Luck and the Olympian

I've always loved watching the Olympics, Winter and Summer. For two weeks every few years, I get to see sports that otherwise I wouldn't even know existed.

It is also a sobering reminder of the importance of luck.

Olympians train constantly. To be the best in the world in anything, you have to push yourself as hard as you can. But even with daily training, the best coaches, the best equipment, and the best attitude, luck still plays a role.

My first refresher course on the power of luck came on Saturday, as Apolo Ohno and J.R. Celski appeared certain to take the 4th and 5th spots in the men's 1500m short track competition. The Koreans had taken the first, second, and third places, and looked destined for a medal sweep.

Then the unthinkable--a poorly executed pass tripped up two of the Koreans and took them out of the race. In the blink of an eye Ohno and Celski took silver and bronze, an amazing reversal of events.

Then came the men's 10km sprint biathlon, the wonderful event combining cross country skiing with target shooting. The competition started as usual, with the competitors let onto the track spaced out at intervals of 30 seconds. But then, a few minutes in to the race, it started to snow. And it wasn't light and fluffy either, but wet and deadly to the later competitors. You could train all you want, but if you weren't one of the first ten competitors, you weren't going to win a medal.

Of course, without all the preparation, without the work and the dedication, you never get a shot at the Olympics in the first place. Luck isn't about bemoaning what happens to you, it is about being ready to take whatever life throws at you. As my favorite fictional designer once said, "Luck favors the prepared, darling."