London's Biggest Whingers

Seriously. How did it get this bad?

Are Australia's Olympians in any way representative of the population? If they are, we're in a lot of trouble.

Never before has there been such a bad bunch of petulant, spoilt whingers. When I'd though I'd said all I could about them in their lead up to London, the news just keeps rolling in. I remember in the Sydney Olympics the media poured scorn and outrage at the over zealous winning celebration by Maurice Green and the US relay team when they won Gold.  They were accused of being bad sportsmen. The arrogance of people who celebrate a win! Geez, fast forward to London 2012, and the behaviour of Australia's athletes - NOW we have seen bad sportsmanship!  We're stuck with a bunch of whining losers who, if they actually make it on the track, will be impossible to support because of their exploits off it.

Australia has over 400 athletes in London, and the majority are probably great. But its the 20 or so who are having tantrums about anything and everything in sight. Like this guy...

http://www.theage.com.au/olympics/athletics-london-2012/ross-threatens-olympic-walkout-20120725-22ppm.html

Give us your best victim pose

Sprinter Josh Ross is warning the Australian Olympic Committee he will abandon the London Games if he does not receive a legitimate explanation for the reason behind his federation failing to nominate him to race in the 100 metres individual event.

Why doesn't the AOC have a plane waiting at Heathrow for all the ungrateful 'athletes', fuelled and ready to take them home where they can be forgotten. Call their bluff. Rattle a tin around the streets to raise money for it, no doubt people will only be too happy to contribute.


Ross, who is a member of Australia's 4x100m relay team, is eligible to compete in the Olympics blue riband event because he clocked 10:23 seconds – a B-qualifying standard time – at the nationals earlier this year and at a recent meet in Europe.

He's eligible - not deserving.

However, he has reached breaking point after Athletics Australia officials would not tell him why he was overlooked. Melissa Breen was nominated for the women's 100m after she ran a B-standard time and selectors will soon choose between fellow B-qualifiers Steve Solomon and John Steffensen to compete in the 400m event.

To quote a 6 year old when his brother gets a bigger ice cream "but its not fairrrrrr"

“I'm actually thinking about pulling out all together if I don't get answers,” Ross said. “I'll actually be happy to pull out if I don't get answers to why I wasn't nominated for the 100m.”

You'll be "happy" to pull out? So evidently the fact that you are lucky enough to be competing in an OLYMPICS at all means absolutely nothing. I would have though it would be a lifelong dream for most athletes. Gotta love that commitment to excellence.

Ross said he was committed to sacrificing his place at the Olympics and would “have to” live with what many people would consider an extreme action because – after coming out of retirement and giving his all to represent Australia at London – he has felt a distinct lack of respect from his sport's officialdom.

And what respect have you earned? What respect are you showing to your sport, your team, your country? If you do go home, you will be leaving the rest of the 4 x 100 relay team in the lurch. Great team player.

“All I wanted is an answer, a simple answer,” he said. “I'm doing this because I haven't got any answers personally. I've been trying to get answers but because it's always being hand-balled to other people it's been difficult to find a straight answer. The strangest thing of all is I'm trying to find out why they nominated Steve Solomon and John Steffensen to run but didn't want to nominate me.

Don't worry about Steffensen, you don't need any answers about him, he has nothing to do with you. Just worry about yourself. maybe worry about trying to run faster even?

“Am I not good enough? Am I not good enough to them to run the 100m when I have proven time and time again that Josh Ross always comes through with the goods . . . 'Am I not good enough to be nominated?' That is the big question – although it is a strange question.”

Its not a strange question. No. Josh Ross is not good enough. Always comes through with the goods? When?

Ross believed such a stance was required to ultimately improve the lot for Australia's athletes. He could not understand why his federation would not nominate the likes of himself or Tamsyn Manou (nee Lewis), a triple Olympian and former world indoor champion who was not even selected for the team despite posting a B-qualifier for the 800m .

First you're riding Steffensen's coattails, and now Tamsyn Lewis? Geez, you've picked some real winner there. Steffensen and Lewis weren't nominated because they are not good enough, they didn't qualify. And, more importantly they weren't nominated because they are annoying, bad sports, and because more trouble than they're worth.

And well done Ross, you've catapulted yourself to their lofty heights.

Great Britain has nominated athletes who have run B-qualifying times in the men's 100m and women's 800m. “There is a bigger picture than just me not running or Tamsyn and whoever else,” Ross said. “You have to look at the future of the sport, the up-and-coming athletes.

