- 22 Aug 08, 06:30 AM
Laoshan BMX track, Beijing
This could be the first thing Chris Hoy has got wrong in months.
Before coming to Beijing, he said that if he had to put his mortgage on anyone winning gold out here, he'd go for Shanaze Reade.
The track legend doesn't have to worry about losing his home - His Royal Hoyness can probably take his pick of Scotland's castles and palaces right now - but he might have a job to do with Shanaze later on.
The 19-year-old from Crewe, who hadn't lost a BMX final for three years before this morning, was distraught after wiping out on the last corner and seeing her medal chances disappear in a faceful of yellow dirt.
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"I'm so cut up and hurt," she said afterwards, a blank look of shock on her face and a dark bloodstain spreading through the white fabric of her GB jersey around her elbow.
"I've hurt my back, I'm all cut up on my arm, I think I've done something to my hand, I've hurt my sciatic nerve and I've cut my shoulder up."
After a monstrous crash in the first leg of her semi-final, Reade had fought back brilliantly in the next two races to take her place on the start-line for the medal race.
When the gate dropped in the final, she thrashed down the ramp and away, holding a lead of a bike-length going into the first berm.
It was here that she made the key mistake, riding too high around the banked curve and allowing France's Anna-Caroline Chausson to steal up her inside and into the lead.
For three straights Chausson held a slight advantage, with Reade closing all the time - until the very last turn, when the Briton went for a desperate lunge up the inside, clipped Chausson's rear wheel and slammed into the baked earth. In that moment, her Olympic dream was over.
Afterwards the adrenaline keeping the pain at bay, she was unrepentant about her last-gasp gamble.
"Why settle for silver?" she said. "I put absolutely everything into this, my heart and my soul, everything since the age of 10.
"You don't train as hard as I do for silver. It's about the gold or nothing."
In truth, Reade's problems had their roots in an earlier gamble, right at the start of the morning's action.
Despite warnings from her coaches, she had decided that she would try to clear the third set of jumps on the course in one flying leap. If it came off, it would give her a huge advantage that would almost certainly be enough to win her the race.
Chris Boardman's view was simple - it wasn't something Shanaze needed to do. With her catapult start, massive strength and whirlwind cadence, she was already the clear favourite.
While she was the only rider in the field who would even consider the jump, it carried huge risks. If she misjudged the landing, she would almost certainly end up face down in the mud.
Reade decided to back herself, with disastrous results. Leading by a big chunk in that first heat, she cleared the jumps at too great a pace, flipped off the bike and landed heavily on her hip and shoulder.
She staggered to her feet, remounted and rode to the line, but the damage had been done, both to her body and confidence.
"They say you learn the hard way, and I guess I have," she said later, on her way to hospital for X-rays.
"But a true athlete and a true winner always comes back stronger, and I'm going to turn it round and show everyone what I'm made of."
Reade's distress apart, BMX's Olympic bow was a spectacular success.
Track fans and Hoy might still mourn the loss of the kilo, but its replacement offered an atmosphere unique to these Games.
At no other venue has the PA blasted out the unmistakable sound of Brian Johnson screeching "For Those About To Rock" moments before an Olympic final, nor seen pompom-waving cheerleaders invade the track for some high-kicking high-jinks within seconds of the competitors zooming past.
"BAAYYY-JEEENGG!" the stadium announcer kept roaring. "BAAYYY-JEEENGG CHINA! MAKE SOME NOISE! I CAN'T HEAR YOU, BAAY-JEENG!"
From the track's lumps, bumps and jumps came crash after breathtaking crash. If a race went by without a monstrous stack, I must have still had my hands over my eyes from the previous wipeout and missed it.
Dressage it wasn't. But are you telling me that's a bad thing?
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
"Why settle for silver?" she said. "I put absolutely everything into this, my heart and my soul, everything since the age of 10."
A great quote and a great attitude, there aren't enough British sports folk like this, she'll come back better and stronger and I'm sure she'll get her gold in the future!
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Rough for her, but after that big fall in the prelims (along with so many others falling too), I knew this one wasn't nailed on at all.
Fair play to Anna-Caroline Chausson for a deserved win.
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Hmmmmm......I wonder if AussieinDubs would be saying that if Australia had a participant winning in the sport......???
Anyway - as much as it pains me to write this from Dublin, I think her attitude is brilliant and the "why settle for silver?" quote should be seared into the mind of any athlete thinking of London in 2012.
Finally, on a more general note, the attitude of the cyclists seems to be incredible focused - well done to them!
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Hmmmmm......I wonder if AussieinDubs would be saying that if Australia had a participant winning in the sport......???
Anyway - as much as it pains me to write this from Dublin, I think her attitude is brilliant and the "why settle for silver?" quote should be seared into the mind of any athlete thinking of London in 2012.
Finally, on a more general note, the attitude of the cyclists seems to be incredibly focused - well done to them!
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Kids take note... This is the role model you should for looking to...
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It's no more ridiculous than "sports" that rely on judges deciding whether they liked it or not
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It's a shame in a way that with two so utterly determined riders, at either end of their BMX careers, only one could take gold, so while commiserations for Reade for doing her best but coming up short, congratulations are also warranted to Chausson in her last race (and it's about time the French won something)
With such determination, Reade's gold has to come (any chance of them putting women's team sprint on the track in the 2012 Olympics as well? Reade and Pendleton would destroy everyone)
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IIt's no more a sport than darts or dominoes !
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You have got to admire her attitude, and her will to win.
Maybe the earlier falls, and playing catch up, took it out of her.
Top effor though
But, still, BMX'ing? As an Olympic sport?
What next, Darts!?!
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I really like this sport, I didn't think I would but the crashes are so funny its impossible to watch without a huge smile creeping across your face.
As for it being a sport, of course it is, it's a race isn't it? Some people...
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For those that think its a little silly and a strange event, i suggest you make a little time and go to one of the big events held throughout europe the atmosphere there is second to none. Nice for the TV as well, the commentor for the BBC sounded like it was the first time he had seen the event and he loved every minute of it.
Unlucky to Reade and the gold medal but i get the feeling if she took the silver it would haunt her for ever.
I dont know what is worse tbh, taking a silver and thinking that if you took the gamble gold would be in your pocket now.
But off topic all we need now is Squash and Inline hockey instead of football :)
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BMX is most definately a sport, and the best in the world are unbelievable to watch on dirt, halfpipe and street. However, they have their own games called the x-games.
Olympics? Are we really getting to see te best in the world, or is it like amateur boxing...
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I bet we see her in the velodrome, not on the dirt, in 2012
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The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius" (Faster, Higher, Stronger) and considering that the riders that are stronger, cycle faster and jump higher, it defintely qualifies as an olympic sport.
Much more so that the "sports" that rely on the subjective judgments of individuals to apply scores to determine winners.
In BMX (like in most proper sports) it's easy to spot the winner - they're the first ones across the line!
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AussieInDubs, clovisguy etc what are you doing on this page? If you dont like BMX there are plenty of other places for you to go to. You are showing clear early signs of a worring superiority complex which can lead serious mental problems. Maybe a some time on a track will help you get your confidence back.
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Shanaze Reade an absolute credit to Crewe and to Britain. If anyone deserved Gold it was her. And BMX biking is absolutely brilliant, it's just a shame it was on at such an ungodly hour. In 2012 she'll be back to take gold.
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BMX is ok for the Olympics.
The sports which I have a question mark over are the events for which it is a "sideline".
Take the Tennis - we had major stars saying that, really, they didn't mind since it gives them more time to prepare for the US Open.
Then the soccer lads saying "Well it's hardly the World Cup".
And that is the problem with these ludicrously well rewarded sports with huge commercial interests outside of the Olympics - they are not all that bothered. In which case, I suggest we do not have them in the Olympics.
I also feel the same applies, to a lesser extent, with basketball (although politics seem to play a very big part in basketball!).
The same would apply to Golf if it were a feature of the Olympics - we know it would be a distraction to most of the competitors. I suspect most people can "sense" sports they do not want in the Olympics - these are just mine.
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"Why settle for silver..."
"A great quote and a great attitude..."
I'd agree if that's what her comment were really about, but it's not, is it? It's not a statement of attitude; it's a petulant excuse and a refusal to accept responsibility for a risk she *didn't need to take* - one her coaches TOLD HER NOT TO TAKE - because she was good enough to win without it.
