Taekwondo coach Jin W. Kim (center) consoles Kay Poe (left) and his daughter, Esther. (AP File Photo)

No match for this gesture

A shoo-in Olympian explains why she put friendship ahead of glory - and her opponent on the team ahead of herself

By Esther Kim, 12/30/2001

There may be no athlete whose actions better defined sportsmanship than Esther Kim, whose best friend, Kay Poe, suffered a debilitating knee injury before their bout for a berth on the 2000 US Olympic taekwondo team. Unwilling to exploit the weakness, Kim forfeited the match and the trip to Sydney to Poe. Kim gives her thoughts on sportsmanship and the reason for her decision.

portsmanship has always been an enormous part of sports throughout history. Although the word ''sportsmanship'' has been a part of every sport, is it just a word with no meaning and of no action? Are athletes assumed to represent the word ''sportsmanship''? Does the word ''sportsmanship'' only belong to athletes? Or are spectators just as responsible for sportsmanship as athletes? Is it true that spectators can distinguish sportsmanship when in action?

So I guess the real question here is, where does sportsmanship come from, and why do we see so little of it?

I have been a taekwondo athlete for almost 17 years, and I can honestly say that sportsmanship has just been a word to me. It's become something we athletes use to sound humble, like we're supposed to. I truly believe that sportsmanship is very simple. You either have it or you don't. You're either an athlete that will do anything to win, or you're that certain athlete that believes whether you win or lose, you're still a champion.

That's the kind of athlete I can call myself. I've always believed that whether I win or lose a match, the outcome is always a gain. Why? You can always push yourself harder, you can always learn more. I can learn from my mistakes, practice on the lack of specific technique. Doing this gives me that extra ambition.

There is never a best, because anyone can be beaten on any given day.

I believe sportsmanship comes from the heart. I am not the kind of athlete who would like to fulfill my dreams by crushing another without a chance. I can say for myself that if you love what you do, your performance shines from your heart.

May 20, 2000, the US held the first 2000 US Olympic Team Trials. My longtime friend and I of almost 13 years happened to meet each other in the finals with one serious dilemma. Kay had dislocated her left patella and was unable to walk on her own.

I felt I was left with only one decision. To forfeit. For me, I couldn't bear to see myself accomplish my only dream by an unfair match. I've always believed that everything happens for a reason, and although I couldn't quite understand why this was happening at the moment, I knew I would someday. More importantly, I knew I was making the right decision. I knew God was telling me, ''Esther, I have a bigger and better plan for you,'' and with his guidance, I made that decision final.

I've competed throughout my entire life, and through all the matches and all of the training, for the first time in my life, that day and every day, I feel like a champion.

This story ran on page C11 of the Boston Globe on 12/30/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.