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Thousands of men and women tried, but only 302 succeeded. These athletes will forever be remembered in the pages of history books, some more so than others. These 302 are the gold medallists, the undisputed best in their sporting events, the winners and most importantly - Champions.
More than just gold medals bond these myriad of athletes from every race, religion and country. They are united by their undeniable talent, their indomitable spirit to win and that crucial mental edge which just gives them that extra spurt when all others start to flail.
These are the attributes of Champions, the stuff that winners are made of. There is little doubt that all the competitors would have committed themselves to years of physically strenuously and mentally exhausting training regimens.
They have prepared themselves entirely for that moment in competition, and any blow to their chances are not taken too kindly. How else can you explain the reaction of former taekwondo champion Angel Valodia Matos - who lashed out at the referee and earned himself a lifetime ban?
When they cross that final hurdle, however, and step on the podium and hear their national anthem being played, it too offers a deluge of emotions. Matthias Steiner, the world's strongest man, cried and broke down after claiming his gold medal. It was a touching and yet subtly powerful moment - the monumental effort has paid off, and one can finally call himself a champion.
We mere mortals can only fathom the sort of satisfaction that they achieve. The Olympics is the pinnacle of sporting competition, and only the best can surmount the summit.
And yet, if we just narrow the field a little more and take a more microscopic look at these winners, we find the Champions of these Champions. These minute few are legends. They have either won everything there is to win, or win it with such style and aplomb that the competition simply fades into non-existence.
For that split second, the world is enraptured by their stroke, stride or leap. Everything stops, nothing else matters and there is a certain suspension of belief as the Champion completes his victory.
They do not compete to beat others, or records. They have already done that. They are competing against themselves and nature, to tempt us into believing that it is still possible to go that much faster and higher.
One such Champion emerged from the pool in the V-shaped form of Michael Phelps. He swept to victory with 8 golds and 7 world records, becoming dubbed as the "greatest Olympian ever".
Another emerged on the sprint tracks in the lean and lanky frame of "The Flash", Usain Bolt. He strode to 100 metres glory with as much panache as with ease, with a smattering of cheeky celebration thrown in.
Yelena Isinbayeva, the pole vaulter, untouchable and unbeatable since 1999, continued her decade of dominance with a world record even though the closest competitor was long out of the running.
These legends inspire and allow us to dream. They never give up, always seeking to improve. After overcoming the challenges, they set new benchmarks for themselves. Phelps, a middle distance swimmer, now said that he wants to go for sprint gold.
These Champions have a hunger for success and pushing the boundaries. Only they themselves can whet their own appetites by achieving what they know they can do that no other human can. HOOKED
Images courtesy of Times Online UK, Celebs101.com, and Popcrunch.com.
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