The assumption that those who go for the gold take any and all risks available to them is a false one. Winners take calculated risks - play to their strengths and minimise their weaknesses.
Shanaze was perfectly capable of winning this without taking that flying leap: the risks outweighed the gain, and if she'd actually thought, instead of playing the rebellious adolescent, she'd have won.
That misjudgment of her ability, masked as 'I was going for the gold', lost her the race and put her out of medal contention.
The cold hard truth is that silver and bronze count for more than crashing out.
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I'm glad Reade crashed out from tagging the French girl, rather than the other way around - how could someone be given a win for knocking the leader off their bike?
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SPORT :an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. Think that applies to BMX too! Yes I used to ride one for fun when I was younger but it has always been about competitive racing too.
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"You don't train as hard as I do for silver. It's about the gold or nothing."
Great Attitude - Thats what I want to see more of. She'll be alright and back in the hunt in 4 years. She's quite handy in the velorome as well.
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Must admit I was skeptical about having BMX at the Olympics, but once I actually saw some of it I changed my mind completely. I was expecting to see something like Dave Mirra or Mat Hoffman pulling tricks in a half pipe, but what we got was a hugely techincal course that required guts, skill, strategy and athleticism and I can think of half a dozen other Olympic events that don't bring all of those things to the Games.
As for Reade, with that kind of ability and driven attitude she's got a great chance of winning gold in 2012, or 2016 for that matter, either on the BMX track or in the velodrome. Like Lewis Hamilton last year, she took an all-or nothing approach to the final, when a more conservative approach probably would've been enough. You've got to applaud that spirit, but maybe waking up this morning feeling like she's been knocked down by Jonah Lomu will help her remember that it doesn't matter if you win by a metre or a mile.
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Just read ravenwolf68's comment.
People like you are the reason this country has underperformed at sport for years. People who shrug there shoulders and settle for second best.
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What a superb attitude "why settle for silver?". So many of the Brit track and field athletes need to take that to heart.
Was gutted to see her wipe out but I could see she was gunning for that gold and I was truly impressed, by both her and the sport.
Looking forward to seeing her career reach its peak with a gold in London 2012
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I would like to remind you that this giel has won, and knows how to win.
Get off your own backsides and start doing something... Oh, you were the type that just watched "why Don't You"
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Of course its an Olympic sport-the rock and roll atmosphere was great and, like beach volleyball, so were the cheerleaders!!!
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ravenwolf68 is sorely mistaken. The petulant mistake against the advice of coaches had happened earlier, and she did take responsibility for that (hence the quote in the main article "They say you learn the hard way, and I guess I have").
The risk taken on the final bend was not a petulant error, but the only way of winning gold. Had it paid off, she would have been lauded as a hero (and in many eyes still is).
There again, I guess some people are just happy settling for second best.
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BMX seems to have provided entertainment and a spectacle - much like Monster trucks, synchronised swimming and beach volleyball (though I have a feeling that one of those may not be an olympic sport - yet). Does this make it a demonstration of the peak of athletic achievement? Don't see it myself....
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Ravenwolf, read the article again or watch the races.
The risk that the coaches "told her not to take" and that you criticise her for happened in an earlier heat. She recovered from that.
The "why settle for silver?" gamble that cost her a medal was the last corner move to try and take the lead. She had to go for it to get the gold.
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Gutted for Shanaze, but soooo glad to see BMX in the Olympics. Both Hugh Porter and Simon Brotherton sounded like they'd explode with the excitement of it all.
Chausson rode a smart race and kept Shanaze off the line she wanted. Experience perhaps won on the day but that takes nothing away from Shanaze's performance which was impressive. Having come off a few times in my past riding bikes, it hurts like heck and to get up, dust herself down and still make the final in the fastest time shows real mental toughness.
You don't race for second is quite right as attitudes go in bike racing. You never caught Merckx or Anquetil thinking about coming in second, did you? Let's not forget that's about the first time this year that she's lost a final race or made any mistakes.
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I think it's disrespectful to question any sport as the participants have put in a lot of work to get where they are. Not many of us are prepared to get off our backsides and put in the hours of training they do.
I think her comments about coming to win gold are truly inspiring to any potential competitor.
Well done to all in Team GB!
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Am I the only one that thinks her entire death or glory approach is totally immature and a slap in the face for the likes of Bryony Shaw who gave absolute everything for a Bronze?
She had a choice of a silver medal or crashing and potentially breaking her hand. How is crashing out and lying face down in the last corner an image that we want kids to look at an attempt to emulate?
She was never going to take her opponent in the last corner in a fair manner so went for a Schumacher-esque barge down the inside and failed, she ultimately got what she deserved.
That's not a defeatist British mentality, that's being stupid and greedy in an Olympic final. She did little to inspire confidence inside 10 seconds of her opening qualifying run or in her first Semi Final run whilst the French girl oozed class throughout the competition as did the Latvian who won the Men's Event.
Hopefully she'll come back in 2012 with a wiser head on her shoulders.
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Davey, we (Australia) had a guy called Kamakaze in the competition. If he won gold it would've been more ridiculous!!
It just feels like the games are getting bloated on so-called sports that are included solely to appease the X-Games demographic.
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Best sport to be introduced to the games in a long long time, strength , power, skill , risk and colourful. hopefully it will get some people away from their playstations, corner shops and out on their bikes.
Brilliant and well done Shaneze although a little injured and tentative on that first banked corner due to a previous crash, shrug off the old british good runner up attitude and go for bust.
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How about some stabilisers???
http://www.bikes2udirect.com/bikes_html/images/items/B1842.jpg
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I second #2's comment. She did what she had to.
Those who claim that BMX is a waste as an Olympic sport should consider whether cycling is a waste too then. After all, both sports use bicycles. Going around a velodrome is no less strenuous than having to manage obstacles while you pedal.
You are doing those athletes a great disservice by 'dissing' what they do.
The X Games are NOT the same as the Olympics. The X Games are more a display of BMX style and prowess (think Dave Mirra in a half pipe as someone else pointed out), but BMX races are something completely different.
It's the same as equating freestyle motocross with motocross racing; while they use the same equipment, they are miles apart in goals and method.
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I don't know if BMX should be in the Olympics, as they have the X Games as the pinacle of their career. What there can be no debate about the status of BMX racing as a sport. Hard core stuff. Some brutal crashes, tight racing, great courage and determination all on show.
Shame Reade crashed out going for gold. Perhaps a bit of immaturity evident in the decision making there. I would be very much surprised, as she lay in pain on the track, if she did not slightly rue the decision that cost her at least silver. Maybe gold.
As someone who did not really know what to expect, I loved it and hats off to all the competitors.
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ArmchairEmma - 'Does this make it a demonstration of the peak of athletic achievement?'
Er, yes! You're at full sprint for 30 - 40 seconds, upper and lower body, you've got to combine that with the skill and timing to hit jumps and doubles, often having to change your line in instant reaction to what's going on around you, and you have to be absolutely fearless.
For the record, Reade is a total winner - she's double world champion and hasn't lost in a final for three years.
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I loved it. Great entertainment ... but was the track big enough? All those falls...
And three races to decide each semi, but only one race for the final? That has to be the wrong way round...
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"Kids take note... This is the role model you should for looking to..." That is a wondderful comment and I agree so much.
There are some really stupid comments elsewhere in the blog replies and it is quite sickening to read them.
Shanaze tried everything without worrying about risk to herself.
She is one of the stars of this Olympics for Britain.
The Olympics needs more sports like this.
Personally, I can't get excited by posh people in boats - those medals are meaningless.
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Some great quotes from British competitors. Reade's 'why settle for silver?', Idowu's 'I've got an Olympic silver medal, but I'm not happy - I wanted gold' (paraphrase).
But the best was Rebecca Addlington [sp?] after her first gold in the thrilling 400m freestyle final. Having just won (an unexpected?) gold, her first response was;
'I'm a bit disappointed with the time'!
Those are the things I will remember from these games. The gold, silver and bronze medal haul is great, but the 'I want to be the best' attitude from those who have just failed (or those who have succeeded) bodes well for 2012, especially if more of the Brits share the same focus.
