The Real Olympic Champions

Bode Miller has blown yet another Olympic event today. Luckily, it’s his final event and we won’t have to endure any more of his immature antics and sophomoric attempts at wisdom.

Miller was expected to medal in all of his 5 events.

His final medal count?

Zero.

The zero medals isn’t bad. We can forgive a competitor who skied his heart out and came up short.

It’s much harder to forgive a competitor who never showed up.

Months before the Olympics began, Bode said “For me, the ideal Olympics would be to…have performances that...make people put their heads down because they’re embarrassed about how emotional they’re getting…and come away with no medals. I think that would be epic. That would be the perfect thing.”

Bode succeeded. He came away with no medals. He made people put their heads down in embarrassment, not because of his epic performances, but because we had to watch him flush away his immense talent and the unique opportunity to carve his name among the ranks of the all-time greats.

Bode also succeeded in making a lot of us not care about him any more.

I’m tired of Bode. Let’s focus on the true champions of Team USA.

1) Sasha Cohen

Sure, Sasha didn’t win the gold medal as expected.

But Sasha has more champion in her 5’2”, 95-pound body than 100 Bode Millers.

Sasha came to win. Haunted by her failure at the 2002 Olympics, Sasha has spent the last 4 years focused on winning in the 2006 Olympics. She changed coaches. She read self-help books to improve her mental toughness. She dedicated her life to being an Olympic gold medalist.

When it came down to the actual competition, she fell and came away with silver. But we can admire Sasha for her courage and mettle, despite her fall.

2) Jeret Peterson

OK. So Jeret was kicked out of Torino for fighting and didn’t win a medal in the aerial competition.

However, Jeret succeeded in doing something Bode Miller promised to do, but didn’t: he gave a performance that made observers emotional. And he came away with no medals.

Peterson pulled off an epic jump, the Hurricane, a jump no one else has ever landed successfully. During an Olympic competition!

Peterson’s landing wasn’t good enough to place him on the podium (he finished 7th), but we can admire him for pushing the envelope when he didn’t have to.

It was a true “Tin Cup” moment; Jeret didn’t take the easy lie - he went for the glory.

And glory should be the goal of every Olympian.

3) Apolo Anton Ohno

What can I say about Apolo that hasn’t been said?

The dedication, the determination, the sacrifice, the steely resolve.

The gracious acceptance when he loses.

Apolo doesn’t whine. He leaves his heart and soul on the ice with each race. Sometimes it’s enough, sometimes it’s not.

Even if Apolo never won any medals, he is a true Olympic champion.

Oh, did I forget to mention he won 3 medals in Torino?

Ah, the glory of victory…