Cycling (Road Race and Time Trial)

[Orang Utan]

Why do they bother with medals? Why have the podium? It's almost as it is different from other sporting competitions!

 

[Orang Utan]

Ok anyway. This is a shitty sidetrack from an interesting thread. About a goddamn word. For that i apologise - but it was the beeb's continued broadcasting of an interviewer asking friends of this girl what it was like to know an olympic champion with not even a mention of the Dutch girl who did actually become champion today.

derail over.

No more Olympic spirits for you

 

[Orang Utan]

Oh god.. lets take it a stage futher 'everyone's a winner'. Because what you are doing is devaluing the actually champions - the people who came, err, first.

And second and third.

 

[Hollis]

 

[Orang Utan]

I dare you call armistead a loser

 

[gabi]

She rode a fucking fantastic race - and hopefully in Rio she'll be champion.

 

[gabi]

On News24 now.

'How will she respond to this win?'

 

[Orang Utan]

It's a shame you can't get on board, gabi

 

[gabi]

I'm aboard. It's a shame the GB athletes I'm helping fund aren't

It was a good race. I'm sure the athlete herself would be aghast at hearing herself described as the winner on the 10 o'clock news tho.

 

[Orang Utan]

Ffs it's not a hard concept to grasp.
Do you want to scrap silver and bronze medals?

 

[gabi]

A loser being patronised

 

[Orang Utan]

That's in a professional football tournament.
Don't you understand the difference?

 

[gabi]

The Olympics is still completely amateur? No idea how this issue affects your argument. But these cyclists are being paid a shitload.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

The Olympics is still completely amateur? No idea how this issue affects your argument. But these cyclists are being paid a shitload.

Women professional cyclists are not paid a shitload.

 

[gabi]

Are they professional?

 

[Orang Utan]

Why do they bother giving out medals to anyone other than the overall winners?

 

[gabi]

Tradition. Narrative.

 

[Orang Utan]

And do silver and bronze medalists go home in disgrace, their heads bowed in shame?

 

[gabi]

When did I say that? I was merely disputing the use of the terms 'winner' and 'champion' by the nation's broadcaster.

 

[Orang Utan]

Well I think they have a different, more Olympian view of it than you do. You've been spoilt by too much football.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Are they professional?

Some of them. Many also hold down other jobs. There is very, very little money in women's cycling.

 

[twistedAM]

Are they professional?

Lizzie is but i doubt she earns much at all. This, and the fact she's a hottie, will help with endorsements and stuff.

 

[twistedAM]

Why do they bother giving out medals to anyone other than the overall winners?

Why don't you tell Matt Goss and Andre Griepel that they are wold champions just like Mark Cavendish? They won the silver and bronze medals in 2011 but would laugh in your face if you said they'd won.

 

[Orang Utan]

There wasn't an Olympics in 2011

 

[editor]

Why do they bother giving out medals to anyone other than the overall winners?

If I'd dedicated a large chunk of my life to a sport, I'd be more than happy to be declared second or third in the world, and be able to contribute to my country's overall total at the Olympics.

 

[twistedAM]

There wasn't an Olympics in 2011

Cycling world championships innit. They have Gold, silver and bronze. Gold is the winner.

 

[Orang Utan]

If I'd dedicated a large chunk of my life to a sport, I'd be more than happy to be declared second or third in the world, and be able to contribute to my country's overall total at the Olympics.

Indeed!

 

[Lord Camomile]

When did I say that?

A loser being patronised

There.

But the big point is it's a false analogy. The Olympics honour their athletes in a different way to other sports, because they're different.

Saying "oh, but it's not like that in this sport" is missing the point that the Olympics are not that sport.

Apparently the Olympics like to call all those who win a medal 'champions'. In their eyes 'champion' doesn't just mean "overall winner", it means "won a medal".

 

[Orang Utan]

And that's as it should be

 

[Lord Camomile]

Cycling world championships innit. They have Gold, silver and bronze. Gold is the winner.

Bit not the only champion

Maybe, I don't know if the cycling world championships use the same terminology. Because they're different.