Real role models.

[big_russ]

Over the past few days i have sat and watched quite a lot of the Olympics and have, on many occasions, struggled to control my emotions at the intense guts, determination, pride, and overwhelming passion that most if not all of our olympians have shown in competing and winning medals for their country.
These people show the true meaning of representing your country at their given sport unlike footballers and cricketers who think they have a god given right to pull on their national colours and underperform year on year.
Compared to other sports persons(golfers inclded), our successful olympians receive very little in the way of monetery rewards yet they are always gracious whether they win or loose.
Britain should be so proud to have this kind of person flying the flag and representing them around the world.

They are much more inspiring role models than any footballer or pop star.

 

[USER1999]

I second that.

 

[birdieman]

Compared to other sports persons(golfers inclded), our successful olympians receive very little in the way of monetery rewards yet they are always gracious whether they win or loose.
Britain should be so proud to have this kind of person flying the flag and representing them around the world.

...apart from the diving pairs where the old guy got stuck into his 14 y.o. partner lad (who has been hyped up by BBC and then failed abyssmally) for being an over-hyped premadonna or words to that effect! Booooo!

 

[viscount17]

how has cycling got it so right?

10 (velodrome) events, 7 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze

plus 1 gold, 1 silver on the road

and, more to come off road?

 

[HTL]

Here Here!!

 

[forefortheday]

Cycling has got it right through investment in a ten year plan for a centre in Manchester according to some chaps I saw on the news last night.

It's similar to Frances investement in their Football centre, look at the results that produced.

Which is why my blood boils when the FA refuse to do something similar and when the govt (both Tory and Labour) sell off palying fields and the like

 

[time_vans]

seems we do well in any event where we can sit down..ie rowing,sailing,cycling...even swimming doesnt require us to stand up unless its on the medal podium... most of our olympic champions dont get off their a**e.

 

[USER1999]

Bit harsh Tim, I think they need to work their collective a**es off to get a gold medal.

 

[USER1999]

Not sure Christine Oroughu (spelling?) should have been there though. 3 missed tests, a one year ban (instead of two, and missed tests are supposed to be equivalent of a fail) and no olympic ban (unlike drug taking cheat Dwayne). Can't help but think they knew she was our best hope of a track medal (they need 5 to be on plan). Rubbish.

 

[vig]

If there was any doubt, she should not have been allowed to compete. Must be some reason for missing tests.
Triple jumper is well fancied, not sure where other medals will come from.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Chris Hoy has just been incredible. He's definitely got that aura of invincibility about him that all great sportsmen have. I have no doubt that the young lad Kenny will just follow on when Hoy exits stage left.
Adlington, being only 19, will also be one of the faces of London2012.
On that matter, do you think that TeamGB's success in Beijing will give the London 2012 games' popularity a boost in the publics consciousness?

 

[RGuk]

Let's face it. SO many people get to well paid/respected/famous positions within their fields of expertise/professional life and are not the real deal. Individual sports where "the best is the best" are so refreshing to watch. You can't win a gold medal for being a superb businessman or politician and certainly in entertainment (music, acting, art, tv et al) there's no way to judge anyone's ability. What does Simon Cowell know about music....very little....if you put him in a shed with some instruments and a computer with a recording suite....I doubt he could churn out anything of any merit. What is so surprising to me is that most of the best individual sports people in the world have far smaller egos than all the a***h***s out there. Compare our Olympians to the idiots on The Apprentice or Reality TV shows and you'll see that all the arrogance and self-love is an utter sham.
These guy and girls have my complete respect, more than dubiously good footballers or "celebrities".

 

[barb]

I couldn't agree more Dave, the fact that team GB have surpassed all expectations is proof enough that we as a nation can produce some of the worlds best.
Go team GB

 

[time_vans]

Bit harsh Tim, I think they need to work their collective a**es off to get a gold medal.

should have spotted my tongue was firmly in cheek
when i was younger i was a bit of an athlete could do 800m sub 2 mins and 1500m in sub 4min 30s as a young teenager but as it was all amateur sport back then never appealed as a 'career' so never persued it beyond winning a few inter counties races. had i been born 30 years later..........

 

[viscount17]

Compare our Olympians to the idiots on The Apprentice or Reality TV shows and you'll see that all the arrogance and self-love is an utter sham.
These guy and girls have my complete respect, more than dubiously good footballers or "celebrities".

Jade Johnson really mad with herself for 'only just' qualifying for the long jump final is a case in point.

can't make my mind up about Oroughu. don't think there ever was a consideration that she had taken drugs but missing three tests was downright stupid. can't deny that she kept on working during her ban.

should still be an internationally recognised tariff for these offences, administered by the IAAA etc, which national bodies cannot overturn or reduce.

 

[John_Findlay]

It's interesting to note that the sports in which we have faired well all have excellent governing bodies in the UK, i.e sailing, rowing, cycling, swimming. Those at which we are underperforming, i.e. athletics and boxing are apparently shambolic from all accounts.

 

[OldWindy]

Over the past few days i have sat and watched quite a lot of the Olympics and have, on many occasions, struggled to control my emotions at the intense guts, determination, pride, and overwhelming passion that most if not all of our olympians have shown in competing and winning medals for their country.
These people show the true meaning of representing your country at their given sport unlike footballers and cricketers who think they have a god given right to pull on their national colours and underperform year on year.
Compared to other sports persons(golfers inclded), our successful olympians receive very little in the way of monetery rewards yet they are always gracious whether they win or loose.
Britain should be so proud to have this kind of person flying the flag and representing them around the world.

They are much more inspiring role models than any footballer or pop star.

Thirded (sp.)