Excellent, excellent Olympics!!!!
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I don't have a problem with BMX at the Olympics save for the fact that cycling had to give up an event to accommodate it.
(I don't think aquatics had to when synchronised swimming was introduced).
It is a sport that appears (I have never tried it) to require skill and fitness and this to me is backed up by the fact that Reade, Hoy and Staff started out in BMX and have won Olympic or World titles on the track.
Anyway, the problem for me with Reade's ride was that she chose gate 1. Look at the men's final and the exact thing happened at Turn 1 - the line gate 1 gave you going into the corner meant it was likely a rider in an outside lane would get a better line and overtake you. Which is what happened in both finals. The race for me was lost by choosing gate 1.
The line Reade took into the last turn appears to me to be an ill judged manoeuvre. Had she not crashed herself she would have impeded the eventual winner which according to the rules of BMX would have resulted either in a DQ or a relegation (I think).
But....in the heat of the moment what would you have done? I think I would have gone all out to win. So you can't blame her for that really can you. Its easy to judge in hindsight but in the split second you have to decide do you say "Hmmm I might be DQ'd if I try that or do you go for it".
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to all the sheep who are cussing bmx, why be bitter and negative, because your country is whack at it ? if you dont think its a sport, you are welcome to come to london if your around and ill race you, then youll see why its a sport.
and of course, its a race you muppets...dont hate . apreciate.. i find your comments offensive, your just haters, i dont diss rowing, i respect all and have enjoyed these olyimpics, and i think most have enjoyed bmx as it is an exiting race, i dont care if its a sport or not, i do it for the adrenalin and serratonin it releases, better than any drug !!.
this year bmx, maybe mountain bike 4x soon, things are lookin good as theres barley any of this on terrestial tv when they could be shoeing it instead of the same old repeats or
poker every night..
and shanaze, i know you are a better and faster power machine than anne schassan, but you have to stop falling off, i have this problem too, lol. you would have took her otherwise, and tarmac berms, what were they all about, maybe to cut down on crashes....oh well..
shanaze, you are a role model, and i think you will go on to be the fastest bmx racer of all time, i know this is the olympics, but try and block out the dissapointment as imo, you were the fastest there, and you didnt lose, you crashed, so you didnt get a propper race in, must be frustrating.
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Too much hype, despite being a good rider and having £30,000 spent on a practice track for her to hone her skills she underperformed. To fall so often shows that she was trying too hard and her technique didn't hold up.
How anyone can say she was a star at these Olympics despite her failure to medal is beyond me. Certainly no role model of how to be a winner!
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"BMX seems to have provided entertainment and a spectacle - much like Monster trucks, synchronised swimming and beach volleyball (though I have a feeling that one of those may not be an olympic sport - yet). Does this make it a demonstration of the peak of athletic achievement? Don't see it myself...."
Can we assume you're also non-plussed about our country's great achievements in the velodrome? Or is that completely different because....well I suppose it must be because the ground is nice and flat.
Some people are beyind belief; not a sport, cripes, do me a favour.
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Glorious failure - what we Brits do best!
And I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks Shanaze was magnificent despite her failure and an excellent role model for other aspiring athletes.
It's a shame the same can't be said of our other glorious failure - Ms Radcliffe - demonstrating nothing like the passion for winning.
Shanaze could have settled for Bronze, went "all or nothing" for gold and shrugged off some nasty injuries in the end.
Paula was a failure waiting to happen - went in from injury and under prepared, stopped someone else from competing and was all drama. She also deflected all the publicity that the other British entrants deserved, particularly our highest placed finish ever, Mara Yamauchi.
Make no mistake, I couldn't complete a marathon without a car and I fall off exercise bikes but these ladies are in these sports to win.
Let's here it for the future of Britains athletes - well done Shanaze
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Of course it deserves to be an Olympic sport, and to answer HandiChwab, yes the world best BMX racers ARE competing and take it very seriously. Unlike unlike many other Olympic sports such as Football and Tennis.
As for excitement and skill and endurance; Compare BMX racing to Archery...
It's clear that many of the people here criticising Shanaze Reade don't quite understand the nature of the sport yet. You ride to win, you dont race to be runner up.
IWelshBloke - her lane draw was probably decided by her qualifying position. 1st qualifyer gets 1stgate choice and so on.
Factfan you're just hilarious!
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Great attitude from Reade, I am gutted for her though.
Those who diss her tactics need to look at the video again and look what she was attempting to do. She was trying to take the inside line in the berm to get in front of Chausson not trying to knock her off.
Unfortunately she miss judged her speed and crashed out. Simple as.
BMX is a sport where risks need to be taken in order to get out in front. Sometimes it pays out others not.
As a fan of mountain biking though I am pleased for Chausson as it caps off a great career. She was 13 times World Downhill Champion for those of you who didn't know. A skilled rider who could easily beat the best of the men out there. Well done.
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Best wishes to Shanaze - she reached for the stars - she is one of the stars. To suggest that BMX doesn't fit as an Olympic sport is ridiculous. It is a race where first across the line wins. It is not a subjective lottery like some Olympic "Sports". Higher Stronger Faster - yes BMX fits. And thats from a 52yr old road cyclist not a hoodied youth................
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I've never watched BMX before this Olympics, but I definitely wouldn't count it among the events that should be culled - exciting to watch, highly skilled, requiring physical effort as intense as any short race on land or water, and with a degree of risk - what more could you want?
I do think it's a great shame we had to lose a velodrome event (one of Hoy's!) to get the BMX, but I wouldn't swap them back. Let's bring in MTB downhill and XC for future games, but if other events have to be sacrificed to do it, let's cull some of the more absurd ones from other disciplines this time - something 'synchronised' perhaps, the ridiculous walking races, or the unfathomable triplejump.
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She's a great athlete, and a great role model to our kids, but made a few avoidable mistakes: Cut her some slack, she's only 19 and at the Olympics for the 1st time - who can honestly say that when they were 19 (or even now) if they were under that pressure, they wouldnt make mistakes?
And those who doubt BMX is a sport worthy of the Olympics, you are being ridiculous: Shanaze, Ann-Caroline and the rest are awesome athletes, doing an astonishing sport. I ride road and mountain bikes, and used to race on road and track, and I lack the skill, fitness and courage to do BMX racing. It is one of the most demanding sports in the whole 2 weeks.
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jamma18660 - lanes are decided on highest qualifier get first choice etc.
In a way we should be pleased Hoy didn't compete in the kilo - he may not have switched to Keirin and Sprint had the kilo been there! But it is a disgrace track cycling has so few events.
And Baron - Mountain Biking XC is in the Olympics - or do you mean 4X ?
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Hey Factfan - before you get all uppity at the money spent on the track, it's funded out of lottery money and British Cycling membership money.
What's to get upset about is that Manchester City Council probably want it removed soon, when it could remain as a permanent facility:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/olympics/s/1063544_save_our_bmx_track
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Really impressed by Shanaze and her attitude. Gutted for her but she's young and has plenty of time to come back strong. Gold in 2012!
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Perhaps she should have listened to Jackie Stewart's advice.
To come first first you have to finish.
She crashed in three out of the six runs she had. Not a very impressive completion percentage.
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Iwelshbloke - exactly, but Reade only qualified around 4th or 5th so wasn't left with many options to choose from.
She probably chose the inside thinking she could cut the others off but as someone else pointed out, she took the first corner very tentatively due to her front wheel washing out there in timed qualifying, allowing Chausson through.
That cautiousness around the first turn ultimately cost her the race.
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some of you sheep aint qualifided to comment on bmx, as you dont ride, you need to drink a big cup of SHUT UP !
B.M.X = bicycle moto cross
the trick stuff is another discipline altogether which historiclly came later.this is the original bmx. (respect to andy ruffle, matt hoffman ect though)
honestly, some of these comments are shocking and hurtful, i never expected them..im just glad the olyimpic organisers are ahead of their time, and dont just select the big money sports infected with the capitialism virus..
shinaze, ignore the bitching, concentrate on training and owning in london 2012, maintain focus....
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#54 That's appalling! Do we not need facilities to train for 2012? and don't we need to get our increasingly obese youth out and exercising? Manchester City Council should be jumping at the chance to make the BMX track a public amenity. Start a petition Brailsford!
