I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
I think Daley Thompson's trophy cabinet goes some way to make up for the horrendous inadequacy he must feel knowing that you think he's a bit arrogant.
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
Very few people in life generally make money out of something they love. If you didn't like your job and had more money than you ever needed wouldn't you pack it in? I know I would.
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
I think Daley Thompson's trophy cabinet goes some way to make up for the horrendous inadequacy he must feel knowing that you think he's a bit arrogant.
Arrogant was probably too strong a word, as in fact is the unnecessary tone you have taken.
Thompson is an athlete I most admire, I am fully aware that he feels no 'horrendous inadequacy' on my account. As in fact I'm sure you realise.
From the Guardian at the time:- (not that you're interested)
His last lap of the final event, the 1500 metres, showed that the age when sportsmen gave their all for the gold medal are gone. He decided that he did not want to break the world record, which was there for the taking, and the fact that he missed it by just one point was just coincidence.
His time of 4min 35sec for the event was 0.1 sec slower than he required, giving a points total of 8,797. The record was set by Jürgen Hingsen, his West German rival who won the silver medal, in May at Mannheim.
Respect to the guy. He’ll have people all around the world telling him that he’s made a mistake and that he’s given up something precious etc etc. But he’s been brave enough to make a move to look after his happiness first.
I was interviewing an amateur player today. By far the best at his club, he’s a brilliant defensive midfielder. Smart, physically fit and strong, 29 years old. He said he’s giving up after this year to play golf at the weekends.
Every other player I’ve spoken to worries about the day arriving when they can’t play anymore. They don’t know what to do. But every now and then you get someone who’s happy to play golf instead!
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
I think Daley Thompson's trophy cabinet goes some way to make up for the horrendous inadequacy he must feel knowing that you think he's a bit arrogant.
Arrogant was probably too strong a word, as in fact is the unnecessary tone you have taken.
Thompson is an athlete I most admire, I am fully aware that he feels no 'horrendous inadequacy' on my account. As in fact I'm sure you realise.
From the Guardian at the time:- (not that you're interested)
His last lap of the final event, the 1500 metres, showed that the age when sportsmen gave their all for the gold medal are gone. He decided that he did not want to break the world record, which was there for the taking, and the fact that he missed it by just one point was just coincidence.
His time of 4min 35sec for the event was 0.1 sec slower than he required, giving a points total of 8,797. The record was set by Jürgen Hingsen, his West German rival who won the silver medal, in May at Mannheim.
You haven't explained why "he should have smashed the world record out of sight". His task wasn't to break the world record. It was to win a gold medal.
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
I think Daley Thompson's trophy cabinet goes some way to make up for the horrendous inadequacy he must feel knowing that you think he's a bit arrogant.
Arrogant was probably too strong a word, as in fact is the unnecessary tone you have taken.
Thompson is an athlete I most admire, I am fully aware that he feels no 'horrendous inadequacy' on my account. As in fact I'm sure you realise.
From the Guardian at the time:- (not that you're interested)
His last lap of the final event, the 1500 metres, showed that the age when sportsmen gave their all for the gold medal are gone. He decided that he did not want to break the world record, which was there for the taking, and the fact that he missed it by just one point was just coincidence.
His time of 4min 35sec for the event was 0.1 sec slower than he required, giving a points total of 8,797. The record was set by Jürgen Hingsen, his West German rival who won the silver medal, in May at Mannheim.
You haven't explained why "he should have smashed the world record out of sight". His task wasn't to break the world record. It was to win a gold medal.
Any athlete should want to smash records. The whole point is to be the strongest/quickest/best and nothing says that more than a World Record. You break a WR at the Olympics in the Decathlon, you win Gold anyway.
Can someone please explain, on this thread about Andre Schurrle's retirement, what Daley Thompson actually did in the final lap of the 1500 metres of the decathlon in the Olympics in LA that was so bad?
