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questions and answers–Nine Gold Medals

 

• Question: What is the purpose of the athletes’ visit?

 

The athletes have travelled to compete in the Special Olympics. They are expected to participate in the events that will be held. These athletes had different abilities, and they wanted to show the world that they were not inferior in terms of strength and determination.

 

• What distinguishes the athletes mentioned in the poem from ordinary athletes?

 

The athletes mentioned in the poem are competing in the Special Olympics, which is a competition for people with special needs. They’re not like other athletes because they’re differently-abled.

 

•  In the above extract, what do the words “gold,” “silver,” and “bronze” mean?

 

The athletes have come to compete in the Special Olympics in order to win gold, silver, and bronze medals in events. These are the top three medals given to individuals who have excelled in their performance.

 

 

•  Describe the phrase ” ‘All building up’

 

Answer: ‘All building up’ refers to the athletes’ extensive training in order to compete and win the competition. They increased their training so that they could develop their bodies to Olympic standards.

 

• How do you know the athletes underwent extensive training?

In the third line of the stanza says, ” we know the athletes went through rigorous training. This indicates that their training took place over a long period of time and was extremely rigorous. Everyone hoped to win a medal, so athletes prepared to have their names called for these honours. It might only be possible if they won one or two medals for their country.

• What was the day’s last event? How many athletes competed in this competition? What was the signal they were looking for?

 

The hundred metres race was the final event of the day. Nine athletes were participating in the event. The tone of the starter’s gun was the cue they were looking for.

 

•  Halfway through the race, what happened to the youngest athlete? What was his reaction?

The youngster athlete stumbled and staggered halfway through the race. He then collapsed to the ground on his knees. He responded with a frustrated and anguished scream, as his dream and efforts had failed.

• At this point in the storey, what ‘abnormal’ turn did it take?

The storey took an unexpected turn at this point. The other athletes came to a halt when they saw the youngest athlete fall. They returned one by one to the spot where he had fallen and assisted him to his feet. The runners then joined hands and walked to the finish line together.

 

 

•  Why does the poet believe that the banner titled “Special Olympics” could not be more accurate? What human quality is praised in the poem?

Answer: According to the poet, the banner ‘Special Olympics’ was spot on because all of the athletes had shown the special value of true sportsmanship by assisting the injured athlete and walking with him to the finish line. Empathy, solidarity, and sportsmanship are among the human qualities praised by the author.

 

•  Explain what you mean when you say, “And so did the runners on heating the sound

The line  describes how all of the runners in the hundred-metre race began running as soon as the pistol was fired to signal the start of the race.

 

•  Define the phrase “the youngest among them“

 

The phrase “the youngest among them” refers to one of the competitors in the 100 metre race. He was the youngest of all the competitors in this competition. He, like the other competitors, wanted to win the race so that his country could be proud of him.

 

• Describe two events after starting the race .

 

The participants running as soon as the pistol was fired to signal the start of the hundred-metre race is the first event mentioned in the stanza. The second occurrence mentioned in the race’s youngest participant collapsing.

 

•  What happened when one of the athletes collided with the ground? 

 

Instead of sprinting to the finish line, the other participants came running to him when one of them fell to the ground. It was dubbed an extraordinary occurrence because it was meant to be a competition in which participants competed against one another.

 

•  How did the athlete react after collapsing?

 

Answer: The young athletes were dejected and disheartened. He was well aware that his chances of success had been shattered by his unexpected fall. He believed his efforts would be in vain. The youngest cried out, thinking he wouldn’t be able to finish the race and  felt weak and frustrated as a result of this sensation. He was also enraged at not being able to win the race because he had fallen on the track. He was enraged, either by his inability or by his fate, which had let him down in the final moments.

 

• What does it mean when “His dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt”?

 

It says that the dreams and efforts of the race’s youngest runner were shattered when he fell down during the race. He had hoped to win the race and had put in a lot of effort to do so, but the accident negated all of his efforts.

 

•  In the given stanza, who does “he” and “they” refer to?

 

Answer: In the stanza, the word “he” refers to the youngest runner in the 100-meter race who had fallen down during the race. ‘They’ refer to the other eight participants in the hundred metre race in Special Olympics.

 

•  What was the total number of people who took part in the race? How do you know?

 

In the Special Olympics, there were a total of nine competitors in the 100 metre event. We learned about it because the poem’s title, “Nine Gold Medals,” implies. Furthermore, the phrases “the other eight contestants” and “all nine runners” imply that there were nine people competing in the 100-meter event.

 

• Were the remaining eight runners egotistical? Justify your role.

 

No, the other eight runners were not greedy because they had come to a halt after seeing the youngest runner collapsed on the track. They assisted him in standing up. It was one of the most prestigious competitions, and the winner would have been hailed as a hero. These eight athletes would rather support the injured runner than win the gold medal. This demonstrates their generosity. They would have kept running if they had been greedy.

 

 

 

•  What do you mean by “abnormal behaviour”? What is the origin of the name?

 

Answer : It is rare for the other eight runners to stop running in order to assist the runner who has dropped. It’s called that because, in a prestigious event like this, a cutthroat rivalry is anticipated, but all of the athletes have given up their hopes of winning the gold medal to assist their opponents. Far more rewarding than a gleaming piece of metal is the simple demonstration of human empathy and brotherhood.

 

• Explain the meaning of the phrase “joined hands and continued.”

 

When the other race participants saw that one of the participants had been injured and was unable to run, they all stopped running and walked up to the finish line with the injured participant, holding each other’s hands. This also demonstrates the race participants’ generosity, empathy, love, compassion, and cooperation.

 

•  How did the race become a walk-off?

 

Answer: The race was reduced to a walk after the runner who had fallen while running got up, and all the other runners (participants) walked up to the finish line instead of running because the injured one couldn’t.

 

•  What does it mean when someone says, “They came to the finish line holding hands still”?

 

Answer: The poet wants to demonstrate that the athletes returned to the finish line holding each other’s hands to thank the spectators for their help, recognising their work as noble deeds, and making their victory remarkable through this line.

 

• Why are these games referred to as the “Special Olympics”?

 

The ‘Special Olympics’ were Olympics in which only physically challenged people were permitted to compete. These Olympic games were dubbed “Special Olympics” in order to make these people feel less fortunate.

 

•  Describe the last line of the given stanza.
• And a banner above that said (Special Olympics)
  Could not have been more on the mark.

 

Answer : It means that when all the participants walked past the finishing line of the hundred-metre run, the banner of Special Olympics hanging up there could not have been more fitting. This is because by doing this, they had shown true sportsmanship i.e. the true spirit of the Special Olympics, which is to bring all the person together, irrespective of their casts, creeds, gender and nationality.

 

 

•  How did the race end?

 

Answer: The race was over as all of the competitors walked past the finish line at the same time. As a result, they were all given gold medals at the Special Olympics, making them the race’s winners.

 

•  Why were the people’s faces so happy?

 

Answer: They (the nine competitors) were beaming because they had each won a gold medal in the Special Olympics’ hundred-metre run. They had accomplished something incredible.

•  What had brought them together in the first place? What did they do to prepare for the event?

 

The young men and women had travelled from all over the world to attend. They’d met because of the Special Olympics for the disabled. They had trained for many weeks and months prior to the event and were well prepared.