Some atheletes need to learn to graciously

[Uhu]

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.

Bum! How did I mis that? Buggerbuggerbugger. It's my favourite event Mind you, I have a lot of time for the men's swimming now. That was easy on the eyes...

it was truly yum, DP was out and I think at one point I may have actually been wiping drool off my chin!

Ahem - obviously very interesting race as well blah blah

re: swimming, I just a problem with the small speedos

Ahhh but the mens floor execises last night. Uh uhmmmmmmmmm

Didn't the very first marathon runner ever (in Greece and in the same kind of heat, btw) collapse and die at the end of the 26 miles which is why it is such a challenge?

Marathon running puts human beings at the absolute limit of physical and mental endurance. If you add blistering heat, humidity and a pinch of asthma for luck, I'm surprised PR lasted as long as she did. Can you imagine how the poor girl is feeling having spent so long working for this and just missing out last time too. I think some of you are being so harsh.

Noooo - they don't all have small Speedos any more. Some are clad in long skin tight lycra shorts...

Ahem. Helps with the aerodynamics I would inagine.

Good to see that she's not using the conditions as the reason since they were the same for everyone. Maybe her training just wasn't right; the girl who won it ran the course in June to see what it was actually like (so no excuse for the other GB girl who said there more hills than she thought there would be - nothing like going and having a look!) and tailored the rest of her training to suit what she had found i.e. went to St Moritz and spent 2 months doing hill work in the heat at altitude. Preparation is everything...

PR never once blamed the conditions in her interview, all she seemed to say was that she had a bad day. SHe was so gutted that I think it is really horrible that some people feel she gave up simply as there was no medal in it. That is not true, she pulled up as she simply couldn't go another step.

I am so proud of her, she did her best on the day. Which wasn't enough.

BTW did anyone see the gold we did get today?? The womens 800 was fab

I agree with you and think she did her best and was really upset. The pictures of her sobbing were awful.

Have rarely felt so angry about a Mumsnet thread. I read it earlier, took a deep breath or 3 and vowed to keep out of it but I can't.

Soupdragon & Luckymum are spot on with their comments, & Crunchie.

As for Uhu & her views about Denise Lewis: she's struggled with injuries for most of the last year, no-one else would have met the Olympic qualifying time so why shouldn't she have a go ?

Her injuries have meant that on the relevant days she couldn't be competetive but why the f88k should she have to finish if she realised she was going to do herself more dammage by continuing ???

As for many of the comments about Paula; sure conditions were the same for all, one of the leading contenders dropped out ages before her, throwing her guts up at the side of the road.

Running a marathon is never like a walk in the park despite what the media have us believe. All the participants wanted a 7.30am start to avoid the heat but due to the demands of the US TV network it was denied.

A few of you do participate in sport but unless you do and have suffered a DNF or injury just shut it.

We've had some stunning performances in Athens, why can't we focus on the good things rather than the sad ones (and yes, I cried when Paula dropped out, she is an awesome athlete)

An angry Twink goimg to bed now.

Here Here Twinkie,

PR is fab. She did her best, Thats all anyone should have expected,

I thought that we " the gb team" were about being part of a team.

Look at the Ethopians. They knowe what it was about.

If anybody on mnets can do better, be there or SHUT UP.

Sorry, but she is a human being that did her best

I have stayed out of this having seen none of it but do agree with SueW re timing of events to suit US TV schedules - oh please. They didn't schedule events in Sydney to suit the rest of the world, did they?

Mind you I also agree with whoever said why do they have to have the Olympics in August in Athens (or anywhere else) - why can't they be in spring/autumn in whichever time zone they are in?

Is that true that the marathon started later in the day because of NBC's demands? I find that hard to believe because hardly any of the events are shown live here anyway. I wonder why I've been dragging through the past few days after staying up till close to midnight every night to watch the gymnastics, diving and track & field, when I know darn well that it actually took place hours and hours ago? That really annoys me, and also because I would love to show my almost 5 year old what gymnastics actually looks like (she's in a gymnastics class which she loves but has never seen a real gymnast). But there's no way she's staying up till after 9 to see it on a school night...

Sorry. Rant over...

