Would this be the definition of a poor loser? ?

Question

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/080814/2/14gbl.html

I mean, come on, he won an Olympic bronze medal, and he's pissed cos he didn't get gold? I'm sure there are a lot of desiring athletes who would be happy to at least get the bronze.

Answer 1

I think it was rude and he's an embarrassment to his country. If I was from Sweden I would be embarrassed about that. It was not sportsmanlike at all.

Answer 2

Throwing a tantrum like that certainly did him no favours.

We should however not forget the amount of dedication and focus required to compete at the top level in any sport at Olympic medal standard. Training with an eye on these Olympics would have been an ever present part of his life for the past four years. The frustration of it falling flat on it's face, possibley due to a bad decision must be immense and the emotion just broke out.

Any athlete capable of a bronze medal will likely be in with a fighting chance of winning and a gold medal. that is what it's ll about. They are not there to make up the numbers and settle for anything less than the best. People with that attitude never make it to the top in the first place.

Answer 3

what a big baby

did they give the medal to anyone else?

Answer 4

They could put his picture next to the term in the dictionary.

Childish.

Tajikistan and Togo both won their first ever olympic medal this year - both  Bronze. No doubt they appreciate it a whole lot more.

Answer 5

I can see why he's so crushed if he was really aiming for gold but he should have did that in provate instead of disrespecting everyone and embarassing his country. Bronze is amazing to achieve, just being able to represent your country is one thing but to place third out of all those countries is amazing. And he should be proud, the guy who got bronze for Togo in the white water rafting was so happy because it was Togo's first medal, bronze is a great accomplishment

Answer 6

Wow - that's pretty poor form. I hope the media in his home country rides his *** until he publically apologises for his behaviour. This is one of the more disgraceful things I've seen at the Olympics. Winning a medal for your country, regardless of the colour should be a great source of pride. Infact representing your country AT ALL should be a great source of pride. This guy needs a reality check... and a good kick up the bum.  

Answer 7

I am angry and bitter myself.  I should have got gold in the ladies' gymnastics, not some pathetic little girl.

I know I'm not really in Beijing in person, rather sitting on the sofa watching it on TV, and I'm not really a woman, and I do struggle a bit touching my toes, but for God's sake I'M BRITISH!!!.  Is that not enough to award me the Gold?

Now I'm off for a sulk and I promise you that's it.  Never again am I going to attempt Olympic ladies gymnastics.

Your loss, not mine!

Answer 8

Agreed! Pathetic behavour from a grown man... 2 year olds might get away with something like that in kindergarten, but in the Olympics... Not acceptable if you ask me! They should take the medal from him and give it to runner up, number 4. I am sure he would be happy to take it!

People who act like that put a huge damper on the good atmosphere!

Answer 9

I wouldn't consider it as being a poor loser.  The point that a lot of people would love to win a bronze in the Olympics is not the point.  If you want to achieve something and you miss it - it will hurt no matter what.  If he went to the Olympics for Gold and he got bronze he failed.  That must kill him.  If you go to the Olympics think I know I'm great but there are 5 people better than me but you end up with bronze you will be happy.  It's like the Romanian women in gymnastics at the 2004 Olympics - if I remember correctly didn't one of them take off the bronze medal?  Because it was expected of them to get gold.  A lot of these athletes aren't just going to compete against other athletes they are competing against themselves also.  And they know they can be better than what they did.    

Answer 10

depends, if he actually lost due to "politics"  then yeah, id say its justified.

its about time people stopped getting away with s******g people outta things, especially in a professional environment.  things dont get fixes by shutting up and doing things silently, if no commotion exists, nothing gets fixed.

otherwise, yes, uncalled for.  but who knows, i wasnt watching.

Answer 11

if he doesnt want it then maybe there is a way to disqualify him so 4th place gets it

Answer 12

You'd be pretty upset, too, if a judging error cost you the gold medal.  You'd be really upset if that error was intentional.

Maybe he is just throwing a tantrum because he felt entitled to win, but if you haven't seen the match you can't really say, now can you?

Answer 13

hey this question was asked 2 hours ago!

Anyway:

Yes Hes a BIG Loser. Thank God he quit, i didnt even know him..

Answer 14

Most europeans are the same...  

Answer 15

yes i think so

Answer 16

Yeah, I would say most athletes would kill even for a bronze. What a child. He pretty much managed to lose any respect he earned. What a sore loser.  

Answer 17

bad sportsmanship is what this is.....he ruined the ceremony for the other competitors and spat his dummy out, made himself look stupid and the rest of his team mates  

Answer 18

this is something that takes a lot of skill

Answer 19

Oh, big time.

Honestly, I can't imagine anything that would be a bigger honor than to win an Olympic medal, and to see someone treat it like garbage just because they don't agree with a referee's decision is insulting to his competitors, his sport, his country, and the entire Olympic movement.

Even if he disputed the match, there is a time, place, and way for him to lodge his protest, and the medal ceremony isn't it.  I can understand being disappointed in himself, but again, throwing a public tantrum like that is the definition of poor sportsmanship.

Answer 20

Maybe he's so addicted to losing that he's getting sick and tired of getting bronze and yes it probably is the definition of a poor loser.

Answer 21

The first thing i thought when i saw this was he obviously was aiming much higher than he could get, he wasn't good enough for gold. He should be happy with what he got.