海角大神

Twenty-eight years after winning a silver medal for the United States in the 1984 Olympics, former swimmer Michele Richardson de Ahlers is returning to the summer Games under a different flag: the blue-and-white standard of Nicaragua.

Ms. Richardson will lead Nicaragua鈥檚 seven-athlete delegation in the July 27 opening ceremony of the 2012 London Games. It will be Richardson鈥檚 first trip to the Olympics since her medal-winning performance in Los Angeles, and the first time she鈥檚 allowed to represent her native country on the international sporting stage. She was previously denied this opportunity by the Sandinista government.

鈥淭o go to the Olympics representing the country where I was born and the country where my children were born is a dream come true,鈥� says Richardson who left for London early yesterday morning.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 even believe that I am getting this opportunity to represent Nicaragua at the opening ceremony and to carry the flag. I鈥檓 absolutely in shock about it, and I鈥檓 very happy and honored at the same time.鈥�

Born in Nicaragua to American parents, Richardson lived here in Managua for 10 years before her family moved to Miami after the triumph of the Sandinista revolution. Despite living in the US, she wanted the opportunity to represent her native land in the 1982 Pan American Games. Her father, a member of Nicaragua鈥檚 Olympic Committee in the 1970s, wrote a letter to the Sandinista government to ask if she could represent Nicaragua in the international games. But government officials rejected the petition for the 12-year-old swimming prodigy, saying she represented the 鈥渂ourgeoisie,鈥� which was meant as an insult from the Marxist revolutionary government.

A year later, Richardson鈥檚 father tried again to see if his daughter, who at the age of 14 had the fastest time in the world in the 1,500-meter women鈥檚 freestyle, could represent Nicaragua in the 1984 Olympics. Again his request was dismissed by the country鈥檚 Sandinista leaders.

Instead, Richardson tried out for the US Olympic team, made the cut by three-hundredths of a second, and went on to win the silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle. At the age of 15, she was the youngest member of the US swim team and was the first Nicaraguan to ever win a medal in the Olympics.

The Sandinista government, meanwhile, sent only one athlete 鈥� a runner 鈥� to represent Nicaragua in the 1984 Summer Games. His performance was less memorable.

鈥淚 was the happiest Olympian on the US team that year,鈥� Richardson says. 鈥淚 was proud to represent the United States, but at the same time there was a lot of controversy about why I didn鈥檛 go to represent Nicaragua, for whatever political reasons.鈥�

Now, even President Daniel Ortega recognizes that it was a mistake not to send Richardson to represent Nicaragua.

鈥淚t was an error not to enlist her,鈥� Mr. Ortega said at the modest sendoff ceremony for Nicaragua鈥檚 2012 Olympic team on July 22. 鈥淭hank God she qualified for the US team, but in her heart carried the Nicaraguan flag.鈥�

Ortega congratulated this year鈥檚 young team of Nicaraguan Olympians and extended high praise for Richardson.

鈥淢ichele Richardson is a source of pride for Nicaragua,鈥� Ortega said.

Proud to be Nicaraguan

For Richardson, who moved back to Nicaragua with her husband 17 years ago, the ceremony will be a celebration of her Nicaraguan nationalism 鈥� something she was denied 28 years ago. But any previous hard feelings are now in the past, she says. 聽

鈥淚 don鈥檛 hold anything against Nicaragua for not sending me to the Olympics 鈥� in 1984,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 give thanks to the US for giving me the opportunity to go for the United States. It was a blessing, and I learned a lot. It made me stronger. It made me the person that I am.鈥�

Unfortunately for Nicaragua, Richardson is not the only Nicaraguan to win Olympic glory under another country鈥檚 flag. Claudia Poll, Costa Rica鈥檚 only Olympic gold medalist, was born in Nicaragua but brought home the hardware for the Ticos. And Taekwondo champion Steven L贸pez, born to Nicaraguan emigrants in the United States, won Olympic gold medals for the US in 2000 and 2004 and a bronze in 2008.

Nicaragua, meanwhile, hasn鈥檛 won an Olympic medal since 1968.

Performance under pressure

Richardson says she is proud to be a mentor to the Nicaraguan Olympians in London, and is particularly happy that two of them are swimmers. Nicaragua will be represented by swimmers Dalia Torres and Omar N煤帽ez; runners Gabriel Cuadra, Edgard Cortez, and Ingred Narv谩ez; weightlifter Luc铆a Casta帽eda; and boxer Osmar Bravo.

鈥淲hat I told the team is that you go to the Olympics for the experience, and you go to learn how to be a great athlete and a good person,鈥� Richardson says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about living in the moment. These athletes are going to be extremely excited to participate. It鈥檚 not about the medals.鈥�

For Richardson, living in the moment at the London Olympics is bound to be an emotional and nostalgic experience, she says.

鈥淎ll these emotions are coming to me that I wasn鈥檛 expecting,鈥� she says. 鈥淐arrying the Nicaraguan flag will make me cry. There are no words for the emotions I feel; when a country asks you to do this鈥� all I can say is that it鈥檚 an honor. It鈥檚 an honor.鈥�

It will also be nerve-racking.

鈥淚 am going to be so nervous. I hope my muscles don鈥檛 tense up, or I fall on my face, or drop the flag,鈥� she says.

If Richardson鈥檚 last trip to the Olympics was any indication of her performance under pressure on the world stage, she should be just fine.

鈥� A version of this article appears on the author鈥檚 website, www.nicaraguadispatch.com