A true Olympic moment

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BEIJING -- It was 3 a.m., and three American reporters were the only people left in the press room at Workers’ Stadium after the U.S. beat Brazil, 1-0, in overtime to win the women’s Olympic soccer tournament.

As we packed up and prepared to leave, we were approached by some of the volunteers who had been working in the press room. We thought they were going to tell us the door was locked or deliver some other bad news. Instead, they asked a favor.

We were the last people remaining after the last game at that venue, they explained, and they wanted to remember the moment. Would we be kind enough to pose for pictures with them?

We were honored. All of us lined up and said ‘cheese’ a few times, and then we writers prepared again to leave.

Before we could turn toward the door, we were stopped again, this time to receive some gifts. Each of us got a CD of Chinese music and two packets of post cards, one depicting the Olympic venues and the other colorful drawings of the Fuwa -- mascots -- performing different Olympic sports. We were touched beyond words.

And so, in the photo albums of perhaps 20 young Chinese men and women there will be images of me, Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kelly Whiteside of USA Today, smiling at the camera. The Olympic spirit really does exist, and it often is found far away from the field of play. At the end of a long day, and near the end of a long few weeks, I welcomed that reminder.

-- Helene Elliott