To get the right arse with constant 'Bradley Wiggins greatest Olympian ever'

[Marilynsbigsister]

Whilst I think his latest win is fantastic and wonderful etc - I am being wound of the clock with BBC news telling me every hour ON the hour that Bradley Wiggins is now the greatest British Olympian of all time.

Part of me feels really petty for even getting in to this, as just getting to compete in an Olympic Games is a phenomenal achievement but if the BBC is going to make ridiculous statements like this, then they need to 1. Get their facts straight and 2. Just admit that they are still in the dark ages with the 'does he take sugar' mentality. ( Ahhh..aren't those disabled Olympians a-maz-ing .. Look what they can overcome..)

Facts :

Bradley Wiggins 5 golds
1 silver
2 Bronze

Across 5 Olympics.

*Greatest Ever Olympian
*
Tanni Grey-Thompson. 11 Golds
4 Silver
1 Bronze.

But then again are the BBC asking us to understand that 'Para' Olympians aren't 'proper' Olympians ? Really ? Surely an Olypic medal is an Olympic medal ? I wasn't aware para Olypic medals were second class !

I thought it may even have been standard BBC blindness of female achievement woman but that doesn't rub either as David Weir (6 gold 2 silver 2 Bronze) knocks Bradley Wiggins into a cocked hat medal-wise....

AIBU to consider the BBC to be exhibiting rank disablist clap trap that demeans the amazing achievements of our Olympians because they are 'disabled' - or do I just need to have a and calm down after 7 hrs in the car ...

Greatest EVER Olympian is Tanni Grey-Thompson.

While I would agree the Michael Phelps is one of the greatest Olympians of all time (quite possibly the greatest) I think total number of medals is not a fair comparison. Rowers generally train and compete as part of a particular team and so only have one medal opportunity in any games. Athletes in cycling and swimming will often have several opportunities in individual and team events. However, the breadth of events that Michael Phelps has competed is pretty incredible. I think longevity of success in an event is also a relevant factor. Phelps is still swimming competitively in a sport dominated by athletes in their early twenties. What is impressive to me about an athlete such as Steve Redgrave is that he maintained a top Olympic standard over such a long period, even despite running into health issues (diabetes) towards the end.

On a different note I am really enjoying having Sir Chris Hoy presenting on the BBC. Great having someone who can give so much insight into what the cyclists are doing. He is engaging and seems really lovely.

When you win gold medals then you are in a position to criticise until then .....

BW is awesome. He's won in 5 olympics! He's won in road and track! - which are quite different.

He's inspired so many people to cycle.

And he's written an autobiography for children (as well as a longer / more detailed one for adults) which is awesome. Something children can really be inspired by.

The year wiggo won the tour de France froom played dirty (according to Wiggins biography). So I don't like froome.

Laura trott is also cool. And Lizzie armistead.

Cycling is now taking off in a massive way in the uk thanks to all of these people. And that's a very good thing.

Ps if anyone else knows any other children or teenage books about cycling / cyclists can you please tell me?

I was feeling a bit ill watching the men's cycling last night given how Jess Varnish was (apparently) dropped from the GB team after speaking out about unequal treatment of the women (and was then apparently told by the heas coac Sutton that "at 25 she was too old, she had a fat arse, and she should go and have a baby") - Nicole Cooke wrote about it in the Guardian. I keep thinking of Jess, how does she feel right now missing out. It is a fucking hard sport, cycling, it would be nice to think all you needed to do as a woman was excel in your bloody sport, not also have to learn to live with being treated as second class and keep your mouth shut...

As you said OP the BBC coverage was that Bradley Wiggins is now the most decorated British Olympian following his gold medal win, not the greatest Olympian,that is factually correct based upon medals won, so he can be called the greatest British Olympian ever, they haven't got it wrong.
Personally I feel it's all subjective anyway about who the greatest Olympian is, and can (to me) depend on things other then total amount of medals.

