The curse of "A Shot at Glory"
Before the Olympics began, the HD television station Mojo ran a miniseries, "A Shot at Glory," which told the stories of eleven American Olympians. I enjoyed the series, but looking back, things did not go well for the athletes profiled. Consider:
- Wrestler Daniel Cormier had to drop out of the games after he was hospitalized just hours after weigh-in with kidney failure and other physical problems from cutting weight.
- Wallace Spearmon ran the finals in the 200m, but was disqualified for crossing into a competitor's lane.
- Boxer Gary Russell Jr., a medal threat for the United States, dropped out of the games when he passed out while trying to make weight.
- Gymnast Samantha Peszek sprained her ankle minutes before the women's qualification round, relegating her to one performance on the uneven parallel bars.
- Runner Tyson Gay injured his leg at the Olympic trials and didn't qualify for the 200m. He then didn't make the finals for the 100m, a race he was expected to medal in.
- Swimmer Kate Ziegler did not make the finals in any of her events, though she was expected to medal.
That's a pretty frightening record. To future Olympians, if you are approached to participate in this series, you might want to think twice.
Photo via Getty Images
