If you’re older than 40 you probably recognize that phrase from the opening of the TV show “Wide World of Sports.” The narrator read that phrase as two scenes played: first, a skier landing a perfect jump; then, a skier failing the jump and crashing. It was an obvious but effective illustration of the difference between winning and losing. The winner gets the glory; the loser gets the shame (and, in the case of the poor skier, a great deal of physical pain to go with it.)
Like many people, I have been following the Olympics over the past two weeks. I’ve watching some of the events almost every night, read about it in the paper and discussed it with friends and strangers. One thing that I keep noticing is how much we tend to focus on the winners – the gold medalists.
It seems anything less than a gold medal is unacceptable, especially if we had high expectations for an athlete coming into the Games. For an example, look no further than two of Team USA’s most well-known athletes: swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. They started things off with a bang during a much-anticipated match-up in the 400 IM. Lochte handily won the gold medal; Phelps finished just out of the medals in fourth.
After his win many media outlets declared Lochte the king of pool – despite the fact that the 400 IM was only the first event for both Lochte and Phelps. Lochte clearly relished the role, declaring that he was going to make his mark in the London Games. And Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer of all time, was quickly reduced to an afterthought – a sad example of a once-great athlete still trying to compete even though he was past his prime.
In their next joint event Phelps and Lochte both swam on the 400 IM relay team, where Phelps helped build a solid lead for the American team that Lochte, the anchor swimmer, just couldn’t hang on to in the last leg. The Americans took the silver.
Suddenly the focus was on what was wrong with Ryan Lochte – if he was getting any attention at all. From being the sport’s golden boy one evening he almost completely disappeared from the spotlight the next as Michael Phelps found his rhythm and proceeded to add 4 golds and 2 silvers to his medal haul on the way to becoming the most decorated Olympian ever. Lochte ended his performance in London with 2 golds, 2 silvers and a bronze medal – hardly a mediocre performance. Yet many people considered it a colossal choke and a disappointment.
Did he manage to out-do Michael Phelps’ legendary performance in Beijing? Not even close. Did he live up to the expectations he set for himself? No; Lochte had hoped to come away from London with 6 golds. But that doesn’t mean that the medals he did win are worthless. He still performed better than most of the other swimmers in the Olympics and legitimately deserves to be considered one of the best swimmers in the world.
Phelps was criticized for finishing just off the podium in his first race; Lochte for “only” winning silver in two races and bronze in a third. But what about the thousands of athletes who train for years, anonymously, just for the chance to represent their countries in the Olympics? Many of them never even have a chance at a medal; some fail even to advance past the qualifying rounds. What would they give to have earned “only” 2 gold medals at the London Olympics? And are they “losers” because their hard work failed to earn them a medal?
Everyone loses sometimes, even if you aren’t involved in competitive sports. We lose in relationships, in business and in other areas of our lives. In fact, for most people (athletes included), we generally have a lot of small losses before we get that big win – if we get it. Not everyone gets a gold medal moment in sports or in life. But that doesn’t make us worthless, and it doesn’t invalidate the hard work and sacrifices we make.
I say we stand and cheer on all of our athletes, regardless of whether they win the gold, “settle” for the bronze or miss out on the medals entirely. Life is about more than that one gold medal victory – and so are the Olympics, if we can just allow ourselves to see it.
Have a great weekend,
Ro