Prompt Cast
Australia's Unlikely Path to Winter Olympics Gold
TLDR Australia, not known for its winter sports prowess, won its first Winter Olympics gold medal in an improbable fashion when Stephen Bradbury, a previously underestimated short track speed skater, emerged victorious after all four of his competitors wiped out on the last turn of the last lap. Bradbury's win serves as a reminder that perseverance and finishing the race are key to achieving success.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Australia won its first Winter Olympics gold medal in an extremely unlikely way.
01:28
Australia is known for its success in summer Olympics, but it is not a winter wonderland and has only had a few competitors in the Winter Olympics.
02:46
Australia had no medals in the Winter Olympics from 1936 to 1992, but in 1994 they won bronze in the men's 5000 meter short track speed skating relay, and in 1998 they won bronze in an Alpine skiing event, establishing themselves as a middling bronze medal-winning country, but the question remained if they could win silver or gold.
04:13
Stephen Bradbury, Australia's greatest short track speed skater, was not considered a favorite in the 2002 Winter Olympics, but he had previously won medals in the 5000 meter relay event and was known for his crashes.
05:38
Stephen Bradbury's lucky streak continued in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the skating event, allowing him to advance to the finals against some of the best speed skaters in history.
06:56
Australia won its first Winter Olympics gold medal in the most improbable way possible, with Stephen Bradbury winning the short track speed skating event after all four of the other skaters wiped out on the last turn of the last lap.
08:29
Stephen Bradbury, the Australian speed skater who won the country's first Winter Olympics gold medal, retired from the sport in 2005 and wrote a biography titled "Last Man Standing," which teaches the lesson that in order to finish first, you must first finish.
