THE ONE TRUE TIME

Emil Zatopek, the great Czech distance runner, once said, "The Olympics are the one true time." The passage isn't measured in seconds or minutes or days or even the fortnight in which the Games are held. The one true time is the length of the dream, the years of training and striving for just the chance at a gold medal. So while we remember gold medalists like Zatopek, we shouldn't forget the men and women who pushed them to greatness. In the past year, photographer David Burnett has staked out various events for Olympic hopefuls in order to capture that time, and on these pages, we present his classic pictures, along with quotes from past Olympians. If nothing else, the photos buttress Pierre de Coubertin's century-old credo: "The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, the important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle."