Maya Wasowicz was all alone when the last flicker of her Olympic dream died. The world’s best karate fighters were throwing punches in Paris to determine who would go to the Olympics. Instead, she sat on a bed in her grandmother’s apartment in Opole, Poland, streaming the event live on her phone — alone, in the dark. Tales of sacrifice and success, of years of hard work rewarded in a moment of glory. Then there are the stories of those left behind, many of them dedicated athletes like Wasowicz, who dream of medals, but find complex political roadblocks in their way.

Source: International New York Times July 16, 2021 12:00 UTC