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Original poster

Some atheletes need to learn to graciously

134 replies

Uhu · 23/08/2004 11:33

Did anybody else watch the heptathalon and marathon? I was dipping in and out to watch the progress of each. Denise Lewis dropped out when she realised that she was no longer a medal contender and Paula Radcliffe dropped out "due to heat exhaustion" when she only had 3 miles left to run. Why? In the marathon,if the "lesser" runners could continue and finish, why couldn't she? After all, PR is a champion and would have trained very hard for this. Everybody knew that Athens was hot and for commentators to imply that the heat was too much for her was in my mind, making excuses. PR is a phenomenal athelete and I think she has let herself down by dropping out of the race when she only had 3 miles to go. DL is also a great champion and initially I thought she had a injury but it turns out that she lost all hope in winning.

I have never been a champion of anything so I cannot appreciate the mental anguish that these people endure when they know they are going to lose but they should take note of a true champion like the Ethiopian, Haile Gebrselassie. He was 2 times Olympic champion of the 10,000 race. He was aiming for a 3rd gold medal but in the end he came 5th, still a good position. He did not drop out when the going got tough. Champions win races but they also accept defeat graciously.

OP posts:
Mosschops30 · 23/08/2004 13:51

Message withdrawn

ks · 23/08/2004 13:52

This reply has been deleted

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enid · 23/08/2004 13:53

Oh come on bran, don't be so snooty. I'll have you know I had a WAA grade 3 time for the 400m hurdles and used to compete against Sally Gunnell. Plus I run on a regular basis still. I was 20th in the english schools cross country blah blah blah di blah. And I still think Paula Radcliffe was a quitter !

Anyway, if you need to make loads of caveats - well, you've never been to Athens, well you've never run a marathon etc etc its usually because the argument wasn't so good in the first place!

Lets not have a slanging match - its English sport, we are quite crap and love moaning about it, its a national obsession

MrsDoolittle · 23/08/2004 13:56

Very succint Mosschops.

MrsDoolittle · 23/08/2004 13:59

So you didn't win then enid??

MrsDoolittle · 23/08/2004 13:59

Sorry, out of order I know

enid · 23/08/2004 14:00

No! But I didn't give up either

hercules · 23/08/2004 14:00

I'm an armchair athelete and I'll have you know it's not that easy! Sometimes the remote gets lost behind the back of the sofa and it's a bugger to get out!

enid · 23/08/2004 14:02

hercules, what about having to use your toes to pull it towards you when it is too far from the sofa? My dh should win a gold in that!

MrsDoolittle · 23/08/2004 14:03

Okay okay I give up. But come on, you have to admit. It was a sorry sorry sight I mean, I really felt awful for her.

hercules · 23/08/2004 14:03

I came first in an egg and spoon race in primary school. Does that count?

I'm with dolittle by the way.

hercules · 23/08/2004 14:04

That'w why I had children enid

wobblyknicks · 23/08/2004 14:07

I don't think anyone who has really thought about what athletes like PR and DL go through can even imagine they would drop out just out of sheer petulance at not being able to win a medal!!! Thats absolutely insane!!! Just imagine the years they've spent getting high up enough in their field for us to even know who they are, how much training they've done for their races, the hours and hours they've spent gearing themselves up for it. For them each race is a culmination of years of blood, sweat, tears and a hell of a lot of time devoted to a sport - can you REALLY see them saying to themselves, "bugger, I can't win, I'll just go home now" - that's ludicrous to suggest!!!

She would have been completely and utterly exhausted - she'd probably used up every single drop of mental and physical energy and felt like death - maybe realising she couldn't get a medal was the last straw but it wouldn't have been the sole reason she dropped out - FFS!!!!

PaulaRadcliffe · 23/08/2004 14:07

Just wanted to let all you lovely mumsnetters know that I will be sending this thread to my lawyers! Expect to hear from them.........

luckymum · 23/08/2004 14:09

Paula is on TV now.

MrsDoolittle · 23/08/2004 14:10

Fnar fnar!!

PaulaRadcliffe · 23/08/2004 14:10

Are you saying I cant multi-task!

PaulaRadcliffe · 23/08/2004 14:11

your point being.....

luckymum · 23/08/2004 14:16

I think she gave it her best and who are we to say she should have pushed herself further. She was obviously bloody knackered. Its just typical of the British mentality to kick someone when they're down.

Give the woman a break.

MrsDoolittle · 23/08/2004 14:17

Have just seen her interview. She looked completely shell-shocked!!
Completely justifies all I've written.

bran · 23/08/2004 14:18

Enid, I am forced to admit that part of my chilled-ness is to do with not being British (and therefore not caring at all how many medals Britain gets), and having had a bet on Paula not winning (which I won obviously).

I don't think my argument had any caveats in it though. I stand by my feeling that it's much easier to criticise someone's behaviour than it is to lead by example and run an olympic marathon to win without dropping out, and it's the people who are least likely to do it who criticise the most. However you are the exception that proves the rule, and I'm sure there was a very good reason that you didn't compete to Olympic level because it's very unlikely that you just gave up .

musica · 23/08/2004 14:29

Well, here's a completely opposite view - letter in the Telegraph today - (note I don't like the Telegraph, just saw the letter) - along the lines of 'Why do we have to have blubbering cry-babies like Matthew Pinsent representing GB? The Spitfire pilots didn't cry when they downed a few Messerschmitts, nor did Bobby Robson and the 1966 world cup winning football team - it's time these taxpayer subsidised athletes realised there's more to representing the country than winning and to avoid further embarrassment should adopt a stiff upper lip!'

I think Matthew Pinsent is ace. I met him once, and he is lovely, and I'm sure they were all KNACKERED at the end of that race - James Cracknell threw up he was so knackered and Pinsent could hardly stand he was so exhausted. I'd like to see this man in a boat...!

MrsDoolittle · 23/08/2004 14:32

Can you get trolls in newspapers?

SoupDragon · 23/08/2004 14:58

"We are perfectly entitled to make judgements about those who compete 'in our name' - and lets face it, none of us really know much about marathon running. I know nothing about floor gymnastics either but I am perfectly entitled to judge the performances I see on tv - its part of the fun!"

Absolutely. The Dragon household were experts on synchronised diving by the end of that competition . However, in this case, the judgement was not being made on her performance but on the reasons for her dropping out - that's what I was trying to say. It's the difference between saying "Oooh, that last twist in the triple twisting back somersault wasn't very straight - that's worth a 9.45 at the most" and "She clearly can't be ar$ed to do a good somersault" Yes you can judge the performance but you really can't second guess the reasons behind that performance - it's not possible. The only person who knows why she pulled up is Paula herself and TBH who are we to say whether she should or shouldn't - she knows her body better than we do.

Personally, I couldn't give a why she dropped out. It's just ridiculous to assume she did it simply because she wasn't going to get a medal.

krocket · 23/08/2004 15:00

slightly off subject here but did anyone watch the mens 100m final. Now that was a sight for sore eyes...

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