Iwelshbloke - that should have been 'as well as XC' not 'and XC' - it seems to be my day for gremlins. How good are Beckingsale and Kileen?
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Agree jimmymac1981 100% - if we all took ravenwolf68's attitude then none of us would get anywhere.
I also with the comment about if she'd got the silver and thinking "should I have taken the risk" for the rest of her life - never live with regrets that what I say, always have a go! :)
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BMX is a highly demanding sport and the question of it's inclusion is a mute point as it's all down to personal taste.
I totally agree with Dickybristow as I ride a mountain bike and as they say 'sport hurts' and I would never attempt the BMX.
The fact that this is a major inspiration to youngsters is so important as broadening experience from the TV is the only input some children get.
As for the question of settling or going for it I resent the implication by ZeFrenchy16 that she was attempting to push her way through! She did not choose between gold and crashing she was giving it her best shot to get ahead and took the wrong line in a split second decision. She is clearly aware of what went wrong and will be aching for weeks. A fine role model of pushing and working hard to achieve your potential something many of us can learn from.
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Get off your own backsides and start doing something... Oh, you were the type that just watched "why Don't You"
thats the funniest thing ive read in years..yeah, you lot should try bmx racinr, lol.
again, thanks to the olympic organisers for including bmx, youve made the right decision, i dont think theres another sport which has more explosive action in the first 45 seconds than bmx.. and money and capitalism should be kept out of any selection process, and even mass appeal, otherwise how would we fins progressive sports/races.. and not every englishman loves football you know..
best olympics for the uk ever !! 2012 shanaze !!
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How can anyone compare BMX cycling with darts? I am not a fan of BMX but the riders all have to achieve a high level of fitness and skill to compete, just as much as the riders in the velodrome. If any sport needs taking out it should be tennis they are all mostly multi milloinaires at the peak of their game and it is just sheer greed for them to compete in the olympics at teh expense of gifted amateurs. But it was brilliant to see that great Scottish Argentina football supporter Murray crash out what a nearly man just like Henman!!
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Finally! a sport where we can watch some good old fashion blood-loss, and the competitors show their injuries with pride, and not for sympathy!
Well done to Shanaze for realising that when you are the world's number one, SECOND PLACE IS NO BETTER THAN LAST!
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Her attitude is spot on. When i saw the crash i was thinking she was stupid for taking a gamble when she couldv`e taken an easy silver. Guess that is why she is a world champion and i`m a spectator. Compare her attitude to Andy Murray, i`d take hers any day and hope she gets the wins she deserves
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High five to dek-london (comment 44). I completely agree with you. BMXing is a sport, I don't do it myself, but I do a similar sport which is esentially the same just on bigger bikes. I would love to see 4x racing in the Olympics and better still downhill racing. These are what I call exciting sports. They may seem a bit bizare to most people, but thats the whole point of them, they are extreme sports. Just because you have to have a lot of guts and be able to take a lot of pain doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed in the Olympics. They take a lot of skill and determination to do. All those out there who slagging off BMXing need putting on a BMX and being forced down that track to find out what it's like.
Shanaze Reade needs our support and congratulations on a galiant attempt. On her first run in the heats when she crashed she showed everyone how brave she is by getting back on her BMX and crossing the line. She must have been in agony after that fall because it does hurt, I have experienced falls like that. I love her attitude as well, if there was an Olympic medal for attitude she deserves the gold more than any other Olympian this year. I hope to see her back in 4 years time in London.
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Quote:
"SECOND PLACE IS NO BETTER THAN LAST!"
What a lot of nonsense. One of the pre-requisites in BMX is judgement of your skills - don't confuse egotism with bad luck.
Did she even finish? Crashing the way she did is the equivalent of missing a penalty or throwing the javaling out of the area. Bad execution and over-confidence in her skills.
With practice she may be as good as she believes she is - a certain man in the long jump only managed silver too - but I bet he will enjoy his status as an olympic medal winner in years to come - in spite of all the posturing.
He, at least, got on the podium.
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I must say I'm dissapointed, but not suprised, at the comments dissing Shanaze. I expect these people were also queueing up to complain when Kevin Pietersen holed out on 94 when trying to score a century with a six - I prefer that every day of the week to Geoffrey Boycott scratching about for hours for 20 odd runs.
Shanaze and KP both want to win, and what's more, to win gloriously.
Good on 'em - we need more of that sort of attitude!
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I should have said Javelin and Triple Jump! Whatever!
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could someone explain why we lost track cycling to put this in? and why did swimming not have to drop events (as far as i can see) to put in the open water swimming ?
however this is decided is a joke i love cycling and mountain biking but why is bmx in the same category hard luck to the team gb rider but maybe she needs bigger wheels
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Expatintx - I understand your attitude but I don't feel it is the same analogy.
I, personally, am not dissing her - she is a great rider. However, simply because she has attitude does not mean we should overlook the faults.
All the riders were on the same course and had equal chances - she just wasn't good enough - if a suicide jump taken to the point of falling off is her only hope of winning - she didn't ride a good enough race.
I am only reacting to the comments here which are almost glorifying her to a point "beyond" having won. You don't get the gold for just talking like a champion, either. You actually need to win it.
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She gambled and paid the price, but a true cham wouldn't have gone for that ridiculous long jump when she was winning fairly comfortably. She's young and will improve but I hope her coaches get it inside her head that a true champion just doesn't need to take gambles like that in order to win. They keep doing the things that got them into that position in the first place.
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No 67
I assume you mean the Triple Jump.If you listen to him talk he is so disappointed not to win that he feels he let everyone down.I guess Shanaze would feel the same which is why she wanted to win. Can`t fault her for trying her hardest even if as you say, she isn`t as good as she thinks she is.At least she got close to winning a medal.When was the last time you could say that?
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Quote: 'People like you are the reason this country has underperformed at sport for years. People who shrug there shoulders and settle for second best.'
May I remind you that she is part of a team (the ridiculously named Team GB), and realising she could not win she should have bagged a silver medal for the team in their efforts to finish as far up the leader board as possible. Hypothetically speaking, if GB miss out on a place on the leader board by one silver medal would you be applauding her?
She knew that move was not on and could have resulted in the French girl crashing too. She was irresponsible, and to the person who said no-one deserved a gold more than her - golds are earned, she was neither mature or deserving enough to claim gold. Hopefully in four years time she will have grown up a bit - or she might be upstaged by the debuting Hopscotch Tournament!!!
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She was good enough to win.
She is currently world champion!
Just unlucky in a few of her judgments. She'll no doubt gain something from this and use it in her next big race.
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quijote 1303 there are many more variables in 9 or 10 BMX riders on different lines all racing into into a tight bend together at around 30mph than taking three or four steps before kicking a stationary ball into a net.
And once again, her misjudgement of the jump was in a preliminary round, not the final! She crashed in the final because she 'clipped' Chaussons back wheel.
BMX racing is all about taking calculated risks, sometimes the risks pay off, sometimes they don't. There is a very, very thin line between success and failure. Shazne Reade is a multiple world champion and regularly beats all these competitors, today just wasn't her day.
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Wingcommanderthrush: "May I remind you that she is part of a team ... and realising she could not win she should have bagged a silver medal for the team in their efforts to finish as far up the leader board as possible."
That 'leader board' would be the medal table where one gold counts for more than a hundred silvers?
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And wingcommanderthrush, first and foremost most Olympic athletes are competing for themselves. Some may have time to stop during they're event to contemplate their contribution to 'the team' but Shazne Reade does not necessarily have that luxury when shes tearing into a bend with 9 other girls right on her tail.
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Perhaps realising she was part of the team she wanted to get the gold so GB could finish higher up the table
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Maybe a BMX expert can help with something: as fastest qualifier, she had her pick of the lanes, and chose Lane 1 which in theory has the shortest run. However, given her tactics of clearing the third jump and thus coming into the corner at very high speed, was she always going to end up riding high on the banking and exit? In which case, would a more central lane (like she had in the semis) have been a better choice?
I can understand not wanting to be "in the mix" of the centre, but if you've got a faster start than everyone else, it shouldn't matter that much. And the first rule of all wheeled sports is "slow in, fast out"
So glad that she wiped out trying to get gold, rather than settle for "first loser". What a great role model for 2012!
