Two of the many, many things to love about the Olympics is that athletes come in all shapes and sizes, and the fact that we’ll cheer on the best of efforts even if they don’t result in a trip to the podium.
The world has fallen in love with Robel Kiros Habte, a 24-year-old Ethiopian swimmer who got attention for finishing dead last in the men’s 100m freestyle heats in Rio, more than 12 seconds behind the second place finisher. He reportedly got a huge ovation upon finishing.
But he wasn’t disappointed — just hear what he had to say, via Reuters:
“I am so happy because it is my first competition in the Olympics.