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Yes, the Olympics still can make us smile from time to time … just ask high jumpers

Infrastructure bills are great, aren’t they? Help to build roads and bridges and things like that to improve our lives. Of course we all know they’re nothing more than an avenue for some politicians to stick earmarks in to make the pork barrel even bigger.
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Ireland’s Darragh Kenny, riding Cartello, competes during the equestrian jumping individual competition during the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Infrastructure bills are great, aren’t they? Help to build roads and bridges and things like that to improve our lives. Of course we all know they’re nothing more than an avenue for some politicians to stick earmarks in to make the pork barrel even bigger.

There’s one of these massively-inflated pieces of legislative crap that’s about to pass in the U.S. and it is littered with these personal pet projects which have absolutely nothing to do with infrastructure at all. Just a mish-mash of absolute horse manure all around which confirm the following: politics, at its core, is rotten.

Anyway:

Why not share?

You know my views on winning. It’s what matters, especially at the highest level. Your sixth-place finish may as well have been a last-place finish because you don’t get the big trophy, or at least you shouldn’t get a big trophy, no matter how much you cry about it how you participated.

Which is why this little deal from the Summer Olympics in Tokyo is something I’m completely OK with because it meant people won.

If you missed it, the men’s high jump ended in a tie because the two men wanted it to. Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy were the only two left and faced the prospect of competing in a jump-off to determine the Olympic champion on Aug. 1. An official told them what was going to happen but Barshim asked if they could simply share the gold medal together. The official said it was possible if both agreed. Tamberi was more shocked than anything when Barshim extended his hand and offered to share top spot with him.

Hey, why not? If you’re the only two left and it means you both go home with a gold medal, do it. I don’t know if I would because I would have to really like the person I’m planning on sharing it with to do that. Otherwise, I’m jumping until I bury the other guy. But it was obvious these two were friends and it made for a really nice moment.

Mutaz Essa Barshim is officially one of my new favourite athletes.

You would move, too

Equestrian show jumping is one event I’ve always enjoyed watching simply because I grew up watching Ian Millar ride Big Ben to so many great moments. I’m also quite alright with Big Ben being in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. But there was a slight problem over in Tokyo with the show jumping competition there and it all comes down to gate no. 10.

If you had seen show jumping, you would have seen a large life-like effigy of a sumo wrestler which greeted the horses arse-first. You would have also seen several horses simply refuse to take the jump and their riders claimed that it was the sumo mannequin which was the cause of it all. If you know anything about show jumping, you will know that a refusal to take a jump comes with it penalty faults and that can play havoc with a rider’s time – there’s a set time in order to complete all obstacles on a course.

The reason that the sumo was out there was because it was part of a dedication to Japanese features; other features included a kimono, a miniature temple and items from the Tanabata festival but it was the sumo that caused the most heartburn to riders. And if you saw a giant something in a mawashi (loincloth) that you weren’t expecting to see, you would be a bit afraid as well.

And finally …

Good Idea: Celebrating a win.

Bad Idea: Celebrating a win and blowing out your ankle.

We go back to the boxing ring in Tokyo for this one but it wasn’t anything cannibalistic this time.

No, this involved Ireland’s Aidan Walsh, who decided he would celebrate his win over Merven Clair of Mauritius by launching himself in jubilation. Great. He’s happy. Only problem is when he came down, it was on an awkward angle and there went his ankle.

Luckily for Walsh, it was just a sprain but it was apparently so bad that he failed to show up for his medical check before his scheduled semifinal against Pat McCormack of Great Britain. Here’s the thing: even though Walsh didn’t fight in the semifinal, allowing McCormack to advance directly to the gold medal match, he still got himself a bronze medal because in boxing, there are two bronze medal winners. I don’t know why.

Anyway, Walsh can go home and tell all of buddies that he won a bronze medal and you can be sure it will involve some sort of tale about how he showed that other guy.

Until next time, folks …