The Olympics

Terence Devish prepares to dive in the cold water. He knew it was a matter of time until his gift would be lost. And time had been passing. So here it comes, the public humiliation of loosing in front of thousand of people and millions of viewers.

He has been the undefeated champion for way too many years, have won gold medals in the past three Olympic Games. But that was long ago. And although he has been training for this last push, his opponents are just younger.

One would think at thirty-three years old is at the peak of his youth, but not when you are a pro swimmer, or so he thinks. He can't get his eyes from the bottom of the pool, and can't stop thinking how far is he going to go until Rogers passes him. It's a matter of time.

The past few months have been hell in his mind, fearing the new kid will rise and he would fall. Figuring out no tactics nor special training would solve the problem. He is just not fast anymore. Not fast enough.

A sound brings him back to reality; it's the starting signal. He does not loose a second, though; it's his second nature to jump into the pool.

As if he was jumping in slow motion, he can see the faces in the crowd; excited people shouting for him. He can feel their disappointment approaching. He can predict the silence that will be heard when he finishes second.

He can only think how he had said all his life that second place is the first looser. He knows he will loose; nothing can be done to avoid it.

Still in the air, several memories come to his head; thoughts of past experiences. His first childhood, swimming in his uncle pool at Riverdale; his first competition; his first trophy; in fact, all of them...

He enters the water, feeling the coldness of it in his skin, and smelling the chlorine in the air. His muscles relax just as they are about to begin pushing his body.

And then, it happens. In a split second, he realizes the race just started, he has jumped farther than his competitor, and he has a chance.

He goes underwater now, and founds his belief, his confidence, and his faith in himself. After all, this is his environment, and he fears no one out here.

And just as he starts smiling in his mind, knowing he will be the winner after all, his head hits the bottom of the pool, and his race is over.

It turns out Peterson finishes in the first place, while Rogers ends up in the fifth place.

People give Devish a standing ovation when he is taken out of the pool, and while the paramedics carry him to the hospital. After all he tried his best, they think, and left it all out there.

They just don't know he was defeated before starting, as he didn't know by starting defeated he couldn't win even when he knew he would.