We Talk Friday
(WTF)
This is a semi-regular series that I will run on Fridays to hold discussions on a current topic from the week gone. The aim is to keep them light and conversational, though some might be heavier - regardless of the content topic itself though, just have some fun engaging and discussing with whoever happens to put in the effort in the comments section below.
We Talk Friday Ep. 24: Performance Anxiety
As I have said before, I really enjoy watching the Olympics, as it gives me a chance to see the best in the world perform in a lot of sports I wouldn't normally watch, at the highest level. There are always amazing stories that come out of the games, with unexpected wins, acts of sportsmanship, and a whole lot of pain, and still they push through. Watching many of these people compete returns some of my faith in the abilities and resilience of humans.
What I don*t like about it though, is the way the media and many of the online spectators behave, especially when they are kicking athletes for their performance. The vast majority of the comments come from people whose largest life achievements pale in comparison to a fraction of what these athletes have put themselves through to represent their sport, their country.
And I was reminded of it this week while watching the Athletics World Championships in Tokyo, when an Australian athlete was ridiculed online because he "failed" to make the 200 metre finals, dropping out in the semis. He was talked up big before the competition, with a lot of hype, and then when he missed out on the final, the cutting of the "tall poppy" started.
The problem is, the runner, Gout Gout, is a seventeen year old kid who was appearing at his first world championships and running against the best in the world. Yet, somehow, not making it into the final while up against the most experienced sprinters in the world, became a failure, instead of what can only be described as an amazing feat that very, very, very few sprinters have ever been able to achieve.
The eventual winner of the race, Noah Lyles, described Gout Gout, as having more talent than he had at that age. But for all those people sitting in their armchairs watching from home, never having likely competed in a local championship, let alone at the world's, feel it necessary to kick this kid and label him a failure. Who knows, perhaps he will never amount to a great sprinter, but from what I have seen of him so far over the last year, is that he seems to be a pretty decent guy, who is training hard, and finishing his schooling.
I hope he is a sprinting success.
But it is a very hard discipline with so few able to compete at the very top of the sport, and the difference between winning and losing is a tiny, tiny margin. Normally, there are less than a handful of runners who can consistently take out the title, and to do so, they have to train and train and train to ensure they are on their best edge for the race. The discipline required is extreme.
Most people don't have the discipline to say no to dessert.
Hopefully, Gout Gout has some good people around him and the resilience required to keep doing his thing, keep training, keep studying, keep improving, without paying attention to any of the negativity. Seventeen is so young for a runner to be running so well, and he has the potential to push the limits of what we have seen prior. But there are no guarantees.
All of this aside though, I am enjoying watching the athletics across the various disciplines, and it makes me want to get up and do something, despite me sitting here with my legs wrapped up in bandages. These people are inspiring at a physical level to watch, but also inspiring at a work ethic level, as they have all had to train so hard and repetitively in order to get to that level. If we as "normal" individuals put half the energy they do into making a positive difference in our lives, the world would be an incredible place.
I wonder though, while I am watching to see people succeed, I wonder if others are watching to see people fail. I know for me, while I have favourites, I don't hope that the best on the day falls over so my favourite could win. I want it to be a race where they push each other to their limits, to see who is the best on the day.
Were you at your best today?
I wasn't.
Taraz
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They are actually running ads in the US right now telling people how they shouldn't be heckling college athletes online. Pretty sad that we have come to the point where they have to tell people not to do that. The proliferation of sports betting has made it worse.
Isn't it sad? I haven't thought much about the influence of sports betting, snice I don't do it. But yeah, that has definitely "upped the stakes" on it.
Yeah, I was trying to find the clip to share with you, but I couldn't find the exact one. The fact that they had to make a public service announcement about it tells you how common it must be.
I think some will pounce on any hint of a problem they can see in anyone else in a constant failure to desperately avoid addressing their own shortcomings (it's everyone else's problem for daring to be better than them).
It was pretty amazing how last year for Gout Gout it was that he "isn't really Australian" - though he is born in Ipswich, Qld.