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I'd rather have seen her take a silver though. But I dont blame her for going for that move to take the gold. It was worth a shot. It just didn't pay off which is a real shame as she's quite clearly one of the best riders out there.
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Well done to Shanaze.
As to those who say she should have listened to her coach, Chris Boardman may be fast on the velodrome but I wouldn't listen to his advice about how to ride a BMX race.
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A convincing argument for wearing a helmet when cycling.
WW
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First time I ever saw BMX! What a fun sport. My wife, who is a sports fan....NOT!!!.... really enjoyed it, saying it was like watching a live version of Mario Kart on little bikes. I have been trying to get her to like sports for years.. first time ever she has shown any incline. More of the same please!
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quijote1303 - I guess we'll agree to disagree then!
And to everyone saying "She should have taken one for the team", why?
It's not as if everyone in "Team GB" gets a medal if we finish in the top three of the medal table (however that may be calculated - in the States the US are top and we're 4th).
To be fair, she's with a lot of people in "Team GB" she doesn't know from jack. I'm sure she, and the rest of them, are more concerned with their own performance than where we are in the medal table.
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The should replace all the horse riding events with bmx events, freestyle for those silly dancing horses, and jumping.
There are alot of sports which provide no use such as swinging around on a 'horse', and those that provide no entertainment, judo, where two men hug for 5 minutes.
BMX is entertainment and it's sport.
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YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING,
IF THAT WAS NOT AN ATEMPT TO TAKE THE FRENCH WOMAN OUT THEN I AM NOT Michael Schumacher.
FOUL FOUL FOUL
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BMX is obviously a sport, as you can easily measure who's won, and its not a matter of some judges opinion. What people don't seem to like here is that its not predictable, in that the world No. 1 can be wiped out in a crash (could you imagine the uproar if it had been a crash not of Reade's making). To me, its analogous to Speed Skating at the Winter Olympics.
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When's the unicycling on?
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Yeah - she did have just a bad day. I think I am reacting to the comments rather than the rider - to make it clear.
She clipped a rider - just a racing incident - and she has become very used to winning in the last few years.
What intrigued me was this attitude she "chose" to burn out rather than to win. That is just nonsense. She made a mistake and would have loved gold but ended up with nothing.
Now that is just sport and racing luck. What I find a touch strange is the interpretation put on her comments. Nobody chooses an accident and if you make a mistake leading to an accident it is not the correct decision - it is a mistake.
So don't let us confuse attitude with ability to win - which is a very common interpretation of sports personalities in the media. She can say what she likes - she battled hard and needs to get over the pain and the pride being battered. But let's not pretend a generation of sports men and women should go around pretending a bad judgement call or crash out is acceptable coz - hey - silver is meaningless anyway. That is a cop out.
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agarthehorrible - Please don't shout.
Suggesting that she was trying to take out the French rider is ridiculous as you can't take out another rider without taking out yourself as well.
"It’s better to try and fail than to have never tried at all".
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It's a shame she didn't win, at least she went for the gold which is more than you can say for some people who wear the team GB colours.
Better luck next time.
I can't help wondering if BMX makes it into the games then why can't rugby sevens as it's played all over the world and is one of the fastest growing sports?
Please please drop SOFTBALL/BASEBALL for 2012
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"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING,
IF THAT WAS NOT AN ATEMPT TO TAKE THE FRENCH WOMAN OUT THEN I AM NOT Michael Schumacher."
agarthehorrible you have clearly never ridden your tricycle close enough to the back wheel of another person to understand that the person behined will ultimately be the one to go down, not the person in front.
There is no way in the world she was deliberately trying to take Chasson out. You can't just T-bone someone on a BMX as you might on a Motorcross bike.
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quijote1303 - I think what she means is she wanted gold so made a move that she knew could have taken her out of medal contention.
Nothing wrong with that in my book.
Give 100% until you cross the line. Its what all winners do.
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At least she didn't stop half-way or start blubbing about how she's entitled to win a gold medal and be in the GB team like Paula Radcliffe.
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Forget whether you like the sport!! Get behind Team GB!
Great attitude and im sure that we will hear her quote many times before 2012! :)
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Hi killeenster,
I do recognise that and I am not critical of her competitive spirit.
I am just not eloquent!
The way I preceive it is this - she made a slight mistake earlier and lost out the lead on the race. She then tried to rectify it with a move which meant she lost the front end and crashed.
This may seem petty but in my opinion she should just admit it and say:
"I took a risk and it cost me the Gold"
which is very different from:
"you don't train as hard as I do for Silver"
One suggests a talented rider who thought she could beat her opponent - the other suggests a reckless rider who may well have underestimated the opposition.
Just my opinion.
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Post 92
Softball/baseball has been dropped for 2012.
However the International Baseball Federation are lobbying for inclusion in 2016 and if successful will lobby for 2012.
Squash and Karate were nominated as replacements but neither polled enough votes. Rugby sevens, golf and roller skating were the other possibles.
So London 2012 will have only 26 sports.
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Hello back quijote1303
But no serious athlete would train for silver. She wanted a gold and thats what she tried to win.
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lwelshbloke,
many thanks for that top info - I did not know that and I have just quoted it in the office so I hope you were telling the truth!
It is amazing how many people were glad softball had been dropped - and yet how many seemed to rate Beach Volleyball. Seemed to be a bit of a male/female split there.
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Hi again killeenster,
You yourself said:
"Give 100% until you cross the line. Its what all winners do."
If I am being honest - but I am not pretending to be an expert - that line she attempted was never going to come in without going across the rider in front. I don't ride BMX.
At that jump - leading into the bend - she made a mistake - in my opinion. As evidence of that I would say - look at what happened.
The girl does not train for silver but there was still enough race left - and a bad corner the french girl might have run out on - to make her call a bad one. I just found the reaction of comments pretending that it was glorious to try to the point of crashing.
I think she was so determined it affected her decision and she would have been better getting her line right and racing to the line instead of such a risky passing attempt. That would not - in any way - have meant she did not try 100% - it would have meant she did not make a mistake.
What would have happened if the french rider lost it - which would have been very easy to do - on that bend?
As you said - "until you cross the line" - coming off beforehand is not a "winners" mentality - it is a mistake. A "winner" would have crossed the line first. In no time at all people will never give it a thought except her and friends. And come the next Olympics they will say "is she going to make the same mistakes again and lose it".
I sound heartless but I do not mean to be. I just think we lionise the wrong things sometimes.
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The count on the medals table is only there to keep the politicians (and other non-sports enthusiasts) happy - the atheletes are there to perform to the best of their ability in there own events. BMX is an individual sport, it's not like she was part of a team in a road race, so she was quite right to go all out for the win or nothing.
I'm really dissappointed for her. She deserved to walk away with more for her hard work and attitude, but that's sport. If events were all predetermined on form and reputation it wouldn't be sport.
Look forward to a gold in 2012 for Speedy Readey either in BMX or on the track.
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Quote: That 'leader board' would be the medal table where one gold counts for more than a hundred silvers?
Yes, and in the event of a tie of Gold Medals on the table it defers to who has the most silvers.
And as for the comment on athletes doing for themselves - that makes the concept of 'Team GB' a joke. Why should we get behind the team when the team won't get behind each other?
Doesn't bode well for a united front in 2012!
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Fair points.
But watching the race again (I've done so quite a few times) she was totally right to try and take the inside line on the last berm. (they are called berms by the way people :-) ) It was her only chance of grabbing gold from Chausson.
Like I said earlier Chasusson is 13 times Downhill Mountain Bike Champion. Reade knew that. She wasn't going to lose that lead on the last straight no matter how hard Reade tried.
The race was lost on the first berm not by a mistake from Reade but a great passing move by Chausson.
You should give BMX or MTB 4X a go. You'll see how difficult it is to pass a rider on a straight. Most of the moves are done on corners.
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She's a legend. If only we had more athletes with such an attitude.
Craig Pickering isn't fit to carry her bike back up the hill.
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The last corner was her last chance as the the run into the finish line is a rhythm section that the riders free wheel rather than pedal along.
She knew she had to take the inside line to edge Chausson out but carried to much speed in and couldn't make the turn.
