Top Issue 1-2024

30 July 2016

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Underdogs, upset, excitement and history

● Rio 2016 Pentathlon Olympians Natalya Coyle and Arthur Lanigan O'Keeffee with young sportists prior to leaving for Brazil


WITH the Olympics starting next Friday, athletes from all over the world are dreaming of Gold, of becoming a sporting hero.

And we hope there will be plenty of upsets. With 2016 proving to be the year of the sporting underdog, anything is possible for those who dare and dream big enough.

Rio Olympics logo

Without doubt, Leicester City’s Premier League win and Portugal coming through to claim UEFA Euro victory will provide some inspiration to the athletes.

But underdog victories are not a new phenomenon. For years, teams like Wimbledon FC (FA Cup winners 1988) and individuals such as Goran Ivanisevic (Wimbledon winner 2001) have been overcoming all sorts of obstacles to create upset, excitement and history.

Underdogs play a key role in sports, especially in the wake of drug scandals and greedy owners increasingly grabbing the headlines.

When underdogs come through they allow teams and fans across all codes to begin to dream and become inspired that they too can win that elusive prize of a championship or beating the odds.

They remind us why we bother playing or supporting and following.

They provide us with inspiration – when they succeed they give us hope that the ‘nobodies’ can become ‘somebodies’.

They allow all of us – players and fans alike – to dream.

Something special happens within the side itself. They break off the chains of fear, pressure and hesitancy, and just play.

They display great commitment, a desire to work for each other, a strong team spirit and – above all else – belief.

When all these factors combine, players can surpass themselves.

But the thing about underdog victories is that they don’t happen that often – that’s why they are special and when they do they serve as a wake-up call to the traditional sporting giants and the status quo is put back in place.

As for the underdogs, they are forever etched in the history books. And people’s memories.

The Rio Olympic Games 2016 begin on Friday 5 August and finish on Sunday 21 August.

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