"I win the gold medal," proclaimed the girl, who touched the palm tree first and then raised her arms in triumph.
"I get the silver," said the boy, as they paused to catch their breath, the portrait of friendship framed by the shining yellow beach and bright turquoise sea.
There are so many reasons to end the Olympics.
The lack of true amateur athletes. The Dream Team is a prime example, but certainly not the only one.
The corporate takeover.
Taking performance-enhancing drugs - or being falsely accused of it.
Egos that don't match the talent.
Tears and anguish - or being labeled a failure - for finishing fourth or fifth in the world.
Subjective and stupid scoring - or weak systems, such as boxing's.
Too many so-called Olympic sports.
And, of course, the horror and hassle of terrorism.
THE Atlanta Games seemed doomed from the start.
Construction was barely finished in time. Organizers had somehow pulled off a giant lie about the sweltering summer weather. Travel logistics were a predictable nightmare. And Greece still loomed as the logical site for the 100th anniversary.
Muhammad Ali was a wonderful and deserving choice to light the Olympic torch, but even that heartwarming scene had a tragic touch as his physical deterioration was exposed to the world.
Then some coward, a human piece of trash, sets off a pipe bomb in the only venue that wasn't super-protected and a woman dies within a few feet of her 14-year-old daughter. A woman of peace who made a living by selling ice cream in a small Georgia town was dead.
Is this really worth it anymore?
But somehow that damn explosion shook loose the true Olympic spirit.
It unearthed the simple ideal that the purpose of the Games is for people from all over this increasingly insane world to gather in peace and harmony.
Suddenly and courageously, fans and athletes alike said enough to being intimidated by jerks - domestic or international - with bombs and causes and more bombs.
They showed up with a renewed determination, not only to cheer and compete but to make this an Olympics to remember and cherish.
The feeling was especially reflected on the faces of Shannon Miller and Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson, who sent out a sparkling beacon of gold on Monday.
FORMER Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, a black man who knows the pain of struggle in the Deep South, summed it up at yesterday's reopening of Centennial Park: "We're here not to wallow in tragedy, but to celebrate a triumph - a triumph of human spirit."
It took a senseless act of violence and the death of an innocent woman to rally - maybe shock us - into the realization that we are all in this together.
The Olympics are just a reflection of the worldwide picture. No longer are United States citizens isolated from acts of terrorism.
I flew all over the U.S. mainland this month in the shadow of the TWA jet bombing and sure it's a bit scary to wonder if you will land in one piece, but there has to be defiance and normalcy as a balance to the fear.
After these Olympics, the perception of Americans being soft will be smashed as well. The Games not only continued after the bombing, but they flourished.
And, most important, the youthful dream of winning a gold or silver medal will stay alive.
Even for that boy or girl who raced with the wind in Kapiolani Park.