Being Number One

At Montreal’s 1976 Olympics, Shun Fujimoto, a gymnast from Japan, broke his right knee during the team competition. There was no question that his bid for a medal was over. But Fujimoto wanted to be number one. The day after the accident, Fujimoto was scheduled to perform on the rings. The rings, which placed no pressure on his broken knee, were his strongest event, and he did beautifully. Then came the moment of truth: the dismount. Fujimoto launched himself into the air doing a twisting, triple somersault. He landed solidly, on both feet, jarring both knees. Fujimoto stood his ground and the arena erupted in thundering applause. Later, when he was asked to describe his dismount, Fujimoto said, "The pain shot through me like a knife. It brought tears to my eyes. But now I have a gold medal and the pain is gone." That’s how one man scrambled for success in a desire to be number one.