Exceptions who rule

Athletes fit into a certain physical mold required by the sport they play. But there is always an exception to any general rule.

In the century dash, the gold of all golds in track and field, the average height of a male sprinter is 5’11”. Introducing Jamaican Usain Bolt, don’t blink. He is the world fastest human with untouchable sprint record times. Thought too tall to sprint at 6’5”, he sped past the legend to become the legend himself, winning three Olympic golds in the 100 and 200meter, including the 4x100meter relay three times consecutive, an unprecedented feat that minted him greatest sprinter in history with multiple world titles to boot.

Conversely, his female compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce seems too short at 5 feet flat but is the third woman in Olympic history to win 100m twice in succession. She owns four world titles too, the last one after she gave birth. Known as the pocket rocket due to her speed vis-à-vis height, she ran a personal best of 10.70 in the 100meters, the fourth fastest time by any woman in history.

 In tennis, a sport that combines ballet and baseball for grace and power perfected by Roger Federer, southpaw Rafael Nadal rages like a bull. Playing with brute and power, he sweats like a river and dishevels his thinning hair. Unlike Novak Djokovic who hardly sweats in a four-hour brutal five sets, looking cool, hair intact until match point.

Aside from style of play and being a lefty, Nadal is a bit too muscular for the usual lean but mean body template for a tennis player. Just as Serena Williams is, who capitalizes on her upper body strength to serve aces and rip winners. Now a slam away from tying the all-time record of 24, her power raised the level of an otherwise mental game that Martina Hingis mastered.

But while women prefer double-handed backhand for more force, Justine Henin shattered the myth and did it best singlehandedly en route to winning 7 slams. But Monica Seles did the unthinkable with her two-handed forehand and backhand. If not for ball toss, she could have served double-handedly. Awkward maybe, but it gave her 9 slams, could have been more if not for that insane backstabbing incident. That’s how a deranged fan attacked her during changeover, at the back, literally. Not her reputation, the favorite pastime of many surface friends.

In NBA, the average height is 6’7”, giving Kai Sotto better chances to break through. The kid now stands 7’2”. At 18, he still grows and could be the Filipino Yao Ming. In the PBA, six feet is short next to gentle giant June Mar Fajardo who towers at 6’11”. If you’re shorter than short, you are dwarfed in a height is might sport.

Unless you are winged at 5’7”, like the one and only Flying A, the hoops phenom of the 90s. Johnny Abarrientos no less, the best point guard ever who punctuated his 1996 season as most valuable player with much taller statistics, averaging 14.6 points, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals and get this, 4.9 rebounds.

His game so stood out from his frame an NBA scout offered him a short-term contract to the world’s ultimate basketball league. Had it materialized, a Filipino could have preceded Wang Zhizhi. Remarkable. These out-of-the-box breakthroughs attest that in life, nothing is absolute. Just as no freedom is, except freedom of thought. But that too, is tempered by conscience or faith.