Nick Willis gets a medal in one of the Olympic's glamour races. Suddenly, after a week of gloom and naysaying, we find, as Robert Browning put it, 'God's in his heaven, all's right with the world'. New Zealand is chugging up the medal table.
Willis' path to his
bronze could have come from the original 'Rocky' script.
Like the fictional boxer he wasn't seen as a factor, qualifying slowest for the big race. He also had a carefully worked out game plan, and wasn't afraid to share it; belt the pace early, make those who like to go out slow and kick big go fast, then grind out a win.
Only, like the Rocky character, happy to let himself be filmed battering his fists against sides of beef, no one was paying attention.
Now the race is over only two others in the field think that might have been a mistake, Rashid Ramzi, of Bahrein, and Kenya's Asbel Kiprop, who pocketed gold and silver respectively.
The others packing up ther shoes and shorts after competing in one of an Olympics' two premier track events - the 100 metre sprint is the other one - might wonder if they ought to been Willis-watchers.
He had form. He'd won the Commonwealth Games gold, and the Kenyan would have known a white guy in a black singlet might be lurking somewhere. He kept an eye on Willis. The Bahreini didn't, but then he was busy winning.
Ignoring Willis was understandable. New Zealand hasn't made a real noise in middle distance running since John Walker's 1976 gold medal.
But, there was the George Santayana, 1863 - 1952, quote, 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'
The 1500 meters is in New Zealand's past, tracing back through Walker, Rod Dixon, Peter Snell, John Davis, and Jack Lovelock.
Add Nick Willis, the man who remembered that past, and repeated it.
Denis Edwards
Pictured above from left; Mehdi Baala of France, Daham Najm Bashair of Qatar, Nick Willis of New Zealand, Leonel Manzano of the United States and Reyes Estevez of Spain compete in the Men's 1500m heats. Photo / Michael Steele - Getty Images.
