Monday, August 25, 2008

Sore losers are nothing but sore!

So, I'm not that in to the Olympics, I don't expect to win (isn't getting in to the event enough, I think so) but I have enjoyed it, not because we've been winning medals but because when I watched the opening ceremony, I spoke with an Australian friend of mine, who said she was going to support Oz this time round, as at least that way she'll see medals be won.

WELL, was I full of glee when on Sunday not only did we have more golds but we also had more medals in total! I'm not one to gloat, I find it generally a vulgar thing to do but I do like to put a little dig in occasionally, because I can. So I asked that for the next Olympics this friend continues to support Oz, couldn't resist. At which point, she said "well medals per population of the country, you come way down the list to us", I'd respect this comment, if the whole population competed but they/we don't. Only the athletes do!!! I know that we do come some way down the list of population per medal, as I also listened to the Radio 2 show that did this tally chart. Why did they do it? because they were ripping the piss out of the States for also being sore losers and for tallying the Olympic results by total medals! In fact, the country that comes first in medals per population is Bahrain and Oz is about 6th or 7th but realistically, I think the correct list results should have been medals per athletes!

Right the results are -
Country Gold Silver Bronze Total Competitors
China 51 21 28 100 639
USA 36 38 36 110 647
Russia 23 21 28 72 474
GB 19 13 15 47 311
Germany 16 10 15 41 452
Oz 14 15 17 46 435

So, if we do it competitors by total medals it reads:
USA 5.88 competitors per medals
China 6.39
Russia 6.58
GB  6.61
Oz 9.45
Germany 11.02


Now in my eyes this is how it should be viewed, not by population, yet if the Australians have to find some way (as the Americans did) to make them sleep safe at night and feel as though they are still a force to be reckoned with, whatever?!

I don't actually care, I guess I just have the typically English view that if you lose, you accept it, at least that way you can hold your head up high and also, they haven't lost, they've done a great job especially compared to many other countries (there were approx. 204 countries competing and they've come 6th, that's good in my eyes) but I guess to some, that's just not enough!