ONEWhen the national anthem was played, with the gold medal around her neck, Brittney Griner placed her hand on her heart, while tears ran down his face. The United States had just defeated France, 67-66, at the Bercy Arena, in Sunday’s Olympic final, the last sporting event of the Paris Olympics. The game was a thriller, with France nearly ending Team USA’s 60-game Olympic winning streak that dated back to 1992. Griner played less than five minutes in the gold medal game, scoring just four points. But the box score was irrelevant. Because during the darkest days of Griner’s 293-day detention in a Russian prison in 2022, the idea of Griner being here, in Paris, celebrating the third Olympic gold medal of his remarkable career, seemed as likely as a warm winter in Siberia.
“My country fought for me to come back,” said Griner, who was released in a prisoner exchange in December 2022 after the U.S. victory. “And I managed to bring gold to my country. There is simply no greater feeling.”
The emotional response surprised Griner. “I thought I would have red eyes,” Griner said. Even before the medal ceremony, she excused herself from the group’s celebration and went to the bathroom. “I kind of had a moment and got myself together,” Griner said.
This Olympic trip hasn’t always been easy for Griner. It was his first foray outside the United States since his release; In February 2022, Russian authorities detained Griner in Moscow on her way to Yekaterinburg, where she played professionally during the WNBA offseason. The team took a train from London to get to Paris. “The last time I traveled abroad by train, it was a prison train,” Griner said. “So that was a little difficult. There were some ‘wow’ moments.”
U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve was concerned about Griner’s state of mind before the Olympics. In February, Griner was supposed to join the U.S. team for the Olympic trials in Belgium, but withdrew. “Maybe she just needed a little more time,” Reeve said. “More than she thought.” Reeve marveled at Griner’s ability to compartmentalize. “When you see BG around the team, she’s fine,” Reeve said. “You know there’s a lot going on in there. But she always presents… the best version of herself.” Reeve encouraged everyone to “continue to monitor her because it’s incomprehensible what she’s been through.”
“I always say she has the biggest heart I’ve ever had. She cares about people, and that’s why so many people care about her,” said Diana Taurasi, Griner’s WNBA teammate with the Phoenix Mercury, who won her sixth Olympic gold medal on Sunday, her most ever. achieved by any basketball player. “It wasn’t easy and it still isn’t easy for her. She still carries a great burden.”
Griner, 33, hasn’t promised to continue chasing Taurasi’s new gold record, but he hasn’t ruled it out either, as he’s already halfway there. “We’ll see,” Griner said. Her first task, post-Olympics, is back-to-back WNBA games with the Mercury against the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever on Aug. 16 and 17.
Afterwards, Griner will have a few days at home in Arizona to catch his breath and spend quality time with his wife Cherelle Griner and their son, Bash, who was born in early July.
“Just put that goal next to it and hug it,” Griner said, “yeah, that will be my way of celebrating.”
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
