Hurdling toward the Olympics

Hurdler Queen Harrison of Virginia Tech found herself presented with a unique obstacle in the Olympic trials when another competitor fell in front of her. Reacting quickly, she was able to make the Olympic team.

Meanwhile, across the sea at Wimbledon, the three top seeds in the women's division are out. Jankovic, termed 'grumpy' by the press, was complaining about having to play her last match on Court 18, quipping that she needed a helicopter to get out there.

Such comments don't surprise me after years of playing competitive wheelchair tennis. I've heard players gripe about everything from the brand of grip they used on their racket to what was served for lunch, as if victory could be had if only there was better food available.

Took me a number of years to figure out that players could win on an empty stomach playing on a sloped tennis lot in a rainstorm, depending on their attitude and focus. More times than not, the conditions sports are played in are unpredictable.

This morning underdog Harrison, who at 19 years old is the youngest member of the team, knows what it's like to defy the odds by making the most out of an unpredictable situation. Despite all the training, no one can instill or teach an athlete how to cope with that. (I wonder if she knows about hurdler Harrison Dillard, who had a comeback in London after missing the 1948 Olympics.)

I can't think of anyone better to send to the Olympics. And I can't help but mention this: she's so young that when asked in a July 2007 interview what her most memorable moment in sports was, she cited her high school long jump competititon. I suppose now that answer will change.