As rivalries go, the United States and New Zealand are not known for being particularly antagonistic. But it was still heartwarming to see them come together on the Olympic track in Rio Tuesday.
The scene: the first round of the women’s 5,000 metres. The pack of runners is clogged. New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin tries to make a move — but stumbles. In the process, she trips up the U.S.’s Abbey D’Agostino.
D’Agostino didn’t fume after the collision, even as the pack of runners surged away. She turned to her opponent and checked on her condition. Hamblin stood up, and the pair began to move again. Then, wrenchingly, D’Agostino went down. She had injured her leg.
The pragmatic strategy would have been for Hamblin to wash her hands of any responsibility, and rejoin the race. Instead, she stayed behind, and eventually helped D’Agostino return to her feet.
D’Agostino began to jog, tenderly, and managed to finish the race, as did Hamblin. The hobbled American placed 30th of 32 finishers, with Hamblin one spot in front of her. At the finish line, they embraced.
“I’m so grateful for Abbey doing that for me,” Hamblin told reporters. “Regardless of the race and the result on the board, that’s a moment that you’re never, ever going to forget.”
In reality, the Olympics are always dogged by all kinds of problems: doping, security lapses, construction delays, political turmoil, and more. D’Agostino and Hamblin, at least, showed what a hypothetical, ideal Olympic spirit might look like.
Games organizers took note: Both runners have been given a pass to run in Friday night’s 5,000-metre final.
