NINE GOLD MEDALS

THEMES
1. Celebration of human values
The poem celebrates human values pertaining to kindness, cooperation and empathy. The nine
runners were participating in Special Olympics to achieve their dreams of winning gold medal. The
poem brings out a situation where the contestants set aside their desire to win, to help another
contestant who had fallen down. The contestants come together as a group. They stood by each
other and walked together as a group to the finishing line and all of them won a gold medal. By
awarding gold medals to each of them, the authorities honoured their display of empathy and
human values.

2. True spirit of sportsmanship

Sportsmanship implies that a sport or activity should be enjoyed for its own sake, with consideration
for fairness, respect and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors. David Ruth indicates how
human values in a sportsperson are as important as the spirit of competition. All of them had come
prepared for the race. When one of them fell, the others could have continued but they turned
around and helped him. Thus it is an exemplary act, that displayed the spirit of sportsmanship

Poetic Devices
Alliteration - His dreams and his efforts dashed in dirt
But the youngest among them stumbled and staggered.

Climax
Two scenes add the effect of climax in the poem.
Firstly, all athletes turned round to help the runner who had fallen down, which is unexpected.
Secondly, the race ended with each runner winning a gold medal is also not anticipated.

Repetition.
Last two lines of the poem

Special Olympics
It is the world’s largest sports organisation for people with disabilities. This organisation helps these
people to develop self- confidence and social skills. It conducts Special Olympics World Games every
two years.

The runners participating in the race in Special Olympics displayed friendliness, kindness, team spirit
and cooperation. This act of selflessness compelled the narrator to say that the banner that read
Special Olympics ‘could not have been nearer the mark’.

Title
The title ‘Nine Gold Medals’ conveys the theme of the poem well. The title has made the poem
interesting and memorable. The title can arouse our curiosity as to who won the nine gold medals and
for what. Moreover, the gold medals are not awarded for winning the contest in its typical sense, but
through an interest and heart-touching event. Those nine athletes have not won the race but have
won our hearts through their selfless act and solidarity towards the youngest and probably the
weakest athlete. They seem eligible to win gold medals for their golden show of humanity. Thus the
title not only reveals the subject of the poem but also hints at the theme.

CWSH 1
Extract
The athletes had come from so many countries
To run for gold, for the silver and bronze
Many weeks and months in training
All building upto the games

1. Where did the athletes come from? Why

- many countries
- to compete for the Special Olympics and they aspired to win gold, silver or bronze medal

2. What do the words ‘gold, silver and bronze’ stand for in the extract? Do you think the contestants
were prepared well for the event? Give a reason
- stand for the medals that the aspiring participants of the race
- contestants had practised and trained for many weeks and months
- well prepared
- each of them hoped to win one medal

3. Give the meaning of :

A. all building upto the games :
B. The last race about to begin -

4. Why did the spectators gather around the field? Who are the ‘young women and men’?
- to cheer and encourage the participants who had come from different countries to participate
- they cheered for their favourite contestants
- boosted their morale and confidence
- refer to the differently-abled athletes who had come to participate in the Special Olympics

5. Which final event is referred to in the extract? What was the mood of the spectators? What made
the event ‘special’?
- final day of the final race - 100 metres
- jubilant, excited, eager, enthusiastic
- were cheering and encouraging
- the act of selflessness displayed by the eight athletes towards the youngest participant where in a
show of solidarity and compassion they all walked to the finish line