While everyone aims for gold, winning any medal at the Olympics is an incredible feeling. But joy isn't the only emotion athletes feel. Winning a medal makes athletes feel uncontrollable joy, gives them relief, and sometimes makes them so overcome with emotion it brings them to tears.
This photo of the three women who medaled in the women's super combined captures all of those emotions.
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Bronze medalist Julie Mancuso of the U.S. is absolutely ecstatic. She wasn't supposed to medal in this particular event so bronze for her was a huge victory:
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Silver medalist Nicole Hosp of Austria feels joy, and almost has a look of relief on her face:
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Gold medalist Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany is so overcome with joy, and probably a whole mix of emotions that she falls to the ground:
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