
The women’s 80 meters hurdles race in Tokyo in 1964 had one of the tightest finishes you will see, with three women finishing in a near virtual tie. But I’m not here to talk about the thrill of victory, but instead, the agony of defeat.
The very best athletes in the world come to the Olympic Games with every intention to go to their very limits. That effort has risk. Marion Snider, 200-meter champion from Canada, hit a hurdle and landed hard on the cinder track, going limp as other runners zipped by her. The 22-year-old from Toronto was carried off on a stretcher.
Olympians train and prepare hard every day waiting for this moment. Snider’s was in her first and only race in Tokyo. Here is a picture of her before the fall, filled with possibility.
Marion Snider du Canada (à droite) participe à une épreuve d’athlétisme aux Jeux olympiques de Tokyo de 1964. (Photo PC/AOC)
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