Posted on 07/28/2021 5:41:31 AM PDT by God luvs America
SEWARD — More than two hours before Alaska swimmer Lydia Jacoby’s big race Monday night at the Tokyo Olympics, Susan Willet waited in her car outside the Alaska Railroad terminal.
Like a lot of people in Seward, the 64-year-old has watched Jacoby emerge from local kid to a world-class athlete. She swims at the same pool where Jacoby has trained for years, and she wanted to be sure to get a good seat at the community watch party.
Hundreds of residents gathered at the terminal to watch Jacoby compete in the 100-meter breaststroke. They streamed inside a little before the race, holding foam fingers emblazoned with “Go Lydia” as the NBC live feed boomed overhead, projected on large screens inside.
The Kenai Peninsula town of around 2,700 on the edge of Resurrection Bay was plastered with praise for Jacoby, the first Alaskan to swim in the Olympics.
A garden greenhouse, a coin-op laundromat, a brewery window as well as storefronts and T-shirts boasted her prowess and wished her luck: “Go Lydia Go!” they read. It may have been harder to find a Seward storefront that didn’t have a sign cheering the teenager.
As the race neared, the TV camera in Tokyo panned to Jacoby. “We’ve got another American here, just 17 years old,” said an NBC announcer. The watch-party crowd erupted, drowning out the commentary.
When it came time to race, the room was frenetic. Cheers rang out and foam fingers were thrust into the air as Jacoby surged into the lead and won the gold medal.
Jacoby’s hometown lost it.
Videos of the crowd reacting swelled with views online as Seward’s excitement rippled across the internet.
(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...
Kind of reminds me of the movie Mystery, Alaska if anyone ever saw that, except she won.
Did she kneel?
she also sings bluegrass:
https://bluegrasstoday.com/lydia-jacoby-gold-medal-swimmer-with-a-bluegrass-background/
Several days ago.
Nice to see, teenager from AK, who’d a thought.
Oh cut it out.
the ignorant can’t help themselves.
That’s really a great story, I’m happy for her and her home town...really cool
A the gold medal ceremony, she was proudly standing with her hand over her heart and the screen also showed her parents who also proudly stood with their hands over their hearts...
Great. Then I congratulate her
The One World Olympics has overused its welcome. Good Riddance.
‘Events like this are what I like to see in the Olympics, not the self centered woke crap. She rose to the occasion and made the country and her town proud.
p
I like this kid!
Do you know of any members of the US Olympics swim team who disrespect the flag?
Why? It’s a legit question.
“After the race, a caravan of vehicles — including a group shouting “USA” repeatedly from the bed of a pickup truck — moved down Fourth Avenue as a lone runner ahead, clad in flag boxers and socks with “LYDIA” scrawled across his chest, waved an American flag. People cheered and took video along the street.”
REAL AMERICA
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