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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that an olympic silver medal is pretty damn impressive?

78 replies

CaptSkippy · 29/07/2021 07:12

So, every day I see these athletes winning medals. Sometimes it's gold and sometimes it's silver or bronze. I find each of these accomplishments really impressive.

Yet, the winner of a silver medal has just minutes later to "explain themselves" in front of a camera as to why it's not gold. You'll frequently hear phrases like "... and that's where I messed up."
And I am thinking: You messed up? You got silver, not last place.

Same thing with football matches. Out of all the teams that make it to the final, it's like all the previous matches didn't even happen if they don't win.

Am I missing something? Is silver only ever a "consolation price"? Or are we too hard on athletes who are in my opinion already impressive when they qualify for the olympics?

OP posts:
GrealishHairband · 29/07/2021 07:16

Professional athletes of whatever discipline go out to win and be the best. So while silver is a huge achievement, in their eyes it might be seen as falling short of the mark as they want to win.

dudsville · 29/07/2021 07:17

From our perspective they've achieved massively just by being able to be there, but they're there to win, and winning means gold.

Teeheehee1579 · 29/07/2021 07:18

I thought exactly this when I heard a commentators say one of them had ‘only’ got a silver yesterday. Get that a professional athlete might be disappointed to not have got gold but why commentators and many general public describe it as ‘only silver’ or ‘only bronze’ for what is an outstanding achievement is beyond me.

Sosososotired · 29/07/2021 07:18

Athletes don't compete for silver, they compete to get gold. They will most likely be devastated immediately after their competition that they didn't win. That's their own pressure, and what it takes to be an athlete.

Sirzy · 29/07/2021 07:18

Of course winning any medal is great but (and especially when interviewed straight after) if people have spent the last 5 years focusing on winning gold and have missed out by a narrow margin then of course there will be some disappointment

girlmom21 · 29/07/2021 07:20

You train your whole life and don't win - it's expected that you'll be disappointed.

Imagine if you interviewed for a job at work and you didn't get it but you got offered a lower level job which was still a promotion but not the money or level you were hoping for.

VividGemini · 29/07/2021 07:21

I've read previously that it's more disappointing getting silver than bronze apparently!

breakfasty · 29/07/2021 07:22

I get what you're saying but I think a lot of athletes' psychology must be different, they need to motivate themselves to be the absolute best.

tootingbeclido · 29/07/2021 07:23

All medals are fab but I loved the bronze the women's gymnastics team won.....They were over the moon and I haven't heard anything other than what a brilliant achievement it is!

Brigittebidet · 29/07/2021 07:24

DH who was a semi-pro cyclist at one point always said second place is the first loser.

But no, YANBU. I was happy to see how stoked the bronze medalists in the 3m synchro dive comp were yesterday.

Duetorain · 29/07/2021 07:24

I think it does depend on expectations beforehand. An athlete who has just about qualified for the Olympic team might have done very well to make the final at all. The athlete coming in as World Champion or reigning Olympic champion would be training for Gold.

ItsSnowJokes · 29/07/2021 07:25

They say silver is the worst as its first loser. Bronze medallists are normally grateful that they got anything.

I agree though that it is a massive achievement.

daisypond · 29/07/2021 07:27

It depends on what the athlete thought their chances were. If they had no expectation of getting a medal at all, they are going to be pleased with silver. If they thought they could win gold, they might be disappointed with silver. Most competitors will have competed against each other several times in other competitions- they know where they stand.

cariadlet · 29/07/2021 07:27

@VividGemini

I've read previously that it's more disappointing getting silver than bronze apparently!

@VividGemini I've heard that as well. Apparently, if you get silver, you focus on how close you were to getting the gold and are disappointed at missing out whereas if you get bronze, you focus on how close you were to not winning a medal at all so you are really pleased to get the bronze.

UsedUpUsername · 29/07/2021 07:28

@CaptSkippy

So, every day I see these athletes winning medals. Sometimes it's gold and sometimes it's silver or bronze. I find each of these accomplishments really impressive.

