BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Forget Michael "Fish" Phelps. Forget Usain "Lightning" Bolt. Forget all the robotic title-winning feats. The Olympic moments that touch your heart and purify your soul belong to those who are fighting destiny, triumphing over adversity, or proving to the world that love can be as deep as ocean.
It doesn't matter how Matthias Steiner won the super-heavyweight lifting gold medal. The 6-foot, 321-pound hulk will be remembered, FOREVER, for standing on the podium with tears in his eyes and clutching in one hand a snapshot of his wife, Susann.
Gold medalist Matthias Steiner of Germany holds a photo of his wife as he poses with his gold medal during victory ceremony of men's weightlifting +105kg group A competition at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 19, 2008.(Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Susann was killed in a car accident a year ago.
"She is always with me, in the hours before the competition, she's there," said Steiner, who had promised to Susann a gold medal at her bedside in hospital.
"I'm not the superstitious type, don't believe in higher powers, but I hope she saw me. I wish," said the 25-year-old German lifter, who was born in Austria but moved to Germany because Susann lived there.
As Susann is looking down from heaven, a sick boy is waiting for her mom to bring home a better life.
Hong Un Jong of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(C), Oksana Chusovitina of Germany (L) and China's Cheng Fei celebrate at the awarding ceremony of women's vault apparatus final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Hong Un Jongclaimed the title of the event with a score of 15.650. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)
Oksana Chusovitina, a former Uzbek gymnast, prolonged her career and moved to Germany to raise funds for her son Alisher, who was diagnosed with leukemia six years ago. The 33-year-old mom picked a silver behind DPR Korean vault champion Hong Un-jong on Monday, becoming the oldest woman in more than half a century to win an Olympic gymnastics medal.
"This medal is for my son, I could not have done this without him," said Chusovitina.
Chusovitina believes the battle against the deadly disease can be won. This belief must have got firmer when she knew Maarten van der Weijden not only beat leukemia, but also won a glittering Olympic gold.
Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands (L) receives a hug after men's marathon 10km of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games swimming event in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Maarten van der Weijden grabbed the gold medal of the event. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)
Van der Weijden's win at the grueling swimming marathon on Thursday is one of the greatest triumphs over adversity. The Dutchman compared his 10 kilometers swim victory to his personal fight against the cancer seven years ago.
"When you are in hospital and feeling so much pain and feeling so tired, you don't want to think about the next day or week - you just think about the next hour," he said.
"It teaches you to be patient when you are lying in a hospital bed and that was almost the same strategy I chose here to wait for my chance in the pack."
His conquest of extreme adversity is as inspiring as that of South Africa's Natlie du Toit, an amputee swimmer who completed the women's open water race one day early.
Natalie Du Toit of South Africa talks to her coach after women's marathon 10km competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games swimming event in Beijing, China, Aug. 20, 2008. Natalie Du Toit ranked the 16th of the event. Du Toit, whose left leg was amputated in 2001 after she was injured in a road accident, is an athlete for both Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Olympics. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
Du Toit lost her left leg in a motor accident and uses a prosthetic leg to walk. Having competed here against able-bodied athletes, du Toit will now focus on the Beijing Paralympics.
A touching moment was also seen after a dramatic men's rifle final, when Czech Olympic champion shooter Katerina Emmons held her teary husband Matt Emmons in her arms, whispering words of consolation to the man who just blew an Olympic gold.
Leading by 3.3 points and needing only a mediocre shot of 6.7 to dispel the 2004 ghosts, Emmons fired a 4.4 on his final attempt to drop to fourth.
Four years ago, the American fired at the wrong target on his final shot with a gold there for the taking. He ended up meeting his beautiful future wife over a drink afterwards.
When the nightmare repeated itself in Beijing, Katerina gasped in horror. She quickly came down from the commentators' stands to console her heartbroken husband.
Matthew Emmons of the United States is comforted by his wife after the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Shooting event in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Matthew Emmons won the 4th with a total of 1270.3. (Xinhua/Jiao Weiping)
"Things happen for a reason," said Emmons after he regained composure. "The last time the reason was Katie. This time, I don't know what the reason is yet. But I'm sure something good's gonna come from it."
When reporters questioned Emmons' mental strength, Katerina jumped to her husband's defence. "He's definitely the best standing shooter out there. If he can still end up fourth with a 4.4 on the last shot, that's a hell of a shooter," she blurted.
Emmons, the unluckiest shooter in the Olympics, is one of the luckiest men for sure.
