Tags:
Journalism of Courage
French gymnast Benoit Caranobe was so busy having fun in the all-around final on Thursday that he did not even realise he had won an Olympic bronze medal.
The 28-year-old went about his business almost unnoticed while all the focus was on Chinese Yang Wei8217;s successful bid for gold and the remarkable comeback by Japan8217;s Kohei Uchimura to snatch silver.
While favourites like German Fabian Hambuechen and South Korean Yang Tae-young were fluffing their lines, Caranobe was giving the performance of his life to become the first French gymnast to stand on the all-around podium for 88 years.
8220;My happiness is so tremendous, it was so unexpected that I believe that this medal is only going to sink in a little bit later,8221; Caranobe told a news conference.
8220;I was not taking any notice of my scores or anyone else8217;s scores, I only realised at the end that I had won a medal,8221; he told reporters.
He first started gymnastics as a child alongside his triplet brother and sister. They gave up but he persevered, eventually helping France reach the men8217;s team final here and qualifying in 10th place for the 24-man all-around event.
8220;This was my best ever performance,8221; said Caranobe. 8220;I thought it would be necessary for some other gymnasts to make errors for me to place among the top eight. I just wasn8217;t thinking about a medal at all. It is an unbelievable feeling.8221;
Caranobe said he had not even been aware that the last French medals in the Olympic all-around were Marcos Torres8217; silver and Jean Gounot8217;s bronze in Antwerp in 1920.
He has the chance to grab a second medal in Monday8217;s final for the vault, on which he was the top gymnast on Thursday with a score of 16.600.
The champagne is on ice for now.
8220;I can8217;t really celebrate this evening as I still have to think about the vault final,8221; he said.
8220;My next final is really close to my heart and I want to focus on it and to enjoy it.
