Winning an Olympic gold medal is a life changing moment.
In an instant an athlete is elevated from competitor to champion; capitulated to great sporting heights and remembered for generations.
But behind every life-changing moment there’s a story – context that explains why that moment is as great as it is.
Wait For It – a new series launched on the Olympic Channel and available to stream now via Olympics.com - dissects some of the most awe-inspiring moments from the Olympics by examining the build-up that came before it.
Chris Mears, Chloe Kim, and Ester Ledecka are just some of the headline names whose Olympic stories are held under the microscope by Olympian Nile Wilson in dedicated episodes loaded full of reflection and fun.
Episode one features none other than Neymar Junior – one of Brazil’s greatest ever footballers.
The nine-time Ballon d’Or nominee steps up to the penalty spot at the Rio 2016 football final, the footage pauses, and Wilson asks the audience to ‘wait for it’.
Just as Olympians must wait for their moment to show off a life-time’s worth of hard-work, dedication and sacrifice so too must the viewer as Wilson adds the all-important context signalling why this moment in particular, is so special.
He takes the viewer on Brazil’s Olympic journey. How that, in the past, the country has come so close to gold, but have fallen short.
He then adds why Germany, the other finalists on that auspicious day in Rio, were a particularly tough opponent for any Brazilian to face, and why Neymar had to be the one to take the final kick, underscoring Brazil’s status as giants of global football.
Episode two tells the story of artistic gymnast Magarita Mamun who overcomes her greatest nemesis in a bid for gold.
Swimming sensation Joseph Schooling, who denied the legendary Michael Phelps is the athlete behind the third episode.
Ester Ledecka takes centre stage in episode four which charts her phenomenal attempt to ski and snowboard at a Winter Games.
Episode five pivots around London 2012's unlikely marathon winner, Stephen Kiprotich.
Snowboard star Chloe Kim's back-to-back 10s are the focus of episode six.
Chris Mears stars in episode seven which follows his rocky road to the diving board in Rio, and finally episode eight ends with figure skating phenom Alina Zagitova's historic fight for Olympic gold.
Source: https://olympics.com