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dek-london "58"
I`m not one of the sheep who are happy tohave a dig at our athletes and don`t kid on that I know a lot about B M X but after this olympics I`ve become a fan.
I never realised how physically exerting it is and have the greatest respect for those who compete. Shanaze went to beijing and we all expected her, as world champ,to bring home the gold. As i say I`m no expert but I thought Shanaze only missed cutting inside on the last bend by about 2 inches and clipped Chaussona rear wheel. A calculated gamble that didn`t quite come off but she does not deserve the negative comments on here. If she had played safe and got silver or bronze she would always be thinking "what if" and the experts on here would be quick to point out her mistaken tactics.
She did well and we should all be congratulating her.
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Quote:
"You should give BMX or MTB 4X a go. You'll see how difficult it is to pass a rider on a straight. Most of the moves are done on corners."
Fair enough - I don't ride (let alone race!) BMX. Used to ride a MTB a lot round the hills - but at a leisurely pace!
I have done with Motorbikes - and I can see that the line on a bend is different. However, even after watching it again a few times - I don't think she was ever going to make that bend in front. I accept I may be wrong - often am.
I just get this niggling feeling it's coz she is our athlete that she is being understood so well - the other way around I suspect it would have been a risky attempt putting our rider in danger.
But she tried and she is very competitive - she will have her day in the Olympics sometime, surely. I can't help wondering if her overwhelming expectation and recent domination may have contributed to some of her panicky looking race decisions, too.
What did Craig Pickering do or say, btw?
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Having watched the men's and women's races again - and in particular the line taken into berm 1 - it seems to me that in both men's and women's races that lane 1 did not allow for the fastest line around the berm.
Chausson rides the berm at approximately the same height all the way around, whereas Reade goes in shallow and then goes high. The same seems to have happened in the men's race too.
Judging from both men's and women's finals the rider in lane loses out both time despite carrying similar speed into the berm.
So can all you BMX'ers out that explain the intracacies of berm riding - just looking at it it would appear that Reade's line was all over the place at on the first berm. Is that the result of her choosing lane 1?
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Too much speed into the berm. Was the mistake, a wee bit slower and she may have got the snap on her to the pedal to the rhythm section.
She was brave to give it a go, many wouldn't have.
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Hadn't she been saying all the time she was confident of gold?
Typical British arrogance and disrespect of the opposition. Now have that!
PS "British Cycling had paid out £30,000 to construct a replica of the Olympic BMX track in Manchester"
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What the hell is wrong her saying she was confident for gold? She's not saying she was definite for a gold.
Are you an Aussie by any chance?
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Why shouldn`t she be confident, she is world champion. She made a mistake and paid the price trying to win and not be content with second.The way some of you criticise, you would think she is new to the sport and you are experts. She made a mistake and i don`t think anyone is arguing that point.What people are saying is fair play for having a winning attitude.
I`m not going to have a go at any of our medal winners, but as some are saying she let team gb down for not getting the silver is wrong. If some of the silver medallists had a winning attitude, perhaps we would have 2-3 golds extra.If Andy Murry had half her attitude he may have done better instead of saying he was under prepared and didn`t realise what an Olympic medal meant to athletes.You should be directing your vitriol to the likes of him and not someone who was wanting to win
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Having made so many errors, some of technique and some of judgement, how can so many still talk about Reade being a role model or that she did well to come away without a medal?- a failure that cost 30,000 pounds to build a replica course for her to practice on. People will not remember her for being "brave" but will more likely actually think she was reckless.
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NikosBg, don't mistake confidence with arrogance. Reade is the reigning World Champion and hasn't lost all season, I think that gave her reason to feel 'confident'.
Iwelshbloke As cyclists don't have engines berms are used to help BMX riders maintain their speed around the corner, just like a velodrome. However as BMX track are much tighter the optimum line around a berm is around the middle - gravity pushes you against the curve of the berm which reduces the chances of you sliding out. Which is what made Reade's early crash in qualifying so unlucky!
Momentum is the key as its very difficult to regain speed if you hesitate or slow down. Alot of guys ride without brakes for exactly this reason. But obviously if you have 10 others all vying for position then some riders are going to gamble by trying to come up the inside and cut an opponent off to gain the position. After all it's almost impossible to pass around the outside.
She rode the first corner quite cautiously because of her previous crash (and other peoples) there, and thats what allowed Chausson through.
Her second mistake was that the line she took into the last bend was just a last ditch attempt which didn't come off.
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Shanaze did amazing, and she showed the Xtreme Sport ethic of go fast, go hard or don't bother.
Some of you may not be aware that AC Chausson completely dominated Downhill and Dual Slalom Mountain biking for many years, when she retired she was still dominating. I believe that she retired because there was really no competition for her.
Her downhill times where consistently in the top 25% of men times. She was the only female rider who nailed all of the jumps. AC Chausson is an off-road riding machine clinical, precise, fit and fearless.
So I'm proud of her I watched for many years many girls try to get this close to Chausson.
PS. Hopefully the BBC will us the chance to follow the career of Shanaze by televising BMX.
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Reade did not do amazing! she made mistakes and looked over confident! She should have made sure of a medal when she realised she had been beaten by a better rider! In years to come I am sure she will regret that had she not been reckless she would have an Olympic medal to show for her efforts rather than just cuts and bruises!!
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Factfan i am sure when you are world champion and have a chance of winning a medal at the Olympics you will ride the perfect race .
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When you have two World Championship trophies among numerous others, a Silver or Bronze Olympic medal would just remind her of under achieving as much as her scars will.
I think it's better to go out out in a blaze of glory gunning for Gold than ride conservatively for a runners up place. Thats been a typical trait of British sports teams/athletes for too long.
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Wingcommanderthrush, somewhere on this website it's recorded that while Keen was still performance director at the cycling squad, he made the decision to focus resources only on those athletes who were "obsessed with winning" Reade clearly has that obsession - without it she would have been at home watching the race on television like the rest of us. I suspect that all that was going through her mind was that silver just wasn't good enough for the world number 1. You may have seen a few very unhappy looking individuals standing on the second step at some of the medals ceremonies - and that's the attitude that gives them a chance of standing at the top.
But even if the medals table was her sole concern, it should be pretty obvious that a slim chance of a gold is worth far more than a certain silver, so she wouldn't have done anything differently, would she?
Killeenster: are you anything to do with Liam?
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Just watched it again on the highlights programme - she's been classfied last despite another rider not finishing. She was relegated for that manoeuvre.
I honestly think that even if she had held that inside line she'd have been DQ'd based on that as she would inevitably have impeded Chausson.
So "poor judgement" is my verdict (though I confess I wouldn't have settled for silver either).
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Yes Shanaze could have settle for ‘Silver’ and wouldn’t that have been nice…
But as Jonba said: "second place is the first loser"
But as ever the British Press had decided that she had to win gold, nothing else would do and when she crashed trying then there is the inevitable press criticism. (Thought better of STW forum members)
There was even some old bloke on the BBC saying she should have done “this” and “that”
She came nowhere but watching the race this morning, gustiest Olympic performance to date, despite this being the most successful team GB for years some of our other athletes should take note:
Shanaze turned up to Win – not take part.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Well if you think its a waste of time, as your post would suggest, exactly why do you bother posting yourself?
Is it to give those of us with nothing better to do an insight into that razor sharp mind of yours?
I'm just guessing, but in all honesty its a serious question.
I enjoy the debate on these boards. That's why I post. Why do you post?
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I have to say that I found the BMX outstanding viewing and was honestly gutted to see Reade fall on the last bend. This girl should be the poster girl for 2112.
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To push the buttons of folk who seem to do nothing else but generate meaningless commentary on silly non-sports such as BMX biking of course! And you needn't tell us how much you enjoy posting: you were at it at midnight last night, and again first thing this morning. You're clearly sacrificing a great of your life to post so much here, almost as much as your Olympic heroes! Could "Marathon Internet Posting" be an Olympic event in 2012?
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i hope bmx isnt in 2012... how does it exactly qualify as a sport?
what barriers to entry are there wen olympic sports are chosen?
if bmx is allowed in then why not dodgeball or mayb even skateboarding... :S
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"This girl should be the poster girl for 2112"
I'm sure she do just fine in 2012, but 2112? might be a bit wrinkly by then.
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126 - I'm so glad you feel the need to follow how much I post.
