. As for Andy Murray, I am sure he will come back a stronger player for having lost this match. As Federer quotes at the beginning of this post – every one of these players is contributing to the growth of the sport. Each individual has the ability to inspire and raise the game of another. I think that is what makes sport so special.
Posted on Jan 22, 2010 under Videos |
Aristotle
The Best Tennis Shots of 2009
Monday 18th January marked the start of the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year – the Australian Open. So with tennis on my mind, I started to search through videos on Youtube looking for inspiration for the latest blog post. Another tennis fan took the time to make the awesome video above – a collection of the ‘best’ shots of 2009. The players in this video really encapsulate the essence of Aristotle’s quote – the ability to play the shots shown in the video are a result of the sheer hard work and dedication that it takes to reach the top of a sport. It gave me the chills to watch it!
