The Lillehammer Olympics were celebrated in bright sunlight, for the most part, but they were in a shadow nonetheless.
Not even the most triumphant moments produced enough light to cast it away. Everywhere was the shadow of Tonya and Nancy, everywhere was the gloomy, tawdry spectacle and the frenzy for sordid thrills that it produced.
In the Main Press Center where I worked coordinating Tribune coverage, monitoring every venue on closed-circuit TV, it dimmed everything. Yet it is certain that when these Games are remembered from a distance, the only trace of that sorry media spectacle will be the silver medal that Nancy Kerrigan won in her exquisite battle with Oksana Baiul of Ukraine. There will be no trace of Tonya Harding. History does not remember eighth place.
What it will remember is the best of these Games, from the plaintive Sami chant that welcomed us all at the Opening Ceremonies to the hush as the Olympic flame was extinguished.
In between were many moments worth remembering. The U.S. had a greater winter harvest of medals here than ever before. Bonnie Blair became the most decorated U.S. female Olympian. Russia’s Lyubov Egorova earned her sixth gold medal. No one has won more in the Winter Games.
Tommy Moe found gold in the downhill, as did Diann Roffe-Steinrotter. There was delight in Picabo Street and the rest of the once-maligned U.S. alpine team.
And there was delight in the Norwegians. These kind and energetic people produced the most dominant team of these Games and some memorable individual athletes:
– Bjorn Daehlie, king of cross-country, winning two golds and two silvers in the snow.
– Johann Olaf Koss, “Big Boss Koss,” obliterating the world record in 10,000-meter speedskating by an amazing 12.5 seconds and earning his third gold medal here.
– Espen Bredesen soaring toward a sea of Norwegian flags Friday to give his country a 1-2 finish in the 90-meter ski jump and five medals in less than two hours.
– Vegard Ulvang, folk hero and three-time gold medalist in 1992, breaking down in tears when asked about his missing brother and the months-long search through the arctic cold that cost Ulvang his training for the Games.
History will certainly remember speedskater Dan Jansen. His was the most transcendent moment of these Games when, after his years of undeserved frustration and now finally wearing Olympic gold in the 1,000 meters, he took his daughter Jane in his arms and carried her on his victory lap. Jansen showed the new Jane, namesake of his late sister, to the world and the world to the new Jane.
All of us can bask in that light. History already is doing its work. The ugly shadow is vanishing. Let’s enjoy the sunshine of Lillehammer.
