OT: Love this type of news story

[temery]

Her smile made my day. The joyful little girl in her is still strong.

"Every point counts at the European Athletics Team Championships, so when Belgium’s 100m hurdler got injured, shot putter Jolien Boumkwo stepped in. Hats off"

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Love it!!!

 

[EricLA]

Very cool! Loved her smile! Also loved how after she finished, a few other hurdlers came over and high 5'd or congratulated her. I'm sure everyone knew the situation and and why she was doing the hurdles!!

 

[meyers7]

Some of the shot putters can run. If anyone remembers Brian Oldfield.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I would have knocked over every hurdle.... even with a step stool in front of them. Good for her.

 

[Carnac]

Her smile made my day. The joyful little girl in her is still strong.

"Every point counts at the European Athletics Team Championships, so when Belgium’s 100m hurdler got injured, shot putter Jolien Boumkwo stepped in. Hats off"

This is what a real "team player" looks like. Every once in a while, you may be asked to "take one" for the team. She did and did it with a smile.

 

[temery]

Some of the shot putters can run. If anyone remembers Brian Oldfield.

Was that battle of the networks stars (or something like that?)

players from several sports competed in a dozen sports to see who was the best overall. A soccer player won a few times.

 

[oldude]

I too loved this story and was amazed that Boumkwo made it over all the hurdles unscathed. The story brought back fond memories. Back in HS, I competed in track & field in the shot put & discus. The last event of every meet was usually the 4x400 relay. On rare occasions, when the outcome of a dual meet was no longer in doubt, the coaches might just agree to hold a “weightmen’s relay” with 4 fairly large people lumbering around the track, huffing & puffing, while doggedly attempting to matriculate the baton around the track.

The relay was hardly a thing of beauty. But it usually generated a lot of enthusiasm from both teams. However, I do shudder to think what might have happened if one of us weight men had been asked to compete in the hurdles.

 

[meyers7]

Was that battle of the networks stars (or something like that?)

players from several sports competed in a dozen sports to see who was the best overall. A soccer player won a few times.

"Superstars." (although there was another program similar called "Battle of the Network Stars" that was ABC vs NBC vs CBS)

And yep, Kyle Rote Jr was the soccer player. Won 3 times.

The forgotten story of ... Kyle Rote Jr, America's first soccer Superstar

Michael Lewis: Kyle Rote Jr entered ABC’s made-for-TV sports contest as America’s best-known soccer player in a publicity-starved sport. He left it in 1977 as a household name

www.theguardian.com

 

[Bigboote]

I too loved this story and was amazed that Boumkwo made it over all the hurdles unscathed. The story brought back fond memories. Back in HS, I competed in track & field in the shot put & discus. The last event of every meet was usually the 4x400 relay. On rare occasions, when the outcome of a dual meet was no longer in doubt, the coaches might just agree to hold a “weightmen’s relay” with 4 fairly large people lumbering around the track, huffing & puffing, while doggedly attempting to matriculate the baton around the track.

The relay was hardly a thing of beauty. But it usually generated a lot of enthusiasm from both teams. However, I do shudder to think what might have happened if one of us weight men had been asked to compete in the hurdles.

Geez, I'd forgotten about the weightmen's relay. I did a few of those my freshman year, then I became a sprinter/jumper, although I continued chucking the javelin.