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In Sports, Expect the Unexpected – Especially in the Olympics - Page 2

© Michelle Parke

The U.S. Softball Team went to Sydney as the favorites to win gold once again. The dominated the WPSL teams during their Central Park to Sydney Tour. During the first two games of Olympic play, they looked like the powerhouse team fans are accustomed to seeing. However, when they faced Japan in the third game, Team USA lost a close game in extra innings to end a 112 game winning streak. This was just a fluke loss, right? The next game was against China and it went to extra innings as well. The US uncharacteristically suffered another loss. Two in a row? This can't be! Game five saw Team USA take on the home team. The stadium was packed with Aussie fans. During the 1996 games, Lisa Fernandez gave up a homerun to the Aussies and it still haunts her. The Aussies were determined to beat the Americans on their turf. They succeeded and it was another homerun which allowed them to do so. Team USA had never seen their bats go silent like this before. The US pitching was impeccable but great pitching can't win games without any offense. So Fernandez decided to do something about it. The team put on their white uniforms and went into the showers to wash away the bad karma. It worked. Team USA came back to beat New Zealand and Italy in must-win situations in order to advance to the medal round. In order for the US to reach the gold medal game, they had to play Japan, China and Australia - all three teams which handed them a loss. Team USA played like the team fans were accustomed to seeing. Fernandez climbed out of her 0-18 hitting slump and team captain Dot Richardson redeemed herself for the errors which cost the team one of the losses. They faced Japan in the gold medal game and won in the eighth inning off of an error by one of the Japanese outfielders. A sweet victory and sweet revenge. From the reaction by the team, it was clear that this gold medal victory meant a little more than their first one in Atlanta. They rode a roller coaster to get to the medal and had to truly come together as a team to earn the victory. This team became an example of how persistence and believing in oneself pays off.

The Olympic Games are full of surprises and this is something fans and athletes have come to expect. Whether it's a pleasant surprise like Misty Hyman's huge upset of Susie O'Neill or a frustrating surprise like the miscalculation of the vault during the gymnastics individual all-around competition, we have learned this is all part of the spirit of competition. The U.S. Volleyball Team was expected to come to Sydney and lose most of their games and come home after being eliminated during pool play. The unexpected happened. They went undefeated in pool play and advanced to the bronze medal match. This was a team of a couple of veterans, Tara Cross-Battle and Danielle Scott, and a group of young unknowns. The veterans performed like experienced international competitors but the team needed more than two solid players. Enter 19 year-old Logan Tom. Who? This is exactly how most volleyball fans reacted. She was the key to the U.S. victories. She was a hitting powerhouse and once she found her rhythm, she seemed unstoppable. The team's defense, led by libero Stacy Sykora, was also the key to the victories. Upsets and close games happened along their undefeated path. In their first match, they shocked volleyball giants China in a five set victory. Once they were out of pool play, they faced some real challenges. In the semi-finals, the U.S. took on Russia, whose frontline was the biggest in the tournament. The Russians were not a strong defensive team but they didn't need to be with their strong hitters. Again, the U.S. stunned Russia by sending the match into five sets. Unfortunately, the Russian hitting overpowered the U.S. and Russia edged out a victory. But who expected the U.S. to reach the bronze medal match? No one. I doubt the athletes on the team placed those expectations on themselves. They probably wanted to go into the Olympics and play the best volleyball they could. Mission accomplished. Hopefully, their success will continue in their attempt at a bronze medal.

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