OPINION: Bronze is for losers

In a magazine interview, British long distance runner Paula Radcliffe has said that she'd be "happy" if she won a bronze medal at this summer's Olympic Games in London.

Really? Happy with a bronze?

To me, that's an appalling attitude for any sportsperson to have. Nobody should EVER be "happy" with a bronze. Bronze is for losers.

Ok, Paula Radcliffe, despite having won a number of gold medals during her career, and having broken various world records, has always managed to balls-up her push for medals when it comes to the Olympics. In both Athens and Beijing she failed to get close to winning a medal, gaining herself a bit of a reputation as a choker. With medals won at World and European championships, Commonwealth Games, and, of course, various stand alone marathons in many of the world's great cities, the noticeable gap is for any sort of Olympic gong, and so, perhaps, on those grounds, an athlete who is almost certainly now past her best might just be happy with a bronze but, really, what sort of attitude is that to have when going into the greatest sporting arena in the world?

If you're not aiming for gold, why bother?

If you don't believe you can win gold, why bother?

Bronze, and for that matter silver, medals are for losers. They shouldn't be celebrated. Those who get silver and bronze may well have come close to winning gold, but they didn't win gold - that's the point, they lost. They are losers.

I think that, because of her negative and defeatist attitude which may rub off on others, Paula Radcliffe should be dropped from the British Olympic team for this summer's games. Taking part isn't good enough, and, let's be honest, a bronze is little more than taking part.