Emotional Scene as Last-Place Race Walker Crosses Finish Line in Tears
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He didn’t give up.
Race walking is the Olympic sport everyone loves to make fun of. And why not? Just the name of the event sounds oxymoronic. Plus, the competitors sure look goofy as they wiggle their hips and swing their arms while moving at less-than-breakneck speeds. But Friday’s men’s 50km (31-mile) race gave us one of the most inspiring performances of these Olympics.
The race was the final edition of the 50km at the Olympics. While men and women will compete in the 20km walk in Paris in 2024, the 50km is being dropped from the program in the name of gender equality. (Women don’t compete in the 50km and rather than adding a women’s race at that distance, organizers are scrapping it altogether.) That means Poland‘s Dawid Tomala will (likely) go down in history as the final Olympic champion in the 50km, with a time of 3:50:08. While Tomala’s name will go down in the record books, the last man to cross the finish line in the 50km also deserves to be remembered.
Ecuador’s Claudio Villanueva Flores finished dead last in Friday’s race (4:53:09), more than an hour behind Tomala and 20 minutes behind his next closest competitor. But his determination to reach the finish line made for a powerful scene. He received a hearty round of applause and cheers from the small group of spectators and broke down in tears as he crossed the line. Race organizers offered to take him away in a wheelchair after he fell to his knees, but Flores refused.
Dropping out of the 50km is nothing to be ashamed of. Ten of the 59 walkers who entered the race did not finish, including world record holder Yohann Diniz of France. Walking seven miles more than a marathon in under five hours is a daunting task. No one could have begrudged Flores if he decided to bow out, but he persevered and produced one of the lasting images of the Tokyo Games.
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American wrestler Gable Steveson won gold at the buzzer
WHAT JUST HAPPENED! 🥇@GableSteveson grabs the GOLD as time expires. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/yqMc3wbXsu
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2021
And then he did backflip
DO A FLIP!@GableSteveson x #TokyoOlympicspic.twitter.com/PpSNj8wUSc
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 6, 2021
With athleticism like that, it’s no surprise he has his eyes on WWE.
Modern pentathlon competitors get paired with random horses on the day of the event, which means sometimes this happens
A lot of NFL players are showing their asses
Cousins said he has thought about surrounding himself with plexiglass in the QB room. He was asked why he would go to such lengths when a vaccine would be far more effective and efficient. He said the decision is personal and private.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 5, 2021
At least we know he’s getting the best information
Kirk Cousins says he's been doing a lot of research. When asked if he's made contact with Dr. Allen Sills, he says no
— Arif Hasan, but NFL 🏈 (@ArifHasanNFL) August 5, 2021
It’s been that kind of season for the Nats
Here's the high-frame-rate zoomed-in version of the ball knocking the latch on the door open. Weird. pic.twitter.com/RwlC13RMs0
— Blake Finney (@FinneyBlake) August 5, 2021
The Field of Dreams game uniforms are pretty nice but the Nike swoosh feels so out of place
No, it’s Iowa. pic.twitter.com/8beP9XrWLV
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 5, 2021
And here’s what the field looks like
One week from today, the @whitesox and @Yankees play at the Field of Dreams. Look at these photos, courtesy of @MLB. Yes, that is a corn maze in the likeness of the MLB logo. 👀 @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/ZCdQG5ivX2
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 5, 2021
Gotta play during the hottest part of the day for that primetime American audience, though!
It is HOT at the beach volleyball court for the final! #TokyoOlympics x @TeamUSA
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2021
📺 : NBC
💻 : https://t.co/Ypv6rXEMqq
📱: NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/PNFz7be8Hn
Somehow, Alex Reyes is not the first pitcher this season with three bases-loaded walks in an inning
What an experience.
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 6, 2021
The Cardinals walk in 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 consecutive runs in the eighth inning 👀 pic.twitter.com/N3p0OrILKQ
The guy has a way with words
Patriots’ HC Bill Belichick on his team practicing in the rain today: "If it rains, it rains. If it doesn't, it doesn't. If it's hot, it's hot. If it's not, then that's what it is.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2021
This hung in the air forever
JOEY GALLO GOES HIGH TO THE PORCH FOR HIS FIRST YANKEE HOMER!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 6, 2021
(via @Yankees)pic.twitter.com/1GpCewQnhG
The apology wasn’t exactly great, either
How to lose your job as a social media manager in one post.
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 5, 2021
For 20 minutes the official Juventus Women's account had this post up. Awful. pic.twitter.com/eehjorYg1q
Not sports
A woman who bought scratch-off tickets to pass the time while waiting for a delayed flight wound up winning $1 million. ... An overdue book was returned 50 years later to a library in Pennsylvania with $20 and a note.
What could go wrong when you use a Sodastream to carbonate milk?
A good song
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