Rafael... From Rags To Riches!

Rafaela Silva HELPED BRAZIL FEEL ECSTATIC when she won the gold in judo in the women’s 57 kg category. It also brought hope to the deprived of Brazil; Rafaela, a victim of racism, had grown up in the infamous City of God slum.

- P.K. Ajith kumar

The tears just would not dry up. Monica Puigmay have succeeded in overcoming the odd sover one magical week in Rio, but she failed to control her emotions. Puig dropping her tennis racquet after the final point was won in the women’s singles final, kneeling on the ground, jumping with joy, putting her hands over her mouth — not in the practised way of a beauty pageant winner — and weeping uncontrollably: those images would remain among the most unforgettable ones from Rio 2016. She was a rank outsider, ranked 34th in the world, and had never gone past the third round of a Grand Slam.

“I’m in complete disbelief, complete shock,” she said after surprising World No. 2 Angelique Kerber of Germany in the final. “This Olympics isn’t about me, it’s about Puerto Rico and I know how bad they want this.”

It was the first Olympic gold for Puerto Rico, a country battling a major debt crisis and the deadly Zika virus. Puig’s gold would not solve those problems, but it will make the Puerto Ricans feel a little better.

RAFAELA SILVA HELPED BRAZIL  feel ecstatic when she won the gold in judo in the women’s 57 kg category. It was the host’s first gold. It also brought hope to the deprived of Brazil; Rafaela, a victim of racism, had grown up in the infamous City of God slum.

Simone Biles did not have the most ideal of childhood, either. Her mother had addiction issues, but her grandparents took her out of foster care. The teenaged gymnastics sensation from the United States was expected to be one of the biggest stars of Rio.

She did not disappoint. She took the gold in the women’s individual all-around, vault and team all-around.