American heroes

Another kind of hero

At the wonderful Beijing Olympics we had a great American hero who emerged with eight gold medals in swimming – Michael Phelps. It took 36 years for someone to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals.

Also in 1972, the genius chess champion Bobby Fischer won the world title in Iceland. Spitz and Fischer were featured in every major magazine and newspaper and they both appeared on the Bob Hope special.

Being Bobby’s personal trainer and friend, I took him all around Southern California, particularly to Pasadena, and we had people hugging him and telling him that he was the greatest ever. He had defeated Boris Spassky and the Soviet chess system almost single handedly. Now, 36 years have passed and no one has touched Bobby’s achievement.

Before Bobby Fischer died this January, he told me that there is no one who could become a world chess champion from the United States. Long live the memory of the world’s greatest chess champion, Bobby Fischer.

Harry Sneider
Arcadia

Source: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/