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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the rowing lot are being a bit sour about.......

24 replies

Mrbojangles1 · 02/08/2012 12:54

I think its a bit un sportsman like to be moaning about coming 2nd and 3rd i just heard one say if its not the right colour medal then whats the point in my view not a very good example for children if yiu dont come first that its shit

And they look really unhappy my good silver at a home games i couldnt be more proud

OP posts:

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 02/08/2012 13:02

well I think it is because everyone expected them to get the gold medal. We have it on at work and my colleague just said (I am ear wigging his conversation) they should have got gold, no one remembers silver!

Maybe they are just getting in first before all the digs start.

Just remembering all the hoo ha of wimbledon, no one seemed to appreciate that Andy Murray made the finals, as soon he he lost I saw loads of comments moaning that he was in effect 2nd.

larks35 · 02/08/2012 13:03

I could be wrong but I think this team have been trying for gold and getting silver for the last 2 olympic games and were really hoping to finally get gold, here in UK.

I understand your pov but I can sort of understand theirs too.

Cabrinha · 02/08/2012 13:09

They did amazingly well, and should be proud. But they're competitors. They wouldn't get to where they are without being competitive. So of course it's all about gold! It's not up to them to be a role model for kids.

JumpingThroughHoops · 02/08/2012 13:11

I'm afraid there are no prizes for coming second. They are professional sports people, they train to win.

LaurieFairyCake · 02/08/2012 13:12

yeah, it must be awful being the second best in the world at something

THAT IS WINNING!!!!!!!!!

squoosh · 02/08/2012 13:13

James Cracknell was explaining it last night and as far as I can gather they changed their tactics to go for the gold whereas if they'd have stayed with their old tactics they would have got the silver.

Better to try and fail than not try at all etc.

Cracknell seemed a leetle disappointed in them.

Disclaimer: I know zero about rowing.

RubyFakeNails · 02/08/2012 13:14

Bradley Wiggins also said if its not the right colour whats the point.

They're just being upfront. These are extremely competitive people who commit years of arduous training to this. I don't think any of them are aiming for 2nd or 3rd.

Yes 2nd or 3rd positions but 1st is better than them both.

kazmus · 02/08/2012 13:15

It doesn't help having a commentator shoving a mic in your face when you're knackered asking if you are disappointed!! Talk about putting a downer on everything!!

squoosh · 02/08/2012 13:15

It's The Taking Part That Matters is not really the ethos of top class athletes.

It's more like Win or Die . . . . or something equally dramatic.

Ariel24 · 02/08/2012 13:17

OP I too understand your pov but on the other hand, I like seeing the passion from sportsman who absolutely want to be the best and it's a sign of how hard they've worked when they are disappointed when they haven't won gold. Using Andy Murray as an example, he should be so proud of himself as he was amazing. But he was so upset because for him, he didn't want to be second, he wanted to win.

I do think sometimes especially with kids, we're in danger of removing a healthy level of competitiveness, especially with sports, there's too much 'it's not the winning it's the taking part'. Of course it's not healthy to expect to win everything and if someone has done the best they can do they should always be proud of themselves.

JumpingThroughHoops · 02/08/2012 13:17

I would imagine that perhaps, sponsorship deals hinge on placings.

I don't see Nike or whatever going after the bloke that came 7th, IFYSWIM. It's much more than the colour of the medal, often it's the sponsorship that allowed the training to continue at such a level without personal debt being incurred.

bobbledunk · 02/08/2012 13:17

yabu, they don't work hard to set an example to your kids, they do it to win. Silver is a recognition that they didn't lose too badly, they still lost.

Petsinmyolympicpudenda · 02/08/2012 13:18

They were disappointed and knackered.
We put such pressure on team GB so of course they are going to be disapointed

TandB · 02/08/2012 13:19

They will no doubt be glad about it when the initial disappointment dies down. They thought they had done it for a while there. I know someone in the crew. He is dedicated, hard-working and will have given everything he had to give for that silver. But it was so heart-breakingly nearly gold.

I was there yesterday watching someone else I know get a bronze. Before the race we were all worried that they might not medal at all. We were saying how delighted we would be with a bronze. But then they got their nose in front and for a moment we thought they could win. So when it was bronze, we were a bit disappointed. And that was just spectating!

So I would think people could have a bit of understanding about the mixed feelings they will have right now.

RubyFakeNails · 02/08/2012 13:19

Also when my dc compete in their sports, I'm not at the start saying go for silver/2nd. I'm there saying win, beat the others.

You cheer people to win, yes you're pleased for 2nd or third or wherever, even last just for the effort but you hoped for gold. Theres nothing wrong with that.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/08/2012 13:24

I liked them, I thought they were being self-deprecating, and they mentioned it being a home games so obviously knew that lots of people were wanting them to get gold and were disappointed.

JumpingThroughHoops · 02/08/2012 13:27

It was hard for them, they must have thought they had it in the bag, nipped past the Danes only for the South Africans to pip it on the line.

Fair play to RSA though, rowing is a very under rated sport in South Africa, for them to come through with so little funding was brilliant.

But when you, as the Brits were, the favourites, 'bigged up' by the press, the sense of disappointment, not only for them selves, but everyone who was supporting them must be immense.

Original poster

Mrbojangles1 · 02/08/2012 13:28

But dont they know the whole country is sooooooooo proud i no they wanted gold but i am just as chuffed as are we all

OP posts:

Callisto · 02/08/2012 13:29

Personally, I think there should be less bullshit at school along the lines of 'it's the taking part that counts, not the winning'. Winning is everything, and not just in sport, in life too. I want motivated, focused, all-or-nothing people as role models for my DD, not good losers.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/08/2012 13:31

I think even if the country is proud of them, they will know that they were close to gold and people will be disappointed.

I think it is much nicer to be acting like them, than to be all 'ooh, look at us, waaaay, aren't we great?'.

My brother used to row, never got this far but used to do national championships and knows people who're doing the olympics, and whenever I went to his races there was always a very self-effacing attitude, even the people who won would not make a big deal but would stress how good their competition was.

NarkedRaspberry · 02/08/2012 13:35

If you know you're capable of - and favoured to - win(ning) gold of course you're disappointed with silver or bronze.

TandB · 02/08/2012 13:38

I was involved in rowing. I came second in one of the events that everyone wants to win, and never did manage to win it.

I remember that utterly flat, deflated feeling on the finish line, and thinking "Oh. Well that's that then."

Many years later I can now look back on it and be glad I did it anyway, but for a while I wished I hadn't put so much effort into that one event that we didn't win. Now I can be pleased I reached such a high level and came so close. Back then I just wanted to have won.

And that wasn't even the Olympics!

BelieveInPink · 02/08/2012 13:41

I was disappointed in the silver. They could barely speak they were so disappointed.

Saying it's the taking part that matters is all well and good in the school playground but these are athletes, professionals, they go for gold and they spend their lives striving for it. And, they were in 5th position, and fought back and almost, almost had it. They were emotionally and physically spent, and of ourselves they're going to be disappointed.

Silver is still a medal but rowing is oneif our strongest sports and we were the favourites. Gutted for them.

BelieveInPink · 02/08/2012 13:42

*of course.

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