Twink

The fact that you have to resort to hysteria and foul language to express your views is typical of one incapable of participating in a rational discussion and respecting others objective views.

You must remember that atheletes are professional so it is their job to train and perform. To say that those critising should shut up if they can't do what they do is a vacuous argument. When atheletes do well, praise is heaped upon them and they revel in the adoration that they receive. So what is wrong with expressing one's views when they do not do well?

Atheletes need to remember that as long as they give their best, nobody can ask for more. They shouldn't, however, just give up and look for excuses because they can't accept that on the day, somebody else was better than them. Whatever happened to sportsmanship?

But we dont know that Paula did "just give up and look for excuses because they can't accept that on the day, somebody else was better than them" do we?

As a competitive runner (although not in PR's league) I would never give up unless I really really had to and do you know what usually keeps me going when things get really tough and I do feel like giving up? I pretend that I'm Paula Radcliffe.

Paula has not looked for excuses at all, did you actually listen to the Steve Cram interview with her ?

Why should Denise continue to compete while struggling with injury thus risking making things far, far worse. It takes more guts to admit the most sensible thing to do is to drop out from a competition than to struggle on.

Hysterical ? No, just angry. As many Mumsnetters know, I am not gifted with the ability to write well, but live with it.

Me too McKenzie.

I was racing on Sunday and when things started getting tough at the end of the triathlon, I thought of Paula & her mental strength & determination and kept going.

did you do Concorde by any chance Twink?

McKenzie, my previous comments were in response to Uhu, not you by the way.

Yes ! It was my first 'proper' one. Were you there too ?

Next year I hope to be at Sherbourne (Jane Tomlinson is an inspiration !)

I felt this yesterday and it's still the same. I can't believe you actually feel this way Uhu. Infact surely, you are just trying to wind us all up.
I admire her tremendous courage. She wanted to give everyone an explanation eventhough she doesn't even have one herself. She really looked devastated yesterday, it was very sad to see.

Should have been but I'm 13 weeks pregnant with no 2 and the only thing my husband has asked me to give up is road cycling!!
So that's me out for the rest of this season but hope to be there again next year.

Sevenoaks is a lovely one to finish the season on. Very well organised and the run is lovely.

OMG Uhu. you think that was Twink hysterical? Tee hee you ain't seen nothing yet (bombs away)
Seriously I think there may be a point in all of this, is that athletes now see more aim to compete for money than for glory or patriotism, professionalism has ruined sport in a lot of ways.
PR excepted, I think given her record and her real fight to recover physically and do this race, you cannot slate her for pulling out and assume it was for petulance, I have watched her career blossom and she is not faint hearted, she cares deeply and is popular because if this. She had a bad day, she was making no excuses, medical tests may "exonerate" her, or she may come out in the 10k and blast them all, or not...
I'm happy enough with blaming the US actually, tis my favourite hobby of late!!!

I think the hysteria around Paul Radcliffe has been dreadful.

Like Twink, Twinkie and others have said, unless you've run a marathon, you can't know what is involved. The marathon takes FAR more out of you than any of the shorter disciplines. At about 22 miles, your body hits the "wall". This is not a mental thing - it is a physiological event - your body literally starts feeding on muscle as it's run out of carbohydrate stores - and it is your will power that keeps you going, as the body makes the painful transition to doing that.

She wasn't running to get round, she was running to win. She will have been pushing that bit harder. From the sound of it she had already been running on willpower and had been trying desparately NOT to give up. That's why she had fought back to 2nd before slipping back again - but eventually her body will have said no more. She DID try to keep going - we all saw her try to start running again, before crumpling again - but sometimes it IS impossible to keep going - and probably, it was as well for her that she COULDN'T continue as she might have done permanent damage.

If she is guilty of anything, it is POSSIBLY of an element of naivety. She has "only" run 3 marathons - all of them big city commercial ones, designed to be fast and flat, and none in the dusty heat and hills of a location like Athens.

She didn't try to make excuses - she said that the other runners were exposed to the same conditions as she was.

By the way, I'm not a new poster, but have decided I need to change my name.

This thread has made me quite sad.
I think she is an excellent example to children and to everyone. I am a little shocked at some posters thoughts on her.
She couldnt physically or mentally do it yet she still gets criticism for not killing herself.