Attempting a quadruple toe loop during Thursday’s men’s short program at the Sochi Winter Olympics, U.S. champion figure skater Jeremy Abbott crashed into the ice on his first jump.  He slid into the padded side walls and, while clutching his hip, remained down on the ice for several seconds.

But what the twenty-eight year old did next is very characteristic of an Olympian – he got up, finished his routine to near perfection despite his pain and completed all the remaining elements for the short program.  Wow!  That is the heart and soul of an Olympian.  It’s as though Olympians prove who they are when the chips are down just as much as they do when they are winning medals.

“I’m not in the least bit ashamed,” Abbott exclaimed. “I stood up and I finished that program, and I’m proud of my effort and I’m proud of what I did under the circumstance.”  Spoken like a true Olympian!