Can someone please explain, on this thread about Andre Schurrle's retirement, what Daley Thompson actually did in the final lap of the 1500 metres of the decathlon in the Olympics in LA that was so bad?
I think he just jogged around keeping his main rival in sight rather than running his fastest time.
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
Very few people in life generally make money out of something they love. If you didn't like your job and had more money than you ever needed wouldn't you pack it in? I know I would.
And how many people actually understand the physical and mental stress and the expectation of all those around him and fans alike? Schurrle has probably been carrying that for 20 years plus.
There is no doubt that most of us can't afford a change in direction. But going out at the top of your game can be far more satisfying than carrying on and resenting the game - which, in any event, stopped being a "game" many many years ago.
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
I think Daley Thompson's trophy cabinet goes some way to make up for the horrendous inadequacy he must feel knowing that you think he's a bit arrogant.
Arrogant was probably too strong a word, as in fact is the unnecessary tone you have taken.
Thompson is an athlete I most admire, I am fully aware that he feels no 'horrendous inadequacy' on my account. As in fact I'm sure you realise.
From the Guardian at the time:- (not that you're interested)
His last lap of the final event, the 1500 metres, showed that the age when sportsmen gave their all for the gold medal are gone. He decided that he did not want to break the world record, which was there for the taking, and the fact that he missed it by just one point was just coincidence.
His time of 4min 35sec for the event was 0.1 sec slower than he required, giving a points total of 8,797. The record was set by Jürgen Hingsen, his West German rival who won the silver medal, in May at Mannheim.
You haven't explained why "he should have smashed the world record out of sight". His task wasn't to break the world record. It was to win a gold medal.
Any athlete should want to smash records. The whole point is to be the strongest/quickest/best and nothing says that more than a World Record. You break a WR at the Olympics in the Decathlon, you win Gold anyway.
But Daley Thompson wasn't "any athlete".
History is full of people who might have been good enough to be champions, but weren't. Daley Thompson is the only athlete that won gold at the decathlon in 1980. Everyone else failed. He did it again four years later.
Two Olympic gold medals. A World Championship good medal. Two European Championship gold medals. Three Commonwealth Games gold medals. Yet, despite that, people complain that he jogged a 1,500m in order to win the Olympics.
His record should put him beyond petty criticism for not breaking the world record.
It's not as if he didn't break the world record. Four times.
I didn't know the Daley Thompson story until reading this thread. Sounds perfectly reasonable that he "took it easy" in the last event in order to win the whole thing. What would have happened if he'd gone all out and pulled a muscle or something? Everyone would have said he was an idiot! And as said he has multiple gold medals and is one of the greatest athletes of all time! Good luck to schurrle, he's made a fortune from the game, it doesnt make him happy, so why not do something else?
When you’re 29 and have millions in the bank it must be quite easy to fall out of love with the game. Where is the desire? It’s almost as though he “completed” the game.
this will happen more and more with the money in the game now,
I was merely trying to say that time and tide wait for no man. If you are blessed with youth, strength, vigour and a god given talent why not use it while you can?
Thompson undoubtedly was a cheeky chappie. He told a live American audience that he hadn't had so much fun since his Granny got her tit stuck in the mangle, he swore on the BBC, said he wanted to make babies with Princess Anne and there was of course the T shirt that enquired if the World's second best athlete (Carl Lewis) was gay. Yeah we loved him for it at the time.
But, why in the form of his life did he choose to run that final 1500 event 11 seconds slower than his best time. He could have seen his points total soar to the 9000 mark, which at the time would have put him in the legendary long jumper Bob Beamon bracket. OK Thompson had his way and he milked the crowd as he trotted round. Breaking records was gonna be for another day. Sadly that day, that golden opportunity, never came again.
Thanks for the reminder @MrOneLung at Bubka's money making production line. I wasn't fuming, but I did shake my head a few times as I mourned the death of the Corinthian spirit. Maybe I'm just too old .
