"The arena, Thialf, is named for Thialfi, a boy from Norse mythology. As the 13th-century textbook 'Prose Edda' recounts, Thialfi and others are made to perform feats by Skrymir, a supernatural giant. Thialfi asks to race, and Skyrmir selects a boy named Hugi to run against him. Despite Skrymir saying he has never seen someone as fast as Thialfi, he is beaten soundly each time by Hugi.
The next morning Skrymir reveals that Hugi is no ordinary boy, but the embodiment of thought itself and impossible to outrun.
The best skaters in the world must have felt as if they, too, were chasing after an idea and not a mere mortal. Dubreuil, the silver medalist, called Stolz 'otherworldly'.... 'How long he is on his left before he drops the right skate is just something that I don’t think I’ve seen in a speedskater before,' Dubreuil said.... 'I cannot gain anything on him' [said Thomas Krol, the defending Olympic champion].... Friday’s polite cheers for Stolz transformed into Saturday’s recognition of a champion, and finally into Sunday’s appreciation for having witnessed one of the greatest tournaments in speedskating history."
पोस्ट्स