Firstly, if the future of Athletics in Australia is Steffensen, Tamsyn Lewis and Josh Ross, then its probably time to give the game away. Secondly, Lewis has retired, Ross has come out of retirement, and Steffensen is a never was. So what future is it that you speak of?

We have the best 400m sprinter [Steffensen] that we've ever seen on the team and he's not [picked yet]; we have our best 100m sprinter and he's not making it ... the younger athletes must be thinking 'if they're not making it what hope do I have?'

Well Josh Ross, not including Steffensen will show young athletes that they aren’t owed any favours, and that running their mouths off isn’t a way to get what they want. That’s the message it sends. And hopefully they listen, so we don't have to put up with a new crop of whingers in 2016.

I think it is time to fix athletics in this country and [for the officials] to do things the right way. “If we don't speak up now and make stands to change the sport it will never happen, I just want you to know this is [the reason for] my stand.”

based in the past week, Australian athlectis will be well on its way to being fixed when Ross, Steffensen and Lewis are no longer a part of it.

And having a tanty because you don't get things your way is not the same as making a stand.

Ross said the chance for him to compete against Jamaica's world champion Usain Bolt, history's fastest man, would perhaps help AA to inspire youngsters to remain in a sport that constantly loses its best prospects to the football codes.

Using the word “compete” is being very generous. Taking his B-qualifying form into the race, Ross wont get past the heats. So he will have to get drawn in the same heat at Bolt if he wants to race him. And if this happens, the only time we will see the two is the same tv screen is if Bolt is still on the track celebrating his cruisy victory, as Ross huffs and puffs past a few seconds later on his on his way to the finish.

And INSPIRE youngsters? What kind of inspiration have you been so far? Complain. Whine. Complain some more. And if you don't get what you want, take your bat and ball and go home. A true role model for the kids out there.

More importantly, no matter your exploits on the track, you and your team mates have already outshone them, there's not enough Gold in the world to eclipse your whining.

“Australians want to see Australians compete,” he said. “The fact is I'm here in London [where I'm being accommodated, clothed and fed] so why not let me run?”

No Josh, that may have been true at previous Olympics, but not any more. After yours and your mates behaviour, most people want to see you actually live out your threats. Go home.

The Amazing Race to London 2012

The Olympics don't start for a few days, but already a race has been run and won.

The race to London via the Australian media. How have the athletes navigated the treacherous waters of the Australian media in the lead up to London? There have been numerous traps along the way, and while some have got through successfully, others have failed miserably. Answering any questions by Carrie Bickmore and the 7pm Project is to flirt with failure. And to be spoken to or associated with Hamish and Hamish turns any athlete into a D grade wannabe celeb, and is cause for instant disqualification.

So who's made it to London unscathed and with class intact? And who has embarrassed themselves by whining, stupidity and generally being talentless? (its fair to say a lot have)

The results are in...

Gold Medal
Sally Pearson

For Australia's most high profile and best chance at an Athletics Gold, not much has been heard from Sally. And that's the exact reason she is our best chance to win Gold. She goes to London for one reason, to win Gold. And the Australian media hasn't distracted her from that. She wont be silencing her critics because there are none. She lets her talents do the talking, and has stayed out of all the nonsense that has been going on with her team mates.Even though its too late for you Tamsyn Lewis, take note, this is how you become a champion.

Silver Medal
The Women's Basketball Team

The Opals walk with swagger, and hold themselves with the confidence and professionalism of a team with business to get done. Try as they might, B-grade AFL and NRL journalists moonlighting as Olympic journalists haven't been able to get close to controversy.

The media made a huge song and dance about the Opals having to travel economy class while the mens team got business class. The team was baited and baited by a over excited media who were drooling on the anticipation of a gender inequality story to outrage the masses. But the Opals gave them nothing. And in the background, the inequality was rectified by Basketball Australia, and the Opals didn't miss a single minute of training. Journos ran around like headless chickens looking for somewhere to start some drama, but had to settle from comments from themselves, as the Opals bought into none of it. A huge test resulted in a flawless, winning effort.