And if our commentary is meaningless, what does that make yours?
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Anyway - I'll let you have the last word - judging by your popularity with your other posts I'm sure you'll come up with another classic piece of prose that demonstrates why you should never have a career as a comdey writer.
Have fun.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I think she showed tremendous commitment and certainly has attitude.
I cannot agree she should be a poster girl for 2012, however. She has a tremendous talent but maybe a higher profile for the sport and a bigger pool of competitors will be her contribution from this Olympics.
She has generated interest and provided good debate. She certainly caused a lot of discussion about whether saying "it's all or nothing" really is enough to explain what (I consider) a poor racing decision. I remain to be convinced it was worth the particular move she attempted.
But a poster for the Olympics? Let's see how things go over the next 4 years, she may well be even more dominant then. In that case, yes. I will still cheer her on - no matter the media perception of her.
Coincidentally, what gives with the "odd" comments at the end? It's a discussion of the story - not some social club for misfits.
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#133 - I agree with you up to a point.
I have no objection to all or nothing as long as it is within the rules.
I think the fact that she got relegated to last place demonstrates that her manouevre was outside the rules and likely would have been (in my opinion) even is she hadn't crashed. Why? Because I think it almost certain she would have impeded the eventual winner.
I think that the focus on that last passing attempt actually detracts from the view that some have made which is that her tactics were wrong overall. Had her tactics been better she wouldn't have been in that position in the first place but would maybe have been leading going into the last berm.
All supposition of course but an interesting debate nonetheless.
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Well done to Shanaze, who is obviously a brave person and has worked very hard.
However, I find the idea that we should be teaching kids that it is better to risk serious injury than to win a silver medal really quite disturbing. Winning any Olympic medal is an amazing achievement - heck, getting on the team is a great achievement.
If I have children, I will teach them to always try their best, to be happy with what they achieve, whether they are first or last, as long as they worked hard, but never to risk their own health or safety simply for a shiny bit of metal.
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It was an interesting discussion - I don't think anyone can question her commitment. I think the event overall "got" to her a bit.
A different discussion might have been was she trying too hard and not just utilising her undoubted ability? It often happens.
Any disagreements in the discussion I felt were about interpretation of her position regarding her comments. I still have the opinion that commitment is fantastic but in a race at that point it was a mistake and a poor decision - understandably given it is an Olympic final.
I simply cannot agree with the "silver is first loser" attitude. I feel it is a consequence of too many factors to say something so shallow. Many people struggle through adversity, prejudice and even illness to attempt a win. Rubbishing anything but first is understandable to an athlete in the rush after an event. To fail to recognise the flaw in the argument for the rest of us I find hard to agree with.
The rest of us do not particularly disrespect the silver medallist, I suspect. And I also really believe that when she wakens up at home she will wish she had that medal - I really do believe that. However, we can never know.
One thing I do not think she should be bothered about is this artificial criticism she should have put "Team GB" first - she puts her performance first and the team support her - not the other way around. "Team" in this context comes straight from the "After Dinner Speakers Handbook of Motivational and Marketing Twaddle".
(That is a really bitter old-man comment!)
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#135
Fair comment
But i understand how Shanaze is feeling, she trained hard for years and crashed out on the last turn. Thats got to be painful but credit to her, she's looking forward and trying to improve. The BMX was a success look forward to seeing it at 2012, much more exciting than horseracing!!!
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I'm sorry, but does the author of this article even know who Anne Caroline Chausson is ?
she completely deserved this victory, she was ahead in every round, but the last one when whe let Shanadze pass, on purpose (see elsewhere)
Chausson is an absolute LEGEND !, one of the greatest sportswomen ever, she won 9 gold medals in downhill racing, when this was the most advanced discipline in cycling, computer assisted suspension, carbon frames, the F1 of cycling.
she is a technical genius, she is over 30, ans just came back to sports to go for this medal, and she got it.
Shanadze got everything wrong, and she wasn't disqualified for no reason !
by the way, why don't u mention that ?
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@clovisguy middle something and others.
you have clearly no idea how hard BMX is.
but i think your opinion isn't even based on what u know (NOTHING) about BMX, but, it's new, so u have the prehistoric ape like reflex to dislike it.
well, you are wrong, your "thought" process is wrong, and your "conclusion" (prejudice) is wrong.
BMX is very intense, after 400 meters u are DEAD, it's like a sprint, no gears, small wheels, unresponsive sand, and a very bad position for speed (but a good one for jumping)
it's hard physically, and technically, what else do u want ?
every new sport is considered, by some idiots like u, in the same way, it's not at all about the sport itself, but about conserving, keeping the olympics as the were before.
u are forgetting that the olympics have been changing every 4 years.
and u are probably not talking about why shooting (not a physical sport by any means), or football (the only sport that is not represented by it's best players), or beach volley a USA (1 team in the quarters) and Brazil (3 teams in the quarters) dominate so completely that it doesn't make any sense at an international competitiion.
what are the criteria for a sport to be acceptable at the Olympic games ?
for you it's being old and trusted, i don't care about your opinion anymore.
it should be about being:
international.
physical, preferably not judged but measured
not random (BMX has a minus there)
i think BMX was one of the highlights of these games, especially after i saw Anne Caroline Chausson win, she really deserved that, she has been a mega-star in the cross-country-downhill world for over 10 years.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Now I wonder who that could be!
Could I just say that is not lwelshbloke but someone trying to impersonate me by using the name Iwelshbloke - one starts with an l - one starts with and I
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Quijote at #136: I really don't think many people here, if any, disrespect the silver medals or the silver medallists. If I had an Olympic silver medal hanging on my wall I'd be very proud indeed.
But I also believe that the 'second is first loser' attitude is in many cases part of what actually gets athletes to the Olympics and in contention for gold; and that many of the athletes from around the world that we've had the privilege to watch these last two weeks simply wouldn't be there if they weren't obsessed with being the winner. I mean if you're prepared to settle for silver then you'll never get the chance to settle for Olympic silver, you get to settle for second place in your local league.
MartinTennis: chill out - your girl won.
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l(I)welshbloke: As you're both posting under assumed names, is this the most pointless case of identity theft ever?
MartinTennis: You tell us that Anne Caroline Chausson win has been a "mega-star" for "over 10 years." And yet not even the real cycling fans here have ever head of her. I'm all for encouraging minority sport but the when not even the cycling fans recognise your established mega stars, does it suggest you're not ready for Olympic status?
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Chausson is an absolute LEGEND !, one of the greatest sportswomen ever, she won 9 gold medals in downhill racing, when this was the most advanced discipline in cycling, computer assisted suspension, carbon frames, the F1 of cycling.
I`m not going to argue about who is the greatest ever sportswomen as that is an impossible task.With your argument about her riding with computer aided suspension etc, wouldn`t that make it easier to ride ? Surely a bike from 30 years ago would be a lot harder to ride than a technologically advanced bike? It`s just that you make it sound harder to win a race with advanced bikes which i thought would make it easier to get a quick time
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It is just a symptom of these sort of blogs - people try and discredit honest posters.
Judging by the post itself it is I'm afraid MartinDFerry.
As for Anne Chausson - the downhill mountain biking community would of course recognise her.
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It's called "trolling" I think, isn't it? There are some odd people about. Hopefully that sort of bad behaviour will get him banned. I agree the downhill mountain biking community would recognise her, however your point raises the broader question of whether it's the size of the community which determines olympic status. BMX may be regarded as a rather controversial choice (particularly by the international sports which don't feature and would claim a larger fanbase such as, for example squash and rugby 7s) but it's clearly stimulated some discussion tonight!
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Don;t forget BMX isn't a new sport - its a new discipline within cycling. Track had to give up the kilo to get BMX.
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#146 - yes; Please Don't Feed The Trolls
Also, I'd agree that squash should definitely be in the Olympics, and probably rugby 7's too, but not at the expense of BMX - there are a lot of sports that I'd drop before cutting BMX.
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It was a great spectacle, i loved it. For me the womens final was the most tense and exciting moment of the Olympics so far, easily.
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Re: Reade's comment.
In my opinion a true winner has one attitude :-
"Seond place is for other people."
