Wednesday 1 August 2012

Olympic Update

So here we are faithful followers, Day 5 of the 2012 Olympic Games and apparently the whole country is fretting because we have not won a gold medal...I am here to calm your nerves and put things into perspective.

First of all, do you recall that part of the lavish opening ceremony when a competitor, a  referee and a coach took the Olympic Oath? Well, that little section was really the most important part of the whole ceremony because it sets out what the Olympic ideal is really about...that those taking part simply do their best.

I understand there are about 17000 people taking part in the Games, if they all do their best a very small percentage will win medals but those who do not win medals are no less worthy of recognition.

The media are obsessed with medals tables and each day we have pundits and commentators predicting who will and should win medals for Team GB - I had a little dig at Mike Bushell this morning via Twitter pointing out that such predictions are worthless - what will be will be.

Adding more and more pressure onto athletes by repeating how much we expect of them is something the media do for the sake of news - I don't believe real sports fans wish anything but the best of luck to those men and women who have trained and sacrificed so much just to qualify for the Games.

I will celebrate if Ben Ainslie wins a gold medal but if he doesn't win it might just be because someone was better on the day, the same way that three other teams of divers were better than Daley and Waterfield on the day.

The constant media pressure is also partly to blame for the outpouring of hate towards Tom Daley after he 'failed to secure a gold medal'. We build these people up as unbeatable and we forget they are human.

I do not believe that there is a single competitor in any team that only wants to win because the media are watching - they want to win and give of their best because of their love of the sport...it is taking part that counts. That is why our own Miss Adlington was beaming when she won her bronze medal - she swam better than she could have hoped, she came third and won that medal but why should we think less of her if she had swam a personal best and finished fourth?

So, don't worry - we may well win a gold medal today or we may not, either way I shall enjoy watching the competitors try their best.

Now a message to those badminton players who have not been trying their best - piss off home you cheating bastards! You should be ashamed and if I was the referee I would have disqualified you and I would have kicked your coaches out of the sport for ever! This is the frigging Olympics!!!!!

Sorry, had to get that off my chest.