I am seeing a lot of that from the US team - it’s embarrassing.
“Well, I came and did my best.”
“I’m proud of how I did.”
“I left it all out there.”
Yeah, but you didn’t WIN.
If you have no humility from losing, how do you get any better?
If you have no humility from losing, how do you get any better?
Would you rather they hang their head in shame because they 'let down their country'?
The thing about the Olympics is written in the Olympic Motto, which is stated in the article. The vast majority of the athletes who show up have no chance in Hell of winning a medal of any kind. They are there to participate. They gather together to show the world that, despite our differences, we don't have to kill each other, just to prove who is better.
Would I love it if the US won every gold medal they were entered in? Of course. Is that possible? No.
Remember the old Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc nations? They won a large amount of medals, but they did it through what amounted to state-sponsored control of who got to compete, and sometimes outright cheating.
US athletes have to earn their way to the Olympics. They do what they can to raise money just to compete, not to mention getting to the Olympics themselves. They aren't government-sponsored. I hope it stays that way.
If they believe that they did their best, that they 'left it all out there', even if they didn't win...I'm okay with that. Hopefully, they use what they learned to get better and, if possible, try again in 4 years. If, while they are there, they do their best and have some fun in the meantime, I'm cool with that.
Now, as for Adam Rippon...no, he isn't a champion. No, he didn't advance 'gay rights' by what he did. He only embarrassed himself by what he said and did. Unless he gets a massive wake-up call (whatever that may be), he will probably never understand what kind of a fool he looked like.
The same goes for ANY US athlete who disses their government because they don't like who is in charge.