Hansle Parchment of Jamaica won gold in the men’s 110-meter hurdles final at the Tokyo Olympics. He defeated the reigning world champion, Team USA’s Grant Holloway. However, it appeared for a brief minute that Parchment might not even make it to the race on time. Shortly before his race, the 31-year-old speedy found himself at an aquatics center rather than a track. On the day of the final, he had mistakenly boarded the wrong bus.
According to the Jamaican publication The Gleaner, Parchment appeared poised to arrive at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium without time to warm up for the biggest race of his life after seeking help from Olympic officials and learning that his only option was to return to the Olympic Village and take another bus to the correct venue.
That’s when a stranger stepped up to save Parchment. Although severe laws prevented her from doing much to help, Tijana Stojkovic, a 25-year-old Olympic volunteer, handed Parchment money to take a taxi directly to the stadium, according to the 6-foot-5 star. Thanks to her help, Parchment was able to be at the correct location in plenty of time to prepare for the event.
“Gratitude is a must”
After winning gold, he tracked down Stojkovic and thanked her for her assistance. Parchment found her at a bus stop two days after the race, expressed his gratitude to her. He said she was “instrumental in getting me to the final that day” before delivering her his gold medal. “That’s just because you helped me,” Parchment said. After that, he gave her a yellow Team Jamaica shirt and repaid her for the cab fare. Following that, the two posed for a shot together.
The video was eventually reshared by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Following the virality of the video and Parchment’s tale on social media, the Jamaican government invited Stojkovic to visit the country. It is another gesture of gratitude for her generosity. It’s unknown whether she’s accepted their offer or not. Despite this, Stojkovic has already documented her bizarre encounter with Parchment on social media, even wearing the T-shirt he gifted her.
Hansle Parchment looks to have returned to training on the track. But we’ll have to wait and see if the gold medalist reunites with Stojkovic in his homeland.
