Amazing Upsets Always

AMAZING UPSETS ALWAYS seem to happen in the Olympics. At the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia, the women’s individual épée saw a virtual unknown from Hungary defeat the reigning champion and claim a fencing gold medal.

Hungary’s Timea Nagy entered the épée competition ranked third on her team and in the double digits globally. She’d never won a major individual championship and had finished 12th at the world championships. So when she met defending Olympic gold medalist and current world champion Laura Flessel-Colovic in the semifinals, most thought the French favorite would slice through.

If you’ve never heard of épée, it’s a 35-inch sword that weighs about 27 ounces. Rules state that a player earns a point by touching the tip of the blade on any part of her opponent. Sensors in the blade signal a score. The first athlete to score 15 points during three 3-minute rounds wins the match.

Flessel-Colovic used her quickness and stinging attacks at her opponent’s feet to push the semifinal match to the end. But Nagy refused to blink against the higher ranked opponent. Tied 14–14, both women knew they’d advance with the next point. And when Nagy scored, she continued to the finals against Gianna Habluetzel-Buerki of Switzerland. Nagy trailed early in the gold-medal match 6–3, but she rebounded to win 15–11.

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POINT Timea Nagy showed she had the sword skill to go toe-to-toe with the world’s best. Her speed made things uncomfortable for her opponents as she thrust her way to the top.

While Nagy’s piercing strokes won the gold, her blade doesn’t compare with God’s Word. The writer of Hebrews says that God’s Word is sharper than any sword as it cuts into our life. Sometimes we become uncomfortable as we read the Bible because its truth convicts us when we stray from God’s plan. But that’s exactly why we should read it: so we can stay close to God.

GOAL! Commit to reading God’s Word for five minutes every day. Start in the Gospels and find out about Jesus’ life. By tapping into the Bible, you can strengthen your relationship with God.