# Obsession with gold...



## Star_Chaser (11 August 2012)

Just sat up and watched the late night highlights from today and the commentators were all about 'Gold', much as I appreciate that its a fabulous medal to win the commentators were so negative about those that hadn't achieved that medal that I have to say I felt awful for those athletes that work their socks off to get an opportunity to enter the Olympics which is an achievement in itself. At least some of their guests gave a reminder of just what some of those athletes have had to go through to get their place at the event.

Surely the taking part is just as important as the medals... and is worth celebrating? 

Congratulations to all those athletes taking part, you've done us PROUD!


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## luckypeggy (11 August 2012)

I agree! Before we started winning gold they couldn't stop talking about silver and bronze medals!
Now all the highlights seem to show just golds, and people who get silver/bronze are said to have lost. 
I think when becky adlington won her bronze she said it wasn't a failure or anything, and i definitely agree!
Go team GB!


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## lynds81 (11 August 2012)

This has been a conversation in our house a lot over the last few days!!

When they keep complaining we haven't got our 8 predicted golds in the athletics... I just want to slap them and say.... The fact they even made it here makes them one of the best in the world...!!

Though I can see that some of them are disappointed, which is fair enough, if you hoped for better, but the commentators do go a bit OTT!


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## Star_Chaser (11 August 2012)

well the swimmers are a casing point they won 3 medals ok so not gold but 3 medals is pretty good considering their competition and the fact they could have won none at all and the person in charge is having an investigation with the possibility of cutting their funding according to the reports on some of the news sites online.  

I mean honestly didn't these idiots just think that maybe just maybe there were better people on the day??  Our swimmers swum their hearts out they should dunk this bloke in the pool!!

http://sport.uk.msn.com/olympics-20...=328d4152-c682-4e05-9ae7-fa5c35d305c2&_nwpt=1


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## Jump2It (11 August 2012)

sounds like an eventers topic 

The target was 8 medals not 8 golds. We actually got more golds than expected but only the 6 medals....triple jumper was probably our biggest let down...obviously some issues there


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## Slinkyunicorn (11 August 2012)

horseloaner said:



			well the swimmers are a casing point they won 3 medals ok so not gold but 3 medals is pretty good considering their competition and the fact they could have won none at all and the person in charge is having an investigation with the possibility of cutting their funding according to the reports on some of the news sites online.  

I mean honestly didn't these idiots just think that maybe just maybe there were better people on the day??  Our swimmers swum their hearts out they should dunk this bloke in the pool!!

http://sport.uk.msn.com/olympics-20...=328d4152-c682-4e05-9ae7-fa5c35d305c2&_nwpt=1

Click to expand...

I would agree they may have 'swum their hearts out' but with the exception of one or two of our swimmers none of them swam personal bests so did underperform I am afraid. And before you jump on me I use dot be a competitive swimmer and swam for GB so i do know how hard it is and the training etc required. 

TBH they would be better investing some money in more pool facilities and making them available to swimmers at reasonable times instead of 5am in the morning


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## meandmyself (11 August 2012)

I think everyone who got into the Olympics is a winner.


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## armchair_rider (11 August 2012)

I'm not sure. Certainly the silver and bronze medallists have been swept aside in the surge of gold and that isn't fair. Winning so many medals has probably raised expectations unfairly - it really isn't fair to criticise people who were long shots for medals to start with or who were competing injured. 

On the other hand there are certainly some individuals and sports who have under-performed. Considering that over £25 million has been spent on swimming and that a lot of medals have been won in recent World championships the medal target was not unrealistic and it is certainly reasonable to look into why it wasn't achieved. Which isn't to say that the the entire team should be put in the stocks and pelted with tomatoes. At the same time though it needs to be recognised that the average level of the swim team has improved - we had a huge number of people in finals.

So far as all the competitors being winners is concerned... They've all worked very, very hard and that needs to be recognised. However merely congratulating them on taking part isn't going to win medals, Britain has had a great deal of success in cycling and rowing where the coaches have been ruthless in pushing people to the top and the standard of our swimmers and athletes has improved dramatically since a more ruthless attitude was taken in dealing with non-achievers.

The difficulty is to deal with failures appropriately and constructively without it turning into a public slanging match


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