Yabu about the para athletes op, totally separate organisations, independent of each other down to different logos (no rings for the Paralympic Games)
I don't think that you need to compare Olympics to Paralympics (though medal comparisons are always made) as they are different and each should be celebrated in their own right, my para sport achievements are different to sporting achievements I had prior to becoming a disabled athlete.

Can't argue with greatest Paralympian being TGT though, amazing woman who achieved incredible amounts of success and also does so much work for disability as well and has highlighted some of the awful comments that disabled people can have said to them

Toomuch, a good article by Nicola Cooke. Chris Hoy was extremely quick to defend Shane Sutton on social media after this, as has Chris Boardman. Victoria Pendleton has spoken out about Shane Sutton also and I feel reading between the lines this was part of her decision to leave the sport. VP had more to give to track cycling IMO.

On a different note I am really enjoying having Sir Chris Hoy presenting on the BBC. Great having someone who can give so much insight into what the cyclists are doing. He is engaging and seems really lovely

Completely agree, BW looks like a total knob.

BW: Disliked his face pulling during national anthem.

He is at his best on a bike, travelling away..

I saw his face pulling and just thought knob he just needs to calm down and stop acting the lad

It's much easier to get multiple medals in certain sports like track cycling or swimming where your training covers a range of events than in say, hockey, where there only one event each Olympics. I'm bored of Bradley Wiggins and track cycling.

When you watch interviews with other athletes after events, you see their dignity, emotion and sincerity - (Ennis, Rutherford and Farah e.g). BWs facile childish self centred nonsense is pathetic. I'm not a fan if you can't tell.

I think he's ace. he won the medal, not the queen or anyone else

Umm, it was a team event. Four people. It took four people to win that medal.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3706092/Why-did-Wiggins-charity-money-cycling-superstars-Olympic-hero-Bradley-Wiggins-vowed-charity-focus-poor-children-investigation-reveals-gave-money-team-mates-son-s-rugby-team.html

If the gold medals in cycling are so easy to win then why haven't the Germans, NZs or Australians and French won lots if gold medals in cycling, after all they are good at cycling?
Out of 6 golds GB have 4 Gold - as the men's sprint later GB will win gold & silver

I don't think other nations are finding it easy to win gold medals with only Nederland's and China having one each.

Our cyclists are competing exceptionally well & winning which is something to celebrate.

Hope Laura Trott and Mark Cavendish win gold and shall be rooting for both.

Salty, Mark Cavendish book/ autobiography would be fine for teen reading. I certainly didn't see From as playing dirty from reading BW autobiography - though I did finish his book feeling BW was very ego centric character and a prima Donna.

I'm a bit tired of him. Last night's medal was for a team sport but Sir. Bradley. Wiggins....! gets all the special graphics and mini- films made about him.

That's hardly his fault though, is it?! He is the most well-known name out of the four, so it's not that surprising. Not that I think the others should be ignored!

Someone upthread complained that after the race he went off by himself rather than joining his teammates for the interview - I thought he was giving the others a chance for the limelight first, tbh.

I thought the same. I don't think he can win and I don't really understand why everyone feels the need to slag him off.

I don't know what kind of person Bradley Wiggins is but he is certainly currently the most decorated British Olympian so YABU there.

Did the BBC actually say greatest? I just heard most decorated. If they said greatest then YANBU because that's subjective.

YABU re Tanni Grey-Thompson because she's a Paralympian not an Olympian. If they'd been saying most medals for a British athlete rather than Olympian then you'd have a very good point. I don't know if they did.

In short, I totally agree with Eeyore - btw, Eeyore did you just slip in a stealth mention of being a paralympian?!? As in, are you actually going? Or were yout alking about playing para-sport (is that a word?) in general?

DP and I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Bradley at a social occasion recently. He's ok, just likes to keep himself to himself and would much prefer to be away from media attention. His wife however, thinks she's something really special!

He's a grade A dick cheese of the highest Weller-wannabe order.