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Posted by: David Bunch

This is the stuff dreams are made of.

As often happens in the world of sports, an inspirational story of grit and determination and the will to win will surface and bring inspiration to us all.

Such was the case yesterday when Chinese Figure Skater Zhang Dan was thrown into the air by her partner, only to miss the landing and hit the ice in a painful split.

"It was so painful that I could hardly stand up," Zhang Dan was quoted as
saying. "It challenges the power of a human being."

What followed was one of the most extraordinary moments so far in the 20th Winter Olympic Games.

The 20-year-old from China appeared too hurt to go on, but she consulted with her partner, Zhang Hao, and the pair decided to continue the program. The crowd applauded as she skated a few practice revolutions.

Her courage helped the pair win a silver medal and the appreciation of figure- skating fans here who had suffered disappointing news over the weekend when Michelle Kwan withdrew.

"We didn't say any words of giving up," Zhang Dan said. "It's because we are at the Olympics."

Wow! There is so much to be learned from the kind of attitude that refuses to give up even in the face of incredible odds.

And lest you be tempted to think that it really wasn't all that bad of an injury:

Her determination may have come at a price. ABC News saw Zhang being wheeled out of Centro Traumatologico Ortopedico, a hospital in Turin, Italy.

Her condition is not known.