commonwealth games - australia appalling behaviour

[takeittakeit]

The poor scottish marathon runner who collapsed just before the end.

Australia your behaviour ruined the Games

No one there to help him
Taking photos of him lying their distressed.

And your official saying we can not have medics every mile - yes you bloody can.

Am appalled at the pictures coming out - your spectators and officials shame a nation - none of you helped him, comforted him did anything.

Disgusted - even your eventual winner did not even look. True champions care

OP, do you know anything about cricket at all? If you do, you’d know that cheating is an endemic part of the sport and has been forever. The tricks are well known by all cricketers - not just Australian ones.

As harsh as the post is, I totally agree with it. I am Australian and I watched the games off and on during the 11 days.

I watched in horror as Callum Hawkins staggered and fell. I was even more horrified when I saw the Australian runner fly past him without even a second glance. Surely any decent human being would automatically stop and lend a hand?

On the other hand I watched an interview with one of the English swimmers and when he was asked how he felt about Australia being so dominant in the pool he quickly pointed out that the Commonwealth games really didn't mean anything and he didn't really care.

This observation doesn't mean that I think all English people are bad sports.

TheClaws: OP, do you know anything about cricket at all?

I was discussing the ball tampering with someone. I saw the incident from my viewpoint as someone who hasn't a scintilla of interest in cricket - or, really, any spectator sport - as an example of bullying as they picked the least experienced/youngest player (I think) to do the dark deed. Her response was that it was that, no, people were up in arms because it's "just not cricket".

I wondered if I'd stepped into a discussion from the 1930s, as I honestly never thought I'd hear that phrase used in any way other than facetiously. Wasn't it 1932 that the bodyline tactic was used by Douglas Jardine as captain of the English cricket team? Perhaps the phrase might have applied then, and according to original poster, I would be able say that it sums up a nation.

However, I am not so irrational as to make a nonsensical generalisation about a whole country because of a single incident.

As far as cricket goes, wasn't the English captain caught doing something similar in the 80s/90s.

With the photos I am totally certain British people would have done exactly the same. I've seen people taking photos at an obviously fatal car accident which I think is far worse.

On the subject of cricket, the current South African cricket captain has been done for ball tampering twice. The same team the Australians were playing when they tampered with the ball.

It is endemic. At least Australia has taken a hardline stance on it, unlike other countries.

I watched in horror as Callum Hawkins staggered and fell.

Bit dramatic.

Bit dramatic. confused

Dramatic? He staggered for about 500m along the road, unable to run in a straight line, bouncing off the barrier before finally collapsing into the barrier banging his head on the way down. It was classic of hypoglycaemia from a "bonk". It wasn't the heat. He then lay on the floor in a continued hypoglycaemic state with no one helping him. I found it horrific. It's not dramatic to say his life was at risk.

It was a dreadful thing to see. That’s the bottom line.

Sure, but to imply that that was Australia's fault? 2 minutes was arguably too long for him to get medical attention once he fell, but before that, it could've happened to anyone at any event.

It can be a horrific thing and not be (the entire country of) Australia's fault. The two aren't being conflated by everyone.

Yes, there's a huge distinction between something putting a dampener on the Games, which it did, and that thing somehow pertaining to an entire nation.