Touching..

Was watching the SEA Games telecast on tv just now.. Today's headlines has got to be swimming and gymnastics. Lionel Lee won the 400m freestyle after a heart-stopping neck-to-neck race with a Thai swimmer. Beating his opponent to the wall in 0.03 seconds.. Joscelin Yeo beat a SEA Games record in one of her pet events - 100m butterfly.. She is the first woman in SEA to finish the course in under a minute. Amazing!

But my personal special praise has to be reserved for Nicole Tay. A 14-yr-old gymnast, who showed strong character despite her young age. She was touted to win the balance beam event. But alas, seconds after mounting the beam, in executing one of her first stunts, she fell off the beam and hit her back. She turned towards the beam, grimaces for a while and duly mounted the beam again. She continued her routine but it was only 10 seconds later that she lost her footing and fell off the beam yet again. But she refuses to give up, though everyone (including her) knows that her gold medal hopes have perished. She composed herself and mounted the beam again.. She continued from where she left off.. But luck wasn't on her side, she fell off yet again.. Yes, 3 times unlucky. Wth right.. This time, she broke up in tears.. It was just unbearable.. Yes, she cried. But in under 3 seconds.. She held back her tears and mounted the beam once again!! She duly completed her routine this time round before walking off the arena and breaks down in the arms of her coach.. What a touching sight.. She was really brave to take it all in her stride and complete what she had to do..

More proof of her resilient character is when she recovered from the earlier setback to clinch gold in the exercise floor event. It is truly remarkable and a day to remember for Singapore sports..