The Cult of Athletic Excellence
Sports achievements, especially when it comes to approaching such symbolic records as Ovetchkin's record, create the image of a champion that evokes deep emotional experiences and an almost sacred admiration in fans. Such an athlete is perceived not merely as a talented competitor but as the embodiment of willpower, perseverance, and excellence that people long for. This results in the athlete’s personality being adorned with numerous symbolic and emotional characteristics, which become the subject of mass admiration and even ritualistic veneration.An example of this is described in an account where fans literally form a procession to get closer to the object of their adoration:"Facing the procession, the whole town emerged. Many elderly women cried, some mothers lifted their infants higher to give them a better view, while others, with tears in their eyes, pushed through the crowd, carrying children in their arms; people shoved one another, striving to get closer so they could kiss his hand, his leg—anything within reach—and one of the women, for lack of anything else, even kissed the tail of his monumental stallion. One old woman fervently made the sign of the cross with the hand that had just managed to touch the King, while another, having pressed a piece of bread against him, greedily held on to the sanctified fragment." (source: link txt, page: 825-826)This description demonstrates how great sports achievements can stir in people a desire to physically connect with the "celebrity" of sports. The athlete’s figure becomes associated not only with results and records but also with an ideal that his fans aspire to—a symbol of excellence and inspiration. Thus, as an athlete approaches historic sporting milestones, his success transforms into a cultural phenomenon, where personal feats become the focus of widespread respect and the cult of personality.