Short Track Speed Skating

SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING can look a lot like a rugby match. With five skaters racing on a 111-meter oval, spills and collisions frequently occur. In the 2002 Olympics, Australia’s Steven Bradbury discovered that keeping his distance from the pack sometimes pays dividends.

The 1000-meter event featured American Apolo Anton Ohno, whom many considered a favorite to claim four gold medals. In the finals, Ohno led going into the final turn.

Jockeying for position, 1998 silver medalist Jiajun Li of China engaged in a light, one-armed shoving match with Ohno. Without warning, Canada’s Mathieu Turcotte and Korea’s Hyun-Soo Ahn became entangled with the two leaders. In an instant, all four skaters sprawled across the ice.

Bradbury, the weakest competitor of the five, trailed the others by several meters. Never focusing on his fallen competitors, he skated past the heap of humanity and crossed the finish line for the gold medal with a time of 1:29.109.

Ohno managed to escape from the pile and staggered to the line for the silver. Turcotte also scrambled to his feet and claimed the bronze. Judges disqualified Li from the race for impeding the progress of his rivals.

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POINT Steven Bradbury didn’t intentionally keep his distance from the other skaters. He didn’t want a wide gap, but he couldn’t quite keep up. Yet Steven kept skating his best. He wasn’t part of the crowd, and that paid off with a gold medal.

In life, often it’s best not to be part of the crowd. When the crowd stumbles and falls because of unwise choices and questionable actions, keeping a wide space pays off. God wants us to follow his way, not the crowd’s way. Like Steven Bradbury, sometimes we need to keep our distance.

GOAL! Think about areas where your faith in Jesus Christ distances you from other people. Maybe you’ve decided not to drink, smoke, or become sexually active, while a lot of your friends have. Ask God to help you know when to stay away from the crowd.