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 Athens
Greece, August 23rd, 2004
At these Olympic games there are a lot of people of course who are participating in all of the sports. They train for many, many years to be successful. But we know there’s only one gold medal, one silver, one bronze, for each event.
Here in Athens there are 10,500 athletes, there are approximately 300 events, and if you add up the gold, silver and bronze, there’s a little more than 1,500 medals that are awarded, so that means what for the other 9,000 athletes? Well, they still consider themselves Olympians, and they are still a part of that great fraternity of people who have participated for their countries and themselves. They should feel very proud.
But to be one of those special people who wins a medal, whether it be bronze, silver or gold, is an amazing accomplishment. Many people choose to end their careers with an Olympic performance. They come to the games to cap off a lifetime of training with what they hope will be a pinnacle moment.
I’ve been asked many times what that feels like to win a gold medal. Well let me tell you, it feels very special. Standing up there on the podium, listening to your national anthem, you know you’ve accomplished your ultimate goal. You feel pride for your country, your family, and yourself. You look down and see the medal. You touch it, feel its weight in your hands. The feeling is beyond words.
I've enjoyed reporting on the Games for you. I hope this has provided you with a special view into what the Olympics are all about. My thanks to Panasonic for making this forum possible, and for all of Panasonic's support of the Olympic movement.
My best to you all, and, of course... Go U.S.A!
-Mark
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