The Americans watch Constantina Diţă’s medal as an expensive toy

The Americans watch Constantina Diţă’s medal as an expensive toy, the Japanese from Lidia Şimon’s house wash their hands before touching the world gold.

North America. USA.  Exuberance.

In Constantina Diţă’s house from Erie, Colorado, it was a pilgrimage after she won the golden medal in the marathon match of the Olympic Games. People who had never talked to her came to touch the medal as in a cortege at a saint relic. Without hesitation, the Americans moved the medal from one to another, they asked a lot of questions and they crowded the Romanian woman house from Colorado with their contagious laughing. Mature people who behaved like children when they saw the golden disc gained at Beijing. "We wanted to arrive there, too, but would have cost too much money.” says Cindy Haydock. But it is ok; Constantina brought Beijing to them, on their perfect edged lawns. "This is a great thing for them. They were so happy that they would come to touch the medal", says Mariana Manut, one of the Romanians established in Boulder.



- JT wondered if you‘d notice when he would leave with the medal in his pocket, this was one of the remarks which Cindy Haydock uttered during the discussion with the Romanian athlete. They made lots of photos to show to their friends and they left after saying thanks.



Steve, manager to one of the hotels in Boulder, is proud that he had the chance to touch the olimpic gold. If he sees you watching the big photo with Constantinei Diţă from the company’s hall where he works, he accosts you in a second:

- I touched the medal, at the  welcome party.

People from Boulder are just like this: relaxed, curious and exuberant.



Asia. Japan. Restraint.

There is a group of athletes from Japan, who have been leaving in Lidia Şimon’s house for almost one month. They came to train at altitude. Not in a single day from those spent in Colorado did they ask Lidia about her medals. When the bag opened, the six Japanese athletes made a meditation. A moment of silence. Three of them hurried up in the kitchen to wash their hands. They come from the country where Lidia is a goddess after she won three times the marathon   from Osaka.



- You can touch them!, says Lidia. But they are too amazed to do this. The athletes are singing with astonishment when seeing the colored discs or at least this is the impression they make on a person unacquainted with Japanese.   

 - You can touch them!, said Lidiei again. The Japanese listen carefully the stories which connects Lidia to these discussions. Thet don’t make pictures. They are still amazed.



- You can touch them!

They make courage and touch some of the braids from the medals.  But, the blue box from Sydney, with the silver medal is sacred. None of the six athletes touched it, the same happens with the golden one from World Championships in Edmonton, from 2001.  Not even when Lidia Şimon left the room did they touch the cold metal of the discs which are made to keep memories. "That’s the way they are. They know how difficult is to reach the top.  Hence it comes the respect.", says Lidia. They made only one picture and then helped the Romanian to put the treasures on one side again.