David Moorcroft's story might have been a proverbial David-and-Goliath one. Except that in his case he was the Goliath. In great form, he was the favourite to win the 5,000m race at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Just two years earlier, he had set the world record for the race in Oslo. He began the Olympics with a pelvic injury that was exacerbated during the heats and the semi-finals. By the finals, he was doubled over in pain, and even as runner after runner went past him, he did not give up. He came last and hobbled to the finish line.
The Olympics might be about gold and glory, but Olympism is about the resilience of the human spirit. That is why Moorcroft's story, which was immortalised in Bud Greenspan's film 16 Days of Glory (1985), finds a resonance 40 years later. 16 Days of Glory is one of the films being screened at 'Olympics in Reel Life'-a festival of 33 Olympic films and 10 series that takes place in Mumbai from October 1 to 7 and in Delhi from October 7 to 14.
The films include Kon Ichikawa's Tokyo Olympiad (1965), which the BBC called "the greatest film about sport ever made"; Castleton Knight's The Glory of Sport (1948), the first official Olympic film to be shot in colour, also notable for the Indian hockey team's first gold medal since independence; and Carlos Saura's Marathon (1993), that beautifully explored the kaleidoscope of exhaustion, disappointment and celebration at the games.
Other than the films, the festival will have two other elements-'Olympism Made Visible, or selected photographs from an Olympic Museum international photography project; and 'Indians in Olympics, featuring iconic photographs of Indian Olympians in action. The festival comes as a prelude to India hosting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session for the first time in 40 years.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
