FLORENCE — For the 20 Special Olympics teams represented at Thursday's track and field events, it was as if they never missed a beat.Â
kAm%96 $9@2=D 2C62 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D EC24< 2?5 7:6=5 82>6D C6EFC?65 E@ qC2=J $E25:F> 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 E96 A2?56>:4 :? a_a_]k^Am
kAmQxEVD ;FDE 8@@5 E@ 36 324< :? E9:D 2E>@DA96C6 @7 AFC6 6?6C8J[ 6I4:E6>6?E 2?5 =@G6[Q D2:5 =@?8E:>6 G@=F?E66C |:<6 rFCE:D]Â k^Am
kAmuC@> E96 @A6?:?8 @7 E96 82>6D H:E9 E96 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E E@C49 CF? E@ E96 2H2C5:?8 @7 >652=D 2E@A E96 A@5:F>[ A2CE:4:A2?ED H6C6 2== D>:=6D]k^Am
kAmr@=36CE r@F?EJ w:89 $49@@= DEF56?E {2?5@? s2G:D[ H9@ H@? E96 d_\>6E6C 52D9[ D2:5 :E 76=E 8@@5 E@ 92G6 9:D 92C5 H@C< A2J @77]k^Am
kAm$A@EE:?8 9:D >@E96C[ $E6A92?:6[ 96 J6==65[ Qw6J |@>[ 8F6DD H9@ H@? 7:CDE A=246n |6]Qk^Am
kAmQxVG6 AC24E:465 2 =@?8 E:>6 7@C E9:D[Q {2?5@? D2:5 2D 96 H2:E65 9:D EFC? E@ E2<6 E96 E@A DA@E @? E96 A@5:F>]k^Am
kAmQx DEC6E4965 C62==J 8@@5[ E96? x <:DD65 >J 4C@DD ?64<=246 — 8:G:?8 y6DFD 2 <:DD 2?5 2D<:?8 9:> E@ 96=A >6 — D@ x <?6H xV5 5@ 8@@5]Q k^Am
kAmv2>6D s:C64E@C %2>>J $>2==H@@5 D2:5 96C C6EFC? 2D @C82?:K6C H2D 2 3:E ?6CG6 HC24<:?8 27E6C 7:G6 J62CD]k^Am
kAmQxE 8:G6D >6 49:==D E@ E9:?< 23@FE H92E 2 3=6DD65 6G6?E E9:D :D 3642FD6 6G6CJE9:?8 ;FDE 42>6 E@86E96C — E96 H62E96C 4=62C65 2?5 x 925 D@ >2?J G@=F?E66CD H:==:?8 E@ 96=A E92E x 5:5?VE 6G6? <?@H H92E E@ 5@ H:E9 E96> 2==[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQx C676CC65 E@ >J @=5 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 42==65 6G6CJ@?6 H9@V5 WDA@?D@C65X 2?5 96=A65 367@C6 2?5 6G6CJ D:?8=6 A6CD@? D2:5 VJ6D]V xE H2D ;FDE 2 v@5 E9:?8] %9:D :D ECF=J 2 DA64:2= 6G6?E]Qk^Am
kAm$>2==H@@5 D2:5 2?J DEF56?E 2E9=6E6 H9@ A2CE:4:A2E65 =@42==J :D 6=:8:3=6 E@ 2EE6?5 E96 $E2E6 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D 82>6D |2J `h\a_ 2E %C@J &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAm}:?6\J62C\@=5 (6D=:6 u=J?? @7 r6?EC2= t=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= 4@>A6E65 :? E96 D@7E32== E9C@H 2?5 2DD:DE65 H966= 492:C C246 H:E9 96C 3C@E96CVD 96=A]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 366? 2 G6CJ 7F? 52J[Q D96 D2:5[ D>:=6 362>:?8]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 G@=F?E66CD H2D 2 8C@FA @7 u=@C6?46 w:89 $49@@= 7C6D9>2? 7@@E32== A=2J6CD H9@ D2:5 E96J 76=E E96 ?665 E@ 96=A 2?5 8:G6 324<]k^Am
kAmQx ;FDE ?66565 E@ DFAA@CE E96D6 <:5D 3642FD6 E96JVC6 @FE 96C6 AFD9:?8 E96:C =:>:ED E@ 36 8C62E 2?5 5@:?8 H92EVD 92C5 7@C E96>[Q D2:5 s2CC:6? qC@H?]k^Am
kAmy2J56? |4'2J 25565 E92E :E 3C:?8D 9:> ;@J Q2?5 >2<6D >J 962CE 92AAJQÂ E@ DFAA@CE E96 $A64:2= ~=J>A:2?D] x =@G6 D66:?8 E96> D@ 92AAJ 2?5 E96 AC:56 E96J E2<6 :? E96:C 2C62D @7 4@>A6E:E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmu=@C6?46 7C6D9>2? |2CBF:D p?5C6HD D2:5 :EVD 2== 23@FE @776C:?8 6?4@FC286>6?E 2?5 C62=:K:?8 QE96JVC6 @FE 96C6 5@:?8 H92E H6 2== 5@ 2?5 E96JVC6 8C62E]Qk^Am
kAm  k^Am
Get Unlimited Access
$3 for 3 Months
Subscribe Now
Support local journalism reporting on your community
* New Subscribers Only
* Digital Subscription Only
After the initial selected subscription period your subscription rate will auto renew at $12.00 per month.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.