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Show All Athletes Champs by Mary West I've been watching the Olympic games the last few nights and I have been so impressed im-pressed with the athletes and their various talents. I was greatly disturbed by a photo of Olga Korbut this very evening. The picture shows her sitting with a tired defeated look on her face. I think that the news media is often cruel in its reporting. This very talented Olga who stole everyone's heart is now pictured as defeated, the caption read "A Has Been." Oh, she's not a has been, no champion should ever be made to feel that way. She lost to a very talented person, but Olga is a unique human being and a great athlete. Athletic talent and ability begins in a very quiet unobserved unob-served way. Awhile back there was a basketball camp spon-soredby spon-soredby the BYU. Coaches camne from all over the state to teach fundamentals of the sport. Form our community there were three boys who gained honors at this camp. Gary Jackson was voted Mister Hustle. Brett Frampton was Most Valuab le Player, and Layne Butt, along with Jackson and Frampton were the bovs who comprised the 3 on 3 championship.- Brett was also on the overall winning team, the only Pleasant Grove boy. Gary and Brett were also on the All Star Team. How far will these boys go in the sport? Well, who knows, but isn't it great for our local people to achieve. One of the swimmers of the Olympic games told of the discipline that it takes to practice and work to compete in the games. I'm told that the new coach, Bill Kelly believes in discipline and is taxing the boys greatly. Well, it pays off not only in achievement today, but in gold medals in the future, and in every day living. The gigantic smile on 15-year-old Mike Goodell's face when he swam the 1,500 meter and won after over 15 minutes of swimming was inspiring, but I can't get that haunting look of Olga's out of my mind. She is no less a champion because she didn't win. Her performance was beautiful. Someone once said, "It's sure hard to win a race." Believe me it's harder to lose. |