How about this for a story? Athletes who meet the standards for Olympic qualification have been denied entry by UK Athletics, who have imposed a series of higher requirements. If we were an all-conquering nation of athletes with talent oozing out of our ears this would make sense. But we aren’t. We have produced some great performances from people who have given their all (and established records and personal bests on their way to defeat) but they have left us with great memories rather than medals. These days this is what it’s all about.
My best performance in athletics was qualifying for a 2 Star certificate from the Amateur Athletics Association. That’s 2 out of a possible five. The previous year I had got one. But it had made me try harder for the second year, and I was planning on trying even harder for the next year. They were discontinued and my interest in athletics fell away.
The moral of that story turned out to be that people are motivated by awards and that I am shallow. It was meant to be that I have no skill in athletics and am trying not to criticise individuals. However, it is undeniable that we have been soundly beaten in many events. It has not, in many of the cases, been that the athletes have failed, simply that other people have done better. I can feel a song, and a title, coming on . . .
A breakfast fit for heroes
The reason UKA has these extra standards is that ‘an athlete getting to the Olympics with little chance of qualifying from their heat or pool does not have a significant impact on inspiring the nation, and therefore does not merit public funding‘.
This is clearly nonsense, as they don’t know what will inspire the nation. I’ve been inspired by a 51-year-old skateboarder and a Nigerian cyclist, (including a story of German sportsmanship), and by a long-jumper who came fifth and has a full-time job. Yes, I’ve been inspired by some of the winning athletes, but a lot of them have left me wondering what happened to the Olympic spirit.
As I’ve said before, the losers are often the ones you remember. Apart from this one. Here’s a winner that will make you smile. She used to train at the athletic club with my kids, and went to college with one of them, so we like to see her doing well. Read to the bottom and look at her hairstyle.
There’s a petition here. I don’t usually hold with such things but now and again, I do. If you are in the UK, read it and please think about signing.
I needed some photos and wondered how to string three together in a series, as I have no photos of athletes.
You needed the actual play by play. Nothing could compete
🙂
I remember the movie about the ski jumper Eddie the Eagle….
How many movies do you remember about winners? I’m struggling to find one. 🙂
But I do remember Eddie the Eagle and Cool Runnings.
I just watched Miracle on the plane to Prague, about the 1980 us hockey team. But as it’s called miracle …
I had to look it up – sounds like a classic underdog movie. OK, they won, but I can see why they chose that title. 🙂
I’ll give you some Americana. The 1980 Olympics was broadcast in America on anc, specifically the announcers were Al Michaels and Ken Dryden. As the Americans were underdogs, and there was the whole invasion of Afghanistan thing, e cotement over the match was fever pitch. In the last ten seconds of the game, Al Michaels famously said “ do you believe in miracles?”
Yes, I read about that in the Wiki entry for the film – apparently they redubbed the commentary apart from that bit because they couldn’t do it justice. 🙂
As is so often the case, I am with Lavinia. Winning is great, but effort also counts for a lot.
Yes, there are many useful lessons to be learned from sport. 🙂
You will agree with me that learning how to lose is one of the major benefits of sport – especially if winning is less important than having done one’s best
Definitely. I was glad when the kids showed an interest in sport as it allowed for a lot of personal development that computer games and school can’t provide..
Absolutely
A very apposite post. I actually think the Paralympics are more inspiring than the ‘real’ Olympics.
Generally speaking, I agree. We often see Richard Whitehead out training and have a great deal of admiration for him. He was a swimming instructor at one time and taught my kids to swim.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Whitehead_(athlete)
(Fat finger shot that comment off unfinished) . . . is the provision of excellent facilities in every neighbourhood, available to all and free if necessary. It is no good having heroes if you haven’t got a pitch, pool or gym.
At Nottingham Outlaws we paid to have posts put up at a leisure centre which we used as a base at one time. The locals drove motor bikes through junior training, set fires on the pitch, stole anything that wasn’t nailed down during practice, including two bikes from people who had cycled there, and on two occasions they stole a set of posts for scrap. The theory of providing excellent facilities is good. In practice it doesn’t always work out.
I appreciate your feelings on the matter. That must have been very hard to bear, but I still think that better facilities would lead to fewer people inclined to behave like that.
That’s because you want to see the good in people. My experience of youth sport in Nottingham and West Yorkshire has left me cynical.
What inspires people to take to sport
There is something to be said for the spirit of trying one’s best in the face of all odds against winning. That in itself should be inspiring to all, and rewarded.
Agreed.