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In sports, there seems to be only one measure: attack. But if you are weaker than the competition, you rarely win by pretending to be stronger. The Arthashastra recommends choosing your measure according to the balance of strength – the doctrine of the Six Measures. If no one can harm you but you are not strong enough to defeat your opponent either, you should stay put. Steven Bradbury demonstrated this in Salt Lake City.
An athlete with scars
Situation
For years, Steven Bradbury had been one of the world’s seasoned short-track skaters. In 1994, at a World Cup race in Montreal, a blade sliced through his right thigh. He lost about four liters of blood, the wound was closed with 111 stitches, and it took 18 months before he was back to full strength. In September 2000, he broke two vertebrae in his neck in a training crash. Doctors initially told him he would never race again. At the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, he was the second-oldest competitor in the field.
Link to the principle
Bradbury knew where he stood. He was experienced but no longer fast enough to keep up with the best. The first rule of the six measures is: assess the balance of strength honestly before you choose.
Luck in the quarterfinal
Situation
Bradbury won his heat clearly. In the quarterfinal, his opponents included Apolo Anton Ohno and the reigning world champion, Marc Gagnon. Only the first two advanced. Bradbury finished third and thought he was out. But Gagnon was disqualified for obstruction, and Bradbury moved up.
Link to the principle
Short track is a sport full of contact and crashes. Whoever fights at the front is involved in every collision. The quarterfinal showed Bradbury that other skaters’ mistakes also decide races.
The decision: stay at the back
Situation
After consulting with his coach, Ann Zhang, Bradbury decided to skate at the back of the field from the semifinal on. He could not match the others’ pace. And he did not want to get caught up in a collision. In the semifinal, the defending champion Kim Dong-sung, Li Jiajun and Mathieu Turcotte crashed. Bradbury won the race.
Link to the principle
This is the measure of staying put. In essence, the Arthashastra says: whoever thinks that no enemy can do them harm, but that they are not strong enough to destroy the enemy either, should stay put. Bradbury could not win at the front, but at the back he could not be dragged into a crash either. He chose the position that matched his strength.
The final turn
Situation
In the final, Bradbury again skated at the back. About 50 meters from the finish, he was some 15 meters behind. In the last turn, Apolo Anton Ohno, Ahn Hyun-soo, Li Jiajun and Mathieu Turcotte collided and all went down. Bradbury skated around the tangle and crossed the line first. He was the first Australian, and the first athlete from the Southern Hemisphere, to win a gold medal at the Winter Games.
Link to the principle
Staying put is not doing nothing. Bradbury stayed in the race, alert and ready. When the situation changed, he was there. The right measure keeps you in a position from which you can seize an opportunity when it comes.
“Doing a Bradbury”
Situation
In Australia, “doing a Bradbury” became an expression for an unexpected success. In 2016, it was included in the Australian National Dictionary.
Link to the principle
The expression emphasizes luck. But Bradbury’s victory was also a choice. Many underdogs lose because they fight as if they were favorites. Bradbury did not deny his weakness; he aligned his tactics with it.
Key takeaways
Key lessons
- Assess your strength honestly, even if it hurts.
- If you are weaker, you rarely win with the tactics of the stronger.
- Staying put means staying in the game, not giving up.
- Stay out of fights you cannot win.
- Be ready when the others make mistakes.
Summary
In 2002, Steven Bradbury knew that he was the slowest skater in the 1,000-meter race. Instead of fighting at the front, he skated at the back, away from the collisions. In both the semifinal and the final, the favorites crashed, and Bradbury won gold. His victory shows one of the six measures: if you are too weak to attack but cannot be harmed, you stay put and remain ready.