Spoken by people with the firm delusion that somehow "real" Australians are white?
I do remember having a go at someone a long time ago who was whining about how they "felt like in a foreign country" because there were a lot of non-white people in their area and in fairness to them a lot of those were recent immigrants but I was like dumbarse a bunch of us were born here (or at least born Australian if born overseas like I was).
It’s sad how quick people are to criticize athletes without understanding the amount of work and sacrifice they put in. The funny thing is that people who do this don't even have anything to their name because if they are, they would know the amount of effect put into such performance. Humans are too quick to label someone's failure, and this might affect the moral of such individual athletes. This happens mostly in football.
Gout Gout is only seventeen, and just getting to that level is already a huge achievement. I think it takes a lot of courage to compete on such a big stage at that age. Hopefully, he keeps his focus and doesn’t let the negative voices get to him. Watching these events reminds me that success is built on consistent hard work, even when no one is watching.
True character is evident when no one is watching. People should have a look in their mirror more often and consider if they are who they want to be.
If you want to achieve a level that stands out from others beyond your physical stature, you must put in extra effort. Those who put in extra effort, are disciplined, pay attention to what they eat and drink, and don't overdo it in their sex lives are the ones who succeed. Others struggle to focus on these things, leaving aside the beautiful things in the world.
I want my favorite contestant to win. I won't be upset or angry if someone else wins. It's not right to rejoice in someone else's sadness. That shows you're not a good person. If you can share someone else's joy, it shows you're a great person.
There is not enough of this in today's world today.
Well, today my Friday has been full work, so I decided to rest. Nothing forces me to be over thinking about things that distress me, generate anxiety and I can't control.
I'm watching a movie tonight. It's called The Chance Up. I think you can watch it on Amazon Prime. I am interested in the context where it takes place, I recommend it. Stay healthy, assertive and resilient by recovering the health of your legs.
I haven't seen the movie, but was it fun to watch? Did you like it?
Hello Mr.Tarazkp, wishing your legs have good irrigation and mobility.
It's interesting, it has comedy, about what should not be taught to our children when bulling is present, and I have it prepared as a learning strategy in the master's degree in Industrial Management, where I teach, I'm going to make a cinema forum to evaluate my students.
In fact, sometimes it's what our children should do to defend themselves. 🫣😂😅
Well, the media tends to forget that these competitors are still evolving and gaining experience.
Yep. Pretty disgusting from them.
People will always say negative things about an athlete's performance, especially if it falls short of expectation. But the critics fail to consider what these sportspersons go through to compete. They forget athletes themselves are humans, full of imperfections, and can fall short of expectations. It's up to the athletes themselves to realize that the opinions of these critics do not matter they should instead focus on their careers.
It is a hard job for normal people, and they are meant to be focusing on so many other things for their training. They are surrounded by pressure, which makes their outcomes even more incredible.
Yesterday I was searching in Google Trends for the main topics that are searched in my country, and among them was Gout Gout. No idea what it was. But reading your post is enough to know about this situation. People who engage in destroying athletes in social networks, is because they hide in their bones, self-esteem and personality problems. One of the ways they find to let off steam is to masturbate their egos through these platforms, venting everything they can against those who do strive to be better
I think most of the internet conversation comes from spineless people who haven't done much in their life.
I'm so agree
When successful athletes fail, criticism of their performance is not only common in athletics but in many sports in general. In my opinion, the accusations made on social media are a serious matter and even the future fate of athletes has been decided in our country. The majority of people in the world are happy to see others fail, and only a small number of people act against it.
I guess it makes most people feel better of their little lives and personalities.
I guess some people forget these athletes are teenagers facing the world’s best, so just qualifying is a very big deal if you ask me. So instead of tearing them down, we should respect the discipline and effort it takes to even reach that stage
I'm only rooting for them to fail if they play for a Boston team, the Dallas Cowboys, or a soccer team that wears a red kit. Other than that, I enjoy watching athletes compete at the highest level.
Thank you :)
It is pretty disgusting how much you focus on women's bodies.
As said, your focus on women's bodies with every second comment is disgusting.