Sport is somewhat like politics these days in that competitions that capture all of our attention and are the only topic of conversation are suddenly just…not. Perhaps we have a short attention span, because it wasn’t so long ago when the UK was inundated by coverage of the Men’s Euro 2024. But by the time the leagues of England supporters sobered up to face that football was not ‘coming home’, the public had already moved on. And what better place to focus our attention on than the Paris Olympics. After all, the Olympics never disappoint in showcasing a mix of incredible talent, record-breaking feats, and a touch of high drama and controversy that guarantees to entertain the masses…for at least the next two weeks. All eyes are now focused on Team GB, as they battle it out against the rest of the world’s greatest athletes and try to make it to an exclusive podium. Brutally, all of the attention is on the medal winners, and the athletes who don’t quite make it there are almost overlooked.
It may be harsh but in the Olympics (and the Euros) you’re either winning or losing, and no one is as interested in hearing about a fourth place’s journey. The winners not only inspire the rest of us to get fit, take up sport and achieve, they also make it very easy to believe that winning is everything. But maybe it’s a human instinct to zone in entirely on the prize, especially when you see others try to do something almost superhuman. However, as mere mortals, life and reality often get in the way of any overly ambitious goals to make a podium. And by only ever focusing on getting a result, you are guaranteed to be sometimes disappointed. It makes much more sense to put winning into perspective by shifting the focus onto how to get there.
