I cried the whole day. It took me four years. And he did it in style, winning the race in And as light rain fell last night as he waited to receive his second Olympic gold, Sanchez said he had felt his grandmother Lillian was there with him in the stadium. It made me feel like she was crying tears of joy with me,' Sanchez, little over three weeks away from his 35th birthday, told a news conference. A giant screen at the stadium displays a picture of Felix Sanchez in tears as the Olympic Flame burns.
The occasion all got too much for Sanchez as he was awarded his medal, eight years after taking the gold in Athens. Emotional: Gold medallist Felix Sanchez sobbed uncontrollably after winning the metres hurdles. Sanchez had pinned a picture of his grandmother behind his race bib and ran with her name on his spikes.
I wrote her name - at least what I called her in Spanish - on my spikes. Unsurprisingly his blubbing performance on the podium did not go unnoticed on Twitter. Stiff upper lip over-rated. British rowing hero Matthew Pinsent, who won gold at four Olympics, posted: 'One chance, one day. Totally life changing if you do it once never mind twice. Well done Felix Sanchez. Since , Sanchez - who had dominated the event in the three years up to Athens - has had his career hit by injury.
But he said he never lost hope of being the best again. I really wondered if I could come back. When you are so dominant you have a sense of confidence,' he said. Jubilation: Sanchez won the metres hurdles for the Dominican Republic in a time of I was running well, then I would get injured, then as soon as I was healthy again I would get another injury.
I never lost that motivation to be number one again. Having had all that success. That's what kept me going. At 34, Sanchez became the oldest athlete ever to win an Olympic medal in the event. But he was by no means the first to wear his emotions on his sleeve during medal ceremonies.
Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking cried tears of joy and relief after claiming victory in the women's lightweight double sculls. And heptathlete Jessica Ennis broke down live on television as the feeling of being Olympic champion began to sink in. Let it all out: Britons Katherine Copeland left and Sophie Hoskins right cried after they won gold medals in the women's lightweight double sculls event.
Tears of joy: Great Britain's Jessica Ennis reacts after winning the women's heptathlon. It made me feel like she was crying tears of joy with me. He made his debut for the country at the Pan-American Games and from to won 43 races in a row, and was crowned World Champion twice.
But after Beijing he was best by injury and seemed destined to end his career without a repeat of his Athens success. Perseverance paid off, however, and he electrified spectators with his thrilling and unexpected victory in London.
The generous sprinter has set up a foundation in his home country that gives disadvantaged children the opportunity to take up sport, providing them with clothes, books and equipment, and helping them with training and education.
I really wondered if I could come back. But I was dominant for so long. When you are so dominant you have a sense of confidence. Tears of the Olympians — American gymnast Gabby Douglas, left, comforts Russia's Victoria Komova during the women's individual all-around competition. Douglas won the gold while Komova took silver. Tears of the Olympians — Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking of Great Britain cry before receiving their gold medals for the lightweight women's double sculls.
Story highlights Tearful displays from athletes prompts nickname "the crying games" Experts: Crying is a release that represents pressure athletes have been managing for years Displays indicate society's willingness to share emotions in honest way, therapist says. Dominican runner Felix Sanchez has been holding back tears throughout the London Olympics ahead of his chance to claim the gold in memory of his grandmother.
He was the meter hurdles champion in Athens in but failed to repeat that victory in Beijing in after learning that his beloved "abuela" had died shortly before his first race. He didn't advance to the semifinals but resolved to return in four years. When the moment came Tuesday, just after his win was confirmed, he tearfully collapsed on the track, pulling a picture of his grandmother out of his bib.
The tears continued on the podium as his country's anthem played. Such displays from Sanchez and other athletes, including Kerri Walsh Jennings, Chris Hoy and Ruta Meilutyte to name just a few, have led a few sports columnists to dub this summer's Olympics "the crying games. More Videos Felix Sanchez's tears for grandmother Mere mortals might find it unnerving to witness such emotional outpour from these superhuman beings, who have spent years learning to manage emotions and maintain discipline.
But psychologists, coaches, therapists and image consultants agree that athletes don't deserve to be lambasted for unleashing the waterworks in moments of success or failure. They're human, after all, and after years of hard work they've earned the right. Why Olympians bite their medals.
While athletes might demonstrate extraordinary self-control throughout years of training, they experience an out-of-body experience when they win the ultimate prize, said Los Angeles-based image consultant Farrah Parker.
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