Silver and losing gold

Maybe others will think differently on it but I don't feel most people work hard and apply effort just to come second - not people I surround myself with anyway, and not me! Of course, this depends on what things we apply that to.

A student at university might apply effort and hard work with the intention to graduate and whether they come first, second or lower graduating is the major goal. A person training and working towards competing against others in sporting endeavours however doesn't do so with the idea of placing any lower than first...or shouldn't in my opinion - training to be second best isn't the right mindset.

With the Olympics currently happening in France I was thinking about this and put myself in the position of being an athlete who has worked for years to get there only to come second at the end of the journey and the point in time in which it matters. Second is a position that no matter how it's spun simply is not first and therefore isn't a win.

Winning silver at the Olympics is losing gold - losing in general.

I'd not be happy with it if I'm honest, I'd be devastated to have put so much effort into training and getting good enough at my sport to make it to the world stage to compete with others - an incredible feat in itself - only to not be good enough to win and come away with gold. I'd analyse and evaluate it of course, strategise on how I could do it better next time but in and after the moment I'm not sure if I'd be able to muster a smile or the feeling that I'd given my best.

There is only one winner, that person or team who wins gold, and the rest, while rewarded for their efforts that ultimately were not good enough to actually win, don't win at all. That often comes with one or two results moving forward...the desire to work harder and achieve more next time or the desire to give in. I guess, for those who experience losing, that's the big moment - the moment in which they make the decision to regroup and move forward or let it all go due to their failure. I think those who push on and try harder are the winners in that moment no matter what happens later.

How has defeat on the sporting field made you feel and what happened once it had sunk in? Have you regrouped, evaluated, planned and moved forward to a better result next time or have you given up? Why did you choose that course of action in either case and how has that effected you later on? Feel free to comment.