In Australiaaccording to the most recent censuses, almost half of the population is divided between Protestants and Catholics. The situation is very fragmented, there are also Orthodox. But everyone, regardless of faith, absolutely everyone, does not believe in miracles. Or rather, they have their own way of defining miracles. It almost borders on paganism when you refer to an athlete from the past to entrust your prayers to. They say “I give to Bradbury”. Is there a major competition? “I give to Bradbury”; do you have to get out of an uncomfortable position? “I give to Bradbury”; is it necessary to overturn a crushing prediction? “I give to Bradbury”. Translating: “Do a Bradubury”or rather, achieve an unthinkable feat. This saying is inextricably linked to a noun: Steven Bradburyprecisely. Australian skater who wrote the history of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
We all know Bradbury’s story. If only because, over the years, he has unwittingly become the target of one of the most viral videos of all time. Gialappa’s. And many over the years have joked about the shameless feeling between the skater Aussie and Lady Luck to win a gold medal… by knockout. Bradbury didn’t win, but he was essentially the only one who didn’t lose. From the qualifications that led him to the final, he had fate as his faithful companion.
History. Does not qualify for the semi-final of short track but he is “re-fished” due to the disqualification of the reigning world champion, the Canadian Marc Gagnon. In the semi-final he does badly, but thanks to a series of falls he manages to qualify for the semi-final with the last available time. But the real masterpiece in tandem with Lady Luck, Bradbury accomplishes it in the final: he is now cut off from the games for the final victory, very far from the first four who are fighting for the podium but on the last bend the unthinkable happens: two athletes slip and drag the other two onto the ice. Almost without realizing it, Bradbury crosses the finish linewhile a tangle of athletes and skates mixes on the ice behind him. Gold medal. “I give to Bradbury”precisely.
Of this story, only the aspect that stimulates laughter has been highlighted, the lucky component envelops everything else. Behind every athlete there is a story, and we often forget about it and get caught up only in the medals, in the appeal that they may have in terms of victories or real or virtual followers.. Because Bradbury, before Salt Lake City, in his career, suffered everything: in 1995, after a fall, the blade of a skate stuck in his leg, severing a muscle and a vein. It took 100 stitches and more than a few prayers to see him back on his feet without consequences. In 2000, however, he broke two vertebrae in his neck and according to many it could have been the swan song of his career.
As he wore the gold medal after the bizarre Salt Lake City final, Bradbury declared: “The gold came a bit like that, but I’ll take it. And no, not for the 90 seconds of the race, but for the 14 years of hard work”. What Steven taught everyone is that, many times in life you need to be in the right place at the right time. Possibly standing up. For everything else “I give to Bradbury”.
