Elvis Stojko

Courage


He was called, among other names, �The Terminator�.

It was an apt name for the three-time world champion, possibly the most renowned Canadian Olympian in Nagano, the fierce warrior who�d begun this path to Olympic gold long ago. Elvis Stojko was not at the Olympics for fun and games.

He was there to win. To skate his best, of course, but in the end, he was there to win.

Why not? He was reigning world champion. He could unleash an arsenal of jumps that no other man in the world could match. He was known for his consistency and his ability to perform when in counted. Why wouldn�t he win Olympic gold?

There were three factors The Terminator hadn�t counted on - the three I�s. Injury, Illness, and Ilya. Just a few months ago, he had been considered unbeatable. Then the three I�s began to haunt him. A loss at the Champion Series Final in Munich made young Russian Ilya Kulik a legitimate rival. He�d suffered a groin pull while in practices for the Canadian championships in Hamilton. And finally, he�d arrived in Nagano, and like so many others, had fallen prey to the Nagano Flu.

But Elvis didn�t want to make excuses. People suspected, reporters harangued, but he would tell no one. No one was to know about the three I�s, no one was to focus on anything but his performance alone. And when he finally performed, he would not give in. No watering-down elements. Everything would be attempted, no matter how much it hurt. Everything.

Through the pain, through the agony, he kept his promise to himself. He tried everything. And almost everything worked out. But almost everything wasn�t enough that night. It was enough for him, though. When he finally collapsed in pain in the kiss and cry area in Nagano, it was enough for the rest of the world, too.

Enough for the Olympic silver medal. But more. Enough for the respect of every skating fan in the world, whether they liked his style or not. Enough to know he�d given it every last bit of courage inside himself. Enough to know that in the end, he truly was The Terminator.


� 1998 by Y.T.S.. All rights reserved.

Photo courtesy of Slam Skating