Hurricane Hands Han (CHN) His Gold!

Xiaopeng Han’s (China) aerial acrobatics propelled him to first place in the Men’s Aerial Freestyle Skiing event. Han’s total score was 250.77, 2.09 points ahead of his nearest competitor, Dmitry Dashinski (Belarus), and 4.01 ahead of the bronze medalist, Vladimir Lebedev (Russia).

The ‘Hurricane’ a la Peterson (Source: AP Photo)

American Jeret “Speedy” Peterson’s signature move, the Hurricane, didn’t win him first place but inspired awe and admiration in all those present. The Hurricane is a difficult aerial acrobatic that has the skier do 3 (THREE) head-over-heels flip while twisting in the air.

That maneuver could have won Peterson the Gold easily but his landing betrayed him (see following picture).

Peterson couldn’t land his ‘Hurricane’ stunt (Source: NBC)

Yesterday, I blogged about how Tyler Jewell had it tough training for the Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS) event; today, in a stroke of eerie coincidence, Peterson has a no-less-haunting story of his own to tell. Well, I guess I shouldn’t describe it as eerie or even call it a coincidence, all athletes have to overcome great odds to get to the Olympics, though some might have a harder time than most.

Having survived sexual abuse; withnessed a friend’s suicide; and his sister taken away in a car accident, a lesser person would have just withered away. But not Peterson.

Instead, he channelled the negatives in his life into fuel for his daring acrobatics on the slopes.

Though winning no medals, Peterson was satisfied:

“I obviously didn’t come here to end up seventh but I came here to do the hurricane and I did the hurricane…I had another jump that I could have done tonight…But it’s not as risky and the rewards wouldn’t have been as high…I wouldn’t change anything.”

Spoken like a true Olympian.

I urge you all to vote for such incredible personalities at the DHL US Olympic Spirit Award Web Site.