Michelle in Athens/Special Olympics | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Michelle in Athens/Special Olympics

seniorita

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
I hope you can use google translation cause the next are in greek!Or you can just watch the 2 photos!

The first article has the title Skating full of shine and says that Michelle Kwan and Apollo Ohno attended the Stadium of Peace and Friendship and along with the athletes competed in a 4x100 skating speed event with music on, giving autographs and water bottles after the end.

The second with the title Dignity World Revolution is just some declarations of some people, where Michelle says that the Special Olympics is the most important sport event of the year, but the photo was stunning and I thought I d put it here!


Both articles refer to Michelle as one of the most important (exact adjective is mountain peak :biggrin: ) athlete of fs and a two time Olympic Champion. This is not necesserily that they got it wrong although I think from the way they wrote it in the Apolo Ohno article they did mean gold champion-and I have no intention to tell them they are wrong.:p
But in greek culture and according to the ancient games olympic champion was called anyone who had participated and nowdays the one who landed in the top eight in the olympic games. :) The champions are called gold, silver olympic champion etc...up until 8th.
I think in modern times they did it because anyway Greece for the most part did not win any medals, so they figured out if you finish up to 8th it is some kind of achievement.(which it is anyway but you get my point) :laugh:

it doesnt make much sense when translating in another language to call 8 athlete champions, but it does perfectly in greek.:cool:
 

seniorita

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
^ !!! yey! now we can make a section and root for greek skaters with no shame:hb:
cool nickname btw;)
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
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Joined
May 19, 2011
Anybody post this picture yet?

Ever wonder how short Michelle is compared to Yao Ming? Wonder no more...

That is so funny! He's HUGE!! :laugh:
 

seniorita

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
Video

(
it is not the simpsons):)
I m thrilled Michelle is in Greece, in case I havent said it enough:laugh: She goes to places I know, thats awesome! It is so rare to see skaters on greek media, moreover someone like Kwan.
Cause otherwise the only way she might have gone to athens was if she was in the cast of disney on ice!
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I'm so glad to hear that Michelle has been participating so fully. It sounds like a magnificent event.

May I add to Mathman's information on the history of the Special Olympics by pointing out that Maria Shriver is the daughter of Eunice and Sargent Shriver, so she has a special place in the annals of the organization. She always took active part in the events. I'm especially glad to see her there this year.

Alithia, how great that you're a volunteer! It must be very rewarding.

SkateFiguring, I also remember the feeling of something miraculous happening when Filipinos sent Marcos packing, and when the Berlin Wall fell. And the "velvet revolution" of Czechoslovakia, as well, and South Africa, and more recently the fall of Mubarak. Whoever would imagine that repressive, oppressive systems like apartheid could end? And yet they did. These examples illustrate why we should never give up--even when things look dire, as they do in so many places today. I always remind myself that if we give up, we have a 100% chance of failure.

Since we're talking about all things Greek, I learned recently (from one of the Shriver sons, actually, who said this on TV) that Eunice Shriver's name is derived from ev-nike--"good victory."
 
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