Taekwondo Women

Fairy tales bring happy endings. It's such a drag when real life intrudes. Kay Poe, 18, of Houston got to compete at the Olympic Games in taekwondo only because her best friend, 20-year-old Esther Kim, had forfeited to her in the U.S. trials last spring. Kim's extraordinary act of sportsmanship was prompted both by their special bond and the feeling it wouldn't be fair to fight an injured pal--Poe had suffered a dislocated knee shortly before they were due to meet in the trial finals.

Fairy tales bring happy endings. It's such a drag when real life intrudes. Kay Poe, 18, of Houston got to compete at the Olympic Games in taekwondo only because her best friend, 20-year-old Esther Kim, had forfeited to her in the U.S. trials last spring. Kim's extraordinary act of sportsmanship was prompted both by their special bond and the feeling it wouldn't be fair to fight an injured pal--Poe had suffered a dislocated knee shortly before they were due to meet in the trial finals.

For Bernardo de la Garza, it's more about opening doors than crossing borders. For too many years, says De la Garza, general director of Mexico's national sports federation, his country has turned its back on U.S. athletes of Mexican heritage, only to watch the likes of boxer Oscar de la Hoya and wrestler Henry Cejudo win Olympic glory in the red, white and blue. "There wasn't a clear open door for athletes who wanted to represent Mexico," he said this week. "We're trying to open that door.