Most Divers Stand

MOST DIVERS STAND on the 33-foot platform locked in total concentration and showing no emotion. But before every dive in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Laura Wilkinson flashed her brightest smile.

A broken foot almost denied the Texas native a spot on the U.S. team. The 22-year-old former University of Texas diver spent weeks in a cast. She delayed surgery and healed in time to qualify for the Games.

In the preliminaries and semifinals, Laura did okay and ended up fifth. But in the final round of five dives, she enjoyed herself and earned drastically better results. At the same time, the favored Chinese faltered. Sang Xue splashed on her third and fourth dives. Her inward 3½ somersault tuck devastated her gold medal hopes. Li Na fared no better. On her third dive, a forward 3½ somersault pike, she earned only 5.5s and 6.0s.

Laura shot up the scoreboard. Beaming, she nailed a reverse 2½ somersault, barely disturbing the water’s surface. The American nervously approached her fourth and weakest dive, an inward 2½ somersault in the pike position. Before she scaled the platform, Coach Ken Armstrong whispered a word of encouragement to his gutsy competitor.

The 1998 Goodwill Games champion climbed the tower and removed the protective kayak boot. With her smile gleaming, Laura produced a solid effort, increasing her lead.

The Texan clinched gold on her final attempt, edging out Li 543.75 to 542.01. Canada’s Anne Montminy claimed the bronze. Wilkinson’s first-place finish broke a string of four consecutive 10-meter Chinese gold medals.

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POINT Experts speculated that Laura had little chance of reaching the medal stand, much less the top step. How did an injured Texan win gold over four-time champions and prohibitive favorites?

The secret lay inside. Laura Wilkinson’s wise smile reflected her heart and captured the crowd. Her confidence came from the encouragement of a coach and family she knew applauded her no matter what.

In the Bible, King Solomon knew that power of being positive and staying happy. He wrote about it in the book of Proverbs.

GOAL! Think about Christians you know. Picture their faces. Do their expressions reflect their heart? The Lord wants to help your face show the brightness of God’s love, if you let him.