BENTONVILLE — Any athlete who competes on an international scene has that same dream, to have the gold medal draped around the neck and to spend those moments on the platform as the national anthem is played over the loudspeakers.
Christine Smith had that dream become reality earlier this month. The Bentonville native and former Shiloh Christian and Lyon College standout participated in the 2013 Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria, and was a member of the US women’s basketball team that earned the gold with an 81-57 victory over Ukraine.
In some instances, what took place — even when she left the court a final time with three minutes remaining in the title game — still seems like a dream.
“No, it’s still kind of weird,” Smith said. “It’s kind of like it really didn’t happen. One of these days, it will sink in, I guess.
AT A GLANCE
2013 Deaflympics
WHEN: July 25 through Aug. 4
WHERE: Sofia, Bulgaria
NOTABLE: Athletes must be at least 55 decibels deaf in their good ear. … They must submit hearing tests from independent audiologists and are liable to random audiology tests at any time. … Events include athletics (track and field), badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, road cycling, soccer, handball, judo, karate, mountain biking, orienteering, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and wrestling (freestyle and Greco-Roman).
“We each got our moment on the podium and got our medals. They raised the flag, and that was exciting. It was so surreal. When you’re growing up, you watch these things on TV and you think it’s awesome. It was crazy to be involved with something like that, and I was very humbled and very blessed to get that experience.”
The victory over Ukraine completed a perfect 7-0 run for the US women, who won their four pool play games by an average of 58 points. Smith had a strong start for the US and scored 47 points in the first three pool games, including a 20-point outing on 8-of-10 shooting against China.
TRANSITIONS TO MAKE
Smith, a 5-foot-9 shooting guard who was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome and has only 30 percent of normal hearing capacity, was first approached about the Deaflympics before her senior season at Shiloh Christian. She declined that offer, but gave it a shot last summer when the opportunity arose again and went to a team tryout in Las Vegas.
She became the youngest player on the US women’s team and was one of only two players on the roster who wasn’t a current or former player at Galladuet University, an NCAA Division III school in Washington, D.C., with programs and services designed to accomodate deaf and hearing-impaired students. However, it wasn’t until the team’s training camp, held just before the Deaflympics, when she left an impression on US women’s coach Laura Edwards.
“Chris was good enough to make the team, but I wasn’t that impressed with her at first,” Edwards said. “Then when we went to training camp, there was this huge change. I saw a much quicker player, and her first step — there was a huge improvement.
“She was one of our three best players on the team. We knew we could count on her in areas such as screening and her ability to attack the other team. She could also be our third point guard.”
Smith had her share of transitions to make in such a short time. The first was learning to play on a team where everyone had impaired hearing or was deaf, but she said it wasn’t that difficult after a while and really didn’t notice as much after a few practices.
The transition to the international style of basketball became her biggest adjustment to make. It required her to change some of the things she loved to do on the court.
“The international referees are so much different,” Smith said. “I love taking charges, and they do not call a charge, no matter how set you are. It was the most frustrating thing.
“The free-throw lane is also quite a bit wider, and the 3-point line was wider. It makes you think you were closer to the basket than you really were, and when you shoot you have to remember that you are quite a bit further out. Other than that, it wasn’t too terrible.”
The Deaflympics basketball games were split between Overgas Hall, which served as the main basketball facility, and Universiada Sports Hall, where the US opened pool play with an 85-26 victory over Italy. Smith had an impressive debut with 15 points in that game, then later had her best offensive performance in a 109-24 rout over China.
She said Overgas Hall was quite a bit different than any gym she played in while at Shiloh Christian and Lyon. What shocked her the most, though, was the fans who attended those games.
“The first couple of games, they weren’t there,” Smith said. “But they started trickling in, and they were very energetic. With this being a deaf Olympics, I really didn’t expect them to make as much noise or be as rowdy as they were.
“But they made it a lot of fun. They made it feel like one of those games you love to play: the stands are packed and you get the energy from the crowd.”
The US women were never challenged until their semifinal game against Greece. The Americans jumped out to a 38-22 lead, but Greece responded in the second half and cut it to seven points at one time.
Smith, however, nailed a 3-pointer that helped the US pull away for a 66-51 victory.
“They gave us a good run for our money,” Smith said. “It was our closest game, by far, and we weren’t used to that. It was so much more physical and in-your-face. I enjoyed it.
“They like to push your buttons and test you. They play kind of dirty over there, and it’s something you have to get used to. When somebody shoves you, you’re really not just going to stand there. I pushed a little in the heat of the moment.”
HOLD THAT THOUGHT
Midway through her senior season at Lyon, Smith said she thought the Deaflympics could serve as a fitting end to her basketball career. She graduated with her degree in early childhood education in May, and she has aspirations of becoming a teacher.
A change of plans could likely happen after what she experienced during her two weeks in Bulgaria.
“After getting back and realizing ‘I’m done. I’m done for quite a while,’ it makes me think I don’t want to be done,” Smith said. “I love basketball so much, so I’m still in the stages of deciding what to do with my life.
“I want to find a place where I can get with a group of girls and coach, and I wish I had thought about it sooner. It didn’t strike me that it was going to be over, and I don’t want it to be over yet. I want to find a place where I can be involved. I just have to talk to people, put feelers out and see what happens.”
The next Deaflympics will be held in 2017 in Turkey. Smith said she would love the chance to go again and play for the US, as long as relationships between the two countries are good and her father would give her permission do so.
If Edwards has anything to do about it, Smith will be more than welcomed back on the team.
“Christine is so young right now,” Edwards said. “I could see her playing in two more Deaflympics if she chose.
“She has such a good knowledge of the game. I think she could have a future in being a basketball coach.”