There was not one winner, there were nine winners. For a fleeting moment these children showed us what the Kingdom of God is like. They challenged the world's concept that first place is everything. The world says defeating, even destroying one's competitor is the way to go. The world says that competition and success is an indisputable law.
Competition is touted.
On Palm Sunday, and then again in the upper room, and then again on the cross, Jesus challenged the world's concept of power. Some years ago a book was written by a noted American historian entitled When The Cheering Stopped. When that war was over Wilson was an international hero. There was a great spirit of optimism abroad, and people actually believed that the last war had been fought and the world had been made safe for democracy. On his first visit to Paris after the war Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs.