Table of Contents
Introduction
Fujimoto Shun: Putting the Team First
Fujimoto Shun’s efforts during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal represent one of the most courageous and self-sacrificing performances in Olympic history. Fujimoto and the other members of the Japanese men’s gymnastics team were defending four consecutive Olympic titles, and they faced stiff competition from the Soviet Union. The Soviet team led by a half-point at the end of compulsories when the Japanese team received a devastating setback. While finishing a tumbling run in the floor exercise, Fujimoto broke his kneecap. Knowing that his team could not afford to lose points and aware of the Olympic rules that prohibited the ...(100 of 342 words)