An emotional Brittany Griner shed tears Sunday as the United States national anthem played during her basketball team’s Olympic gold medal ceremony, relishing the freedom she regained more than two years ago after spending 10 months in a Russian prison.
“This one meant a lot to me,” she said after the U.S. earned a 67-66 victory over France. “I mean, just having a chance to play for gold, represent my country, what my country did for me? Yes, this is the highest on top right here.”
Griner was released from a Russian penal colony, where she had been sentenced to nine years for drug possession and trafficking, in a prisoner exchange in December 2022. The Phoenix Mercury center had been playing in Russia during the NBA offseason when she was arrested after Russian authorities said her luggage contained vape containers with cannabis oil.
She had pleaded guilty but said it was an “honest mistake” and she had not intended to pack them. Nevertheless, she was convicted and was not released until the United States released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
After that Grinner vowed to play internationally if it wasn’t included USA basketball.
Paris was her first Olympics since being released, and it was something she thought she would never be able to do again. Putting the uniform back on”means everything to meshe said at the start of the games in Paris. “For me to now have the honor to wear it again and potentially win gold is the icing on the cake.”
Griner helped her team win its third gold medal – her tears flowed as it was presented.
“It was a long journey, a hard journey to get back into it,” said Griner, 33. “I’m just glad my body was able to hold up and be here.”
With News Wire Services
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