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Triumph of Belarusian underdogs
Deseret News editorial
Scouting reports had all but written off Belarus as it prepared to take on powerhouse Sweden in the elimination round of the Olympic hockey tournament. After all, Sweden had been the best team in the tournament, and Belarus — outscored 16-2 in its previous two games — was listed as a 10-million-to-1 shot to win the gold medal.
Perhaps the pundits and the oddsmakers underestimated the uncompromising mettle of the men representing the impoverished former Soviet republic. Perhaps they didn't take into account their sheer will to win. In an upset some observers are likening to the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" game, the scrappy Belarus team upended heavily favored Sweden 4-3.
Sweden, which dismantled Canada and edged the Czech Republic in round-robin play, let down its guard. Its sloppy play suggested the Swedes did not view Belarus as a serious challenger, despite admonishments from their coach Hardy Nilsson that "it's a quarterfinal and you never know."
How prophetic! With less than 2:30 to play, Belarusian Vladimir Kopat scored the game winner on a shot that bounced off goalie Tommy Salo's head, resulting in one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.
This improbable outcome exemplifies one of the truly great aspects of Olympic competition: On any given day, unlikely heros will emerge.
On rainy and overcast Wednesday, a vastly outmanned and overmatched Belarus clawed its way to victory over a Swedish Goliath. What a seminal moment in these Games and demonstration of grit sure to inspire any underdog.
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February 21, 2002
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