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"Glorious failure - what we Brits do best! "
No, that's just it. Shanaze Reade was NOT "Glorious Failure" she made a choice "gold or nothing", Glorious failure is some no mark runner getting 4th in a race where people ahead of them fall over (in the BMX, the New Zealander or the Yank would be "glorious failure".
It's the attitude that has led Great Britain to take 8 gold medals in 16 cycling events. Its about people being *dedicated* to winning and winning being what matters. Its an attitude that the entire sport in the UK now holds at their core and its what has led us to be the dominant nation that we are today.
Let's forget about her failure to follow instruction and wipe on the first semi run. That's not what we are on about and it didn't *directly* effect the choice she made on the final berm.
Reade got no medal because she decided the Gold was all that mattered. I would say that's the right attitude and the results British Cycling have gained demonstrate this is the right attitude.
Regards,
Eduin
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EdTuBrutus quote:
"No, that's just it. Shanaze Reade was NOT "Glorious Failure" she made a choice "gold or nothing", Glorious failure is some no mark runner getting 4th in a race"
Hi Eduin,
That is what I don't see - and this long conversation has still not changed my view.
I see what you are saying as a mantra. It is a chant for people focussed on winning and it has it's place as the correct mentality for many competitors.
What Shanaze did was not a result of positive mental thought. The "gold or nothing" focus does not excuse bad decisions, it does not slow down faster competitors nor excuse racing mistakes. That is the only difference we have in this.
I see people saying she did the "right thing, of course". No she most certainly did not! She was beaten by a better racer on the day! She was out-ridden early, could not pass and made a very poor attempt - way too fast - on the final bend for which she could have ruined the outcome for the other leaders in the race as well as herself. She was even disqualified post race for the move.
There is a difference between a positive attitude/commitment and making a mistake. She, herself, must know she blew it. But she is the only person who can go out and rectify it. I am sure she will in the future.
However, what irritates me is using her words to criticise and berate other people. Those people have different outlooks, abilities and goals. I find this pseudo-excellence posturing very good rhetoric but, ultimately, meaningless. A distraction.
You do not have to be a robotic, disrespectful, single-minded sado-masachist to compete and win. That is fine for some winners but not for all winners.
The ultimate result is the Result. She was last, not even bronze or silver. To me that is more of a loss than simply "not being Gold". She might as well have not shown up. I find that outlook more realistic. Silver and bronze are statements that the record books will preserve. They say that another competitor, on the day, rode a better race. Live with it. Statements such as "Gold or nothing" are soundbites - the media like them for 24 hours then they are gone, forgotten.
The difference with Hoy and others is that they did not make mistakes and they were better on the day.
I do not want to knock Shenaze Reade - although it does sound that way, I really don't. I actually think her "risk it all" mentality hindered her and clouded her judgement - not helped. I believe it may have cost her the Gold. That is why it niggles me to hear it applauded.
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When I watched the final curve incident in slo-mo from various angles, it was clear that the Brit girl was heading upwards on the curve when the collision happened, not downwards to take the inside attack as has been widely advertised. The only advantage I can imagine she could gain with such a move was to deliberately hit the French girl and hope for the best. Don't know enough of rules of BMX would this fall within acceptable racing maneouvres.
Overall in my opinion is that there is no doubt of the courage of the Brit girl, but considering all mistakes she made only in the final race, she has lot to do to develop her racing brain. One part of that is to realize that when you clearly are outplayed for gold, it is no shame to aim for silver.
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kevd11 #127.
First part of your post is twaddle. Second part I agree with.
Firstly you said BMX wasn't a Sport. Perhaps you can tell me what exactly it is then.
You then said that if we are to have BMX in te olympics then why not skaetboarding and dodgeball. What a fantastic idea. I'm only 28 and see half of the sports in the olympc being the legacy of outdated tradition with a fitting home only in the past and in the memory of generations past.
I'm not sure of your age, but I suggest that you hold on to your nostalgia and allow international sport to progress.
The day that sport stops being progressive will never come and it would be a sad day if it did.
As a comparison, think of the progressiveness of technology. If it wasn't for human endeavour to acheive new things and compete in different arenas your comments would be in an envelope with a stamp on the front in the back of a royal mail van and nobody would be reading it on this fangled website thingy.
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"I do not want to knock Shenaze Reade - although it does sound that way, I really don't. I actually think her "risk it all" mentality hindered her and clouded her judgement - not helped. I believe it may have cost her the Gold. That is why it niggles me to hear it applauded. "
No, what cost her gold were earlier mistakes but that's not what I'm commenting on.
Here move at the end was *unlikely* but not impossible. Given that she does have some experience of the event, she is probably aware that, given the angle of approach, being able to get round the inside and take gold was a slim chance - its been done before and others will do it again but as I said its unlikely.
That's whats meant by "gold or nothing" near enough, she has a simple choice. Stop trying, guarantee a silver medal or try and get through the inside and know that Gold is a small chance, getting by but losing speed and still getting Silver is a small chance or wiping is the most likely outcome. And I think we cna be pretty sure coming up to the corner she has enough time to work out these possibilities.
In other sports and historically all British Sport, she's have stopped trying and coasting in for Silver.
You talk about not taking risks, we'll posting a World Record in Team Pursuit probably increases the chance of a crash pretty markedly. But the Team Pursuit boys still went all out, full tilt till the end rather than ride inside themselves.
Was that an error? I don't think so, it's just another example of why British Cycling is the best in the world. They always push for that next level.
Regards,
Eduin
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"When I watched the final curve incident in slo-mo from various angles, it was clear that the Brit girl was heading upwards on the curve when the collision happened, not downwards to take the inside attack as has been widely advertised."
No, the correct term is "she ran out of skill".
She tried a maneuvre which is incredibly hard, holding a tight line at high speed. It is possible but unlikely. Her momentum forced her up because she didn't have the ability to control the speed on the line she wanted. It's not a deliberate take down.
Regards,
Eduin
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Hi Eduin,
I think we just have to agree to differ.
I don't think she had a hope of that pass - and in racing - when possible injury or damage to another is the outcome - competitors need to trust each other. Be it motorbikes, cycling - whatever.
I think her disqualification sums it up and justifies my disagreement with you.
What I feel is happening is that the motivational approach which has stood the cyclists so well in other events is being used as a mask to cover up a very poor racing decision from a cyclist who has become accustomed to winning and could not contemplate losing.
She did it with too much momentum, had no control of her line as a result and then used the "I am a winner" hype to pass it off.
It also seems to obscure the fact she was just plain beaten - if we are honest. If she cannot stomach loss fine - but you cannot just throw yourself into any corner at any speed and dismiss it by saying "well, I wanted to win".
People have also said it was a close thing - really? To me she was nowhere near pulling it off! You don't need to race BMX to see that. Just an opinion - but if I was in the french camp I would be looking for a fight if she had taken her down.
Apart from anything else - look at the result - hardly glorious was it. To paraphrase an earlier reference - a big part of winning a race is finishing.
And to compare with the other cyclists - they won by cycling better - and did not crash out. Sounds like I am being smug but like anyone who is convinced he is right - I am surprised people cannot just say it for what it was - a mistake. It happens. Even to hot British favourites.
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Apologies if anyone else also posted similar comment as I just logged on but I read an article a few days ago which said that her coach died last year. At his funeral a video message was played telling Shanaze to win gold for him so probably also has something to do with the risk.
In my view, she's extremely young to already be one of our top competitors and certainly has the passion to keep on going all the way in 2012.
Q - As she has such potential in the velodrome also, should she go for that instead as she could win several medals (only 1 on offer in BMX I think) or could she even go for both (timetabling permitting)?
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Sadly there are only three women's events in the velodrome. The points race, the sprint and the pursuit.
Her training at the moment would likely only make the sprint an option.
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Post 159
I had not read that. She had the potential to win - I think she was ultra-focussed and could have won.
She will win Olympic events some time - she looks a good bet anyway.
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The most exciting cycling sport is still not in the Olympics - Downhill.
Throw out another track event and get DH included asap.
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2 StrokeProneRat - I like your comment that "the real cycling fans" here have not heard of Anne Caroline Chausson.
Please define what constitutes a "real cycling fan".
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Killerbarbies: I would define a "real cycling fan" as someone sufficiently interested in cycling to engage in a tiresome argument with you over definitions. Hope you find one.
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