Bronze Medal  DQ
Stephanie Rice

Carrying the unfortunate Bruce McAvainy title of "Australia's Golden Girl" from the 2008 Games, hers was always going to be an arduous race. Moreso than being a winner, being a young and pretty lady attracts the media like blood thirsty vultures circling above, just waiting for the next mistake or controversy which they can dive on and devour. Her degree of difficulty has been extreme, and by no means has she run a perfect race. She was in Steffensen territory for a while with her monumental twitter blunders early in the piece, and the bad start cost her the gold in this race. But somehow she's been able to surprise everyone, and has powered through the home straight, with all recent coverage being about her training and progress from injury, and not her looks or tweets. No mean feat. And she goes to London with a reputation as a fierce competitor, not a just a glamour girl, so she's done something right.



Update 25/07/12 PM
Whoops. An automatic DQ for Rice. A reliable source has provided a photograph of her, not only with Hamish and Hamish, but with one half of Dumb and Dumber as well. A moment of insanity, and an indisputable disqualification. Her race to London ends in a spectacular last minute failure.




4th Place
Steve Hooker

Was on his way to a podium finish, but got involved with Steffensen. As a big time athlete, he should have known better. Hooker has had a tough run to these Olympics, but is still aiming to win. Not just compete, but win. He's not blaiming anyone else for his woes, and he's only focused on fixing them. As the Captain of the biggest bunch of whingers in London Australian Athletics Team, he's had a lot of stupidity to deal with. But Steffensen aside, he managed to stay out of the turbulence, which is truly an amazing effort.

5th Place
Natalie Cook

In one shot, the 2000 Gold medalist spared us all from the predictable debate about beach volleyball bikinis before it got off the ground. When a 5-time Olympian says that her uniform is the most practical and comfortable thing to wear, there is no argument to be had. The permanently outraged hadn't even been able to climb atop their high horses and shout sexism, when their arguments were mooted to irrelevancy.

But on the homestretch she has taken her eyes off the prize in the race to London with her clanger about deserving to be the flag bearer. Whether or not she's deserving of the honour, is a little trashy to tell everyone that it should be hers. Her threats of a sit-in protest may or may not have been said in jest, but it doesn't matter, the smallest hint of dissent or controversy, arrogance or sexism, is like shooting fish in a barrel for the Aussie media. And they pounced big time, by the end even Dawn Fraser had a say. Rookie error by the Olympic veteran.

6th Place
Kendrink Monk

Swimming isn't a team sport, but stupidity evidently is. Monk and his thug mate D'Arcy were named Dumb and Dumber after a photo of them in a gun shop in the US was posted on Facebook. Although the ensuing outrage was really just an excuse for the media to make some noise, and no one genuinely cared, these dimwits should have seen the outrage coming. But the photo was really just the icing on the cake for Monk.


Ahh Monk. A swimmer training for an Olympics cruisin' on a skateboard would normally win any race to stupidville, but its what happened next which makes this guy a real dud. The fall from the skateboard and resulting broken arm was of course inevitable, but making up an impossible story about a hit and run accident to cover it up? Monk, you're just not smart enough to pull off a lie that size! Much better to say that you were rolling with your homie D'Arcy who got both of you into a fight at a pub. No one would have questioned it.

7th Place
John Steffensen

Saved from last place by his female equivalent, how this guy is on the team is truly astounding. Even with the fact that he has not come close to the qualifying time; all of his yapping to anyone who will listen; his endless, unsubstantiated claims of racism and prejudice; and his staging of a one-man boycott of the Games, Steffensen has still somehow found himself with a ticket to London. If there's any prejudice going on, its that Steffensen gets preferential treatment! Why Athletics Australia didn't gleefully accept his boycott and move on is a mystery for the ages. Wait for his track campaign to end with last place in his heat.

And not to mention his incoherent tweets! Its not just his attitude that needs work, its also his spelling and grammer. Its astonishing.

DNF
Tamsyn Lewis

Hasn’t come close to the Olympic qualification time for any event, yet somehow still feels justified to complain and cry foul about being uninvited to anyone silly enough not to run in the opposite direction. Constantly playing the victim, she looks for publicity at the lowest common denominator – from the trashy current affairs shows to Zoo Magazine. On the rare occasion she is in the media spotlight for athletics, there’s more nonsense drama than an episode of The Shire.  The uncontrollable tears about coming last in Beijing and her on-track spat with Jana Pittman embarrassed everybody involved. She carries herself with the poise of spoilt pre-teen brat, and wonders why a spot in London isn’t handed to her on a silver platter. In fact the only thing she has got right is claiming that “I'm not wanted”. You're not Tamsyn. You definitely are not.