Читать книгу Indiana University Olympians. From Leroy Samse to Lilly King онлайн

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He said pressure in Rio could be viewed in two ways: that because he had an Olympic medal, he had none; or because he was world champion, he had much.

“Dealing with pressure is something I’ve been pretty good at,” he said.

In the Olympic Village, several days before he was to compete, he dreamed he won the gold medal. He said he felt relieved, then reminded himself that he spent his entire life dreaming about going to the Olympic Games.

“Yet here I am wishing it away,” he said. “I had to stop wishing this was over and enjoy the moment.”

He breezed through qualifying, jumping 7–6, the same height he had cleared to win bronze four years before. In the final, he was as precise as a Swiss timing device. He cleared six bars on first attempts: 7–2½, 7–4½, 7–6, 7–7¾, 7–8¾, 7–9¾.

No one else could match that. He missed once at what would have been an Olympic record of 7–10½, then stopped. Winning gold was “probably one of the most powerful emotions I’ve ever felt,” Drouin said.

“He focuses on what he’s going to do, and he goes through the process,” Huntoon said. “That’s why he looks like he does. Some may call it boring, but it was awfully damn exciting tonight.”