I cant believe some of the chat on here, I cant stand footballers who string their careers out knowing they are finished with football and are on the hunt for 3 years contracts to then promptly injure themselves and not fancy a Tuesday night trip to Sheffield but pick up the wage
Also given how much we know about mental health and how much the impossible dream is pushed of not chasing money but happiness and he's been honest enough to knock it on the head, fair play. He would have pulled a lot of money in and I doubt he needs to be uprooting his family anymore.
if Daley Thompson is to be criticised it should be for the Carl Lewis slur and for whistling during the national anthem when getting his gold medal
The "Carl Lewis" slur was never precisely what it seemed, though. His t-shirt asked "IS THE WORLD'S 2ND GREATEST ATHLETE GAY?" You could assume he meant either Lewis or the West German decathlete Jurgen Hingsen, either of whom could be considered "the world's second greatest athlete". It was a slur against either of them for considering themselves better athletes than him.
Comments
I always think of that arrogant run of Daley Thompson in the 1500 metres L.A. Olympic decathlon.
He could and should have smashed the world record out of sight. Time and injury soon caught up with him and he was never able to compete at that level again. An opportunity utterly wasted, he (and we) will never know what he could've achieved. He must regret that.
Same goes for talented footballers. Why give up early? It's not something that can be returned to later in life.
Good luck to him.
Borg for example, but also players like McEnroe, Hingis and Clijsters who all quit or had sabbaticals then came back
Thompson is an athlete I most admire, I am fully aware that he feels no 'horrendous inadequacy' on my account. As in fact I'm sure you realise.
From the Guardian at the time:- (not that you're interested)
His last lap of the final event, the 1500 metres, showed that the age when sportsmen gave their all for the gold medal are gone. He decided that he did not want to break the world record, which was there for the taking, and the fact that he missed it by just one point was just coincidence.
His time of 4min 35sec for the event was 0.1 sec slower than he required, giving a points total of 8,797. The record was set by Jürgen Hingsen, his West German rival who won the silver medal, in May at Mannheim.
There is no doubt that most of us can't afford a change in direction. But going out at the top of your game can be far more satisfying than carrying on and resenting the game - which, in any event, stopped being a "game" many many years ago.
History is full of people who might have been good enough to be champions, but weren't. Daley Thompson is the only athlete that won gold at the decathlon in 1980. Everyone else failed. He did it again four years later.
Two Olympic gold medals. A World Championship good medal. Two European Championship gold medals. Three Commonwealth Games gold medals. Yet, despite that, people complain that he jogged a 1,500m in order to win the Olympics.
His record should put him beyond petty criticism for not breaking the world record.
It's not as if he didn't break the world record. Four times.
this will happen more and more with the money in the game now,
Thompson undoubtedly was a cheeky chappie. He told a live American audience that he hadn't had so much fun since his Granny got her tit stuck in the mangle, he swore on the BBC, said he wanted to make babies with Princess Anne and there was of course the T shirt that enquired if the World's second best athlete (Carl Lewis) was gay. Yeah we loved him for it at the time.
But, why in the form of his life did he choose to run that final 1500 event 11 seconds slower than his best time. He could have seen his points total soar to the 9000 mark, which at the time would have put him in the legendary long jumper Bob Beamon bracket. OK Thompson had his way and he milked the crowd as he trotted round. Breaking records was gonna be for another day. Sadly that day, that golden opportunity, never came again.
Thanks for the reminder @MrOneLung at Bubka's money making production line. I wasn't fuming, but I did shake my head a few times as I mourned the death of the Corinthian spirit. Maybe I'm just too old
... Don't get me started on Lyle Taylor ...
Also given how much we know about mental health and how much the impossible dream is pushed of not chasing money but happiness and he's been honest enough to knock it on the head, fair play. He would have pulled a lot of money in and I doubt he needs to be uprooting his family anymore.