They come for glory. Sometimes, they get agony instead.
For athletes in the key moments of their Olympic quest, it’s more than most can muster to withhold a reaction when they find out whether all their work has paid off.
Victory, of course, feels good as gold. Easy to see that on the shouting face of Finnish cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen, winner in the men’s 15 kilometer. Or speedskater Hwang Dae-heon of South Korea, looking skyward after crossing first in the men’s 1500 meters.
![Nana Takagi of Team Japan is comforted by teammates after falling during the speedskating women's team pursuit finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)]()
Nana Takagi of Team Japan is comforted by teammates after falling during the speedskating women's team pursuit finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Defeat is every bit the opposite, and Japan’s Nana Takagi knows both well. The defending Olympic champion crashed twice at the speedskating rink, including at the final in team pursuit — on the last corner, a gold medal in sight. Takagi was reduced to tears by her untimely mistake, collapsing into the arms of one of her teammates, younger sister Miho Takagi.
![The Russian Olympic Committee celebrates the winning goal by Arseni Gritsyuk during a shootout in a men's semifinal hockey game against Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)]()
The Russian Olympic Committee celebrates the winning goal by Arseni Gritsyuk during a shootout in a men's semifinal hockey game against Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
![Hwang Dae-heon of South Korea, reacts after winning his men's 1500-meters final during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)]()
Hwang Dae-heon of South Korea, reacts after winning his men's 1500-meters final during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
![Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States sits on the side of the course after skiing out in the first run of the women's slalom at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)]()
Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States sits on the side of the course after skiing out in the first run of the women's slalom at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
![China's Jia Zongyang reacts during the mixed team aerials finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)]()
China's Jia Zongyang reacts during the mixed team aerials finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
![Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, reacts after competing in the women's free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)]()
Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, reacts after competing in the women's free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
![Suzanne Schulting, left, of the Netherlands, embraces Hanne Desmet of Belgium, after winning the women's 1000-meters during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)]()
Suzanne Schulting, left, of the Netherlands, embraces Hanne Desmet of Belgium, after winning the women's 1000-meters during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
![Ren Ziwei of China, reacts after winning the men's 1,000-meter final during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)]()
Ren Ziwei of China, reacts after winning the men's 1,000-meter final during the short track speedskating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
![China's Eileen Gu reacts as she competes during the women's slopestyle finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)]()
China's Eileen Gu reacts as she competes during the women's slopestyle finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
![Kaori Sakamoto, of Japan, reacts after the women's short program during the figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)]()
Kaori Sakamoto, of Japan, reacts after the women's short program during the figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
![Yuma Kagiyama, of Japan, reacts after competing in the men's free skate program during the figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)]()
Yuma Kagiyama, of Japan, reacts after competing in the men's free skate program during the figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
![United States' Shaun White gets emotional after the men's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)]()
United States' Shaun White gets emotional after the men's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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