A film by Jacques Maigne & Albert Knechtl
Directed by Albert Knechtl

First comes the feat, the glory or the gold bestowed upon you by the God of Olympus, the untouchable hero. And on its heels, comes the other side of the coin, when you turn back into a more-or-less ordinary person, one more citizen among the throng, or very nearly, slowly moving further and further away from the legend. Have these athletes really forgotten, or surpassed this crowning moment in their lives? Or do they rather look back with nostalgia on their day of glory? Can you ever escape the label of ´former Olympic champion´? In real terms, can you ever get over such a shock? Those interviewed tell it like it is, opening their houses, telling us the story behind their achievements, and reliving their emotions… while giving life to our own. Anton Geesink, Guy Drut, Michael Gross, Kip Keino, Dick Fosbury, Olga Korbut, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Teofilo Stevenson and Tommie Smith will be our guides, yesterday´s heroes, idols timidly awakened at last.

Cie des Phares & Balises
Arte France

Festivals

Silver Medal 1996 for the best IOC Olympic TV program