Monday, February 15, 2010

An unknown Olympic athlete?

Sometimes I just have to laugh out loud at the media and the way things are reported. Consider this photo and tag line on the front page of the Chicago Tribune today:


 

 It says "Stunning run by an unknown - American Byron Wilson comes out of nowhere to snag the bronze in moguls."

What I find so odd about this is the idea that any of the athletes who are competing in the Olympics could be "unknown." You only get to the Olympics if you are the best of the best, verified through a multitude of contests. In fact, Wilson won the U.S. Championship in 2009 to secure his spot on the "B" OIlympics team, and was a former Junior World Champion.

The only way that any of these Olympic-quality athletes could be considered "unknown" is by the Tribune deciding that they weren't worth "knowing" - until they won a medal.

4 comments:

Erik van Roon said...

I know what you mean Steven.
Last week Sven Kramer, dutch speed-skater, won the gold medal at the 10 kilometer.

After 4 years in which there was just one race he did not win, the Olympic gold was the only price he did not yet have.
Months before the Olympics the dutch even started to speak of going to Svencouver.

Well, right after winning the gold medal an American (I'm afraid) journalist, plus camera, approached him and started with "can you please tell who you are and what you do?"

I can understand that the American people have little interest in speed-skating, like the dutch do in American football.
But she could at least have told her viewers who she was going to interview and the ask the guy some sensible questions.

Anyway, Sven obviously was not impressed by a camera and a microphone in his face, and responded "Hell no! I'm not going to do that"

Erik van Roon said...

Oops.
Obviously I don't know the first thing about speed-skating either ;-)
Sven won his gold medal at the 5 kilometers.

Sorry.

Rob de Gouw said...

No worry Belly, he'll win the 10 KM tonight as well ;)

Erik van Roon said...

Unless his coach tells him to take the inner lane :(