Robin's Diary

The Emotions of Sport.

Being a sports fan, watching the Olympics has always been a highlight for me, but maybe now as I get older, I have a different view.

It must be amazing to win a gold medal for your country, the pinnacle of sport - and for many sports which don’t get the coverage normally, you are thrust into the limelight. For some, winning a bronze or silver exceeds their expectations, and must feel like a gold, a great feeling.  What happens though if you are the World No 1, favourite to win, and something goes wrong, or it's just not your day?  Silver or bronze may seem a failure - and what about finishing 4th, so close, but nothing to show for it, and no one will remember!! There are of course far more sportsmen and women for whom getting to the Olympics is a dream come true - not everyone can be a winner, and the experience is the medal.  

Good results, exceeding or matching your expectations are great, but this year, I seem to have much more sympathy and thoughts for those who have a bad day.  It might only be sport, but to Olympians, it will feel more important than anything else! They say about some sports that they are cruel, but in Olympic sport, all sports are cruel. I for one want to thank every Olympian for the hard work they have put in to get there and for letting us marvel at their skills and strength.    

“When you have expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.” Ryan Reynolds