As the Commonwealth Games have come to an end, we thought it would be great to reflect on the comradeship of the games. With athletes really showing the world what they are made of, not only in the sporting arenas but in how they conduct themselves with their rivals.
We saw such an example on day 5 when Australian long-distance runners Eloise Wellings, Madeline Hills and Celia Sullohern remained on the track after finishing the 10,000m event waiting for the last competitor to finish.
The trio remained behind to wait for another of their competitors, Lineo Chaka from the small African nation of Lesotho, to cross the finish line five minutes behind the winner.
It really shows the support and sportsmanship, proving that at the end of the day everyone is doing their best and it’s about bringing all of the nations together.
Other such inspiring acts of sportsmanship over the years include the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where the New Zealander Nikki Hamblin tripped and Abbey D’Agostino of the United States fell over her. Instead of continuing on the US runner helped Hamblin up telling her, “Get up, get up! We have to finish!” D’Agostino told her. “This is the Olympic Games. We have to finish this.'”
There was Derek Redmond’s courageous moment during the 400-meter semifinal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Where near the end of the race, the British track star suffered a torn hamstring and began hobbling in pain. As Redmond struggled to finish, his father came to his aid, rushing down from the stands to reach his son and helping him to finish the race.
In the final of the 200 meters in Beijing in 2008, American sprinter Shawn Crawford finished fourth behind winner Usain Bolt, Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles and American Wallace Spearmon. But afterward, it was determined Spearmon and Martina had stepped on their lane lines during the race, a technicality that disqualified them. As a result, Crawford went from fourth place to second and was awarded the silver medal. After the Games, Martina received a package from Crawford. When he opened it, it contained the American’s silver medal and a note: “I know this won’t replace the moment, but I want you to have this, because I believe it’s rightfully yours!”
Japanese competitors Shuhei Nishida and Sueo Oe competed in a jump-off for the silver medal in the pole vault at the Berlin 1936 Olympics. Although both vaulters finished with the same height, the silver was ultimately awarded to Nishida for having fewer misses than Oe. However, when the Olympians returned home, they did the unthinkable. Nishida and Oe cut their medals in half to create two new medals of half silver, half bronze. They were called the “medals of friendship.”
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