Athletics community mourns the most inspiring moment in Olympic history
Jim Redmond, who famously helped his son to the finish line at the Barcelona Olympics, has died at 81
The athletics community mourns the loss of Jim Redmond, who famously helped his injured son, 400m sprinter Derek Redmond of the UK, across the finish line at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He has died at age 81.
When Jim saw his son tear his hamstring at the top of the home straight in the men’s 400m semi-final, he sprinted onto the track to assist his son, and they finished the race together.
The British Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee referred to this moment as something that will “never be forgotten.”
The video of Jim helping his son Derek has over 3,000,000 views on YouTube, and the International Olympic Committee said on Twitter: “Together, they brought us one of the most inspirational moments in Olympic history.”
In an interview with BBC in 2012, Derek said that when he suffered the injury, he just wanted to finish the race and wasn’t aware of his father running over to him.
“He tried to talk me out of it at first,” Derek recalled. “He was telling me that I had nothing to prove and that I didn’t need to do this, but I told him I was going to finish. Then he said that we would do it together.”
Thanks for inspiring generations, Jim Redmond.
Rest in peace ? pic.twitter.com/EwTEMwaJZy
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) October 4, 2022
Derek and his father crossed the line in tears, and the crowd roared into a standing ovation.
Now, with the level of security at major sporting events like the Olympics, it is unlikely we’ll ever see another moment like this.
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