It all came down to one goal.
Iraq lost their bronze medal in a 1-0 game to Italy, but in the end gained something that can't be bought: respect.
For these games, we have seen them as athletes, competing nobly on a world stage against the best of the best in their field, and we have cheered them, not for their politic, but for their prowess. They embodied everything about the Olympic ideal, as they played every game with passion and intensity, despite having limited ability to practice prior to the games. They struggled, and came one goal short of doing what no Iraqi has done since 1960, come home with a medal.
But today, in Iraq, I am sure there are teenagers who've beaten their swords, not into plowshares, but soccer balls, and wander the streets of Bagdad, hoping that in four years they will be selected to be proud representatives of their nation in Beijing. The athletes that represented Iraq represent the hope we all can have for a new tomorrow. Maybe we can long for the day when the world's conflicts are decided not on the battlefield, but in the sports stadiums.
To the Iraq soccer team: I salute you. My Country salutes you. And the world salutes you. You have truly proven yourselves to be winners.
respectfully submitted,
Gideon MacLeish