Yet, the winner of a silver medal has just minutes later to "explain themselves" in front of a camera as to why it's not gold. You'll frequently hear phrases like "... and that's where I messed up."
And I am thinking: You messed up? You got silver, not last place.

Same thing with football matches. Out of all the teams that make it to the final, it's like all the previous matches didn't even happen if they don't win.

Am I missing something? Is silver only ever a "consolation price"? Or are we too hard on athletes who are in my opinion already impressive when they qualify for the olympics?

It’s funny you mentioned this.

I saw a study recently (no time to find the link) where gold medallists and bronze medallists had better life outcomes than silver medallists. I think it was measured in longevity....

So maybe there’s a unique existential pain to being second 😱

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 29/07/2021 07:29

Years ago, I was waiting for the start of a primary school cross country race, and heard the teacher of a local prep school giving the motivational talk to his children. “Remember, second place means you’re first loser!”

At the time I sniggered slightly, but thought that’s why that school won everything. But I suspect it’s the same mentality that says a silver medal isn’t good enough.

Oh… my ds won the race, btw. Not that I was remotely smug or anything.

romdowa · 29/07/2021 07:30

A lot of athletes i know believe that if you aren't first then you're last . It must be disappointing for them to be pipped at the post almost for a gold but even being there is super impressive

UsedUpUsername · 29/07/2021 07:30

@Brigittebidet

DH who was a semi-pro cyclist at one point always said second place is the first loser.

But no, YANBU. I was happy to see how stoked the bronze medalists in the 3m synchro dive comp were yesterday.

If you’re not first you’re last 😂
ohfook · 29/07/2021 07:32

@VividGemini

I've read previously that it's more disappointing getting silver than bronze apparently!
I've heard similar. I remember reading that an analysis of faces on the podium showed generally those in third place were happier than those in second. I think the explanation was bronze medalists we're pleased to be on the podium whereas silver medalists felt they'd just narrowly missed out on the gold.
Terhou · 29/07/2021 07:32

I agree, OP. To be second best at your sport out of the entire world is an amazing achievement.

On similar topic, it always annoyed me that Tim Henman tended to be mocked for "only" being no. 4 in the world - his mockers almost universally being journalists who wouldn't come within the top 4000 in their profession.

DaisyDozyDee · 29/07/2021 07:33

The format of different sports affects things a lot. Anything with two sides in the final means the silver medal winner will often be more deflated than the bronze medal winner. To get silver, you’ve just lost to the gold medal winner; to get bronze you’ve just beaten fourth place.
It means the feelings are a bit more a roller coaster, because they’ve had the feeling of knowing they’ve won at least a silver for a while (sometimes even for a day or more depending on the wait for the final match/bout). The most recent feeling will be defeat and disappointment and that’s probably going to dominate in an interview.
Silver is a huge achievement, but it’s understandable that it might take time to process that.

Nesbo · 29/07/2021 07:33

In the ancient Olympics there were no podium places - there was a winner, and then there were the losers. I think that is a way of thinking that drives many athletes to devote so much time and pain to their sport.

MakeCrisps · 29/07/2021 07:40

It depends who they are and what was expected. An unexpected bronze is celebrated, an athlete who was expected to get gold is disappointed with silver. I think it's the athletes themselves who are disappointed as much as anyone though.

LynetteScavo · 29/07/2021 07:40

Even coming fourth in the Olympics is a great achievement, but rarely one that's celebrated.

DarceyDashwood · 29/07/2021 07:41

I love the Olympics and have watched them all my life. When I was a kid I never understood why athletes celebrated silver and bronze as to me they didn’t win and they weren’t the Champion etc. Now I’m older I get that an Olympic medal of any colour is an amazing achievement and the result of years of hard work and dedication not by the athlete but by their families too usually. It’s something they will always have and be proud of esp once their career is over!