South Africa celebrating mediocrity

That Team South Africa has subjected the nation to pitiful performance at the 2008 Olympic Games is a major understatement. I was listening a day ago to caller after caller on one talk radio station justifying the poor performance of these athletes that we have sent to China; in fact these callers were shifting the blame of under-performance to the government. They advance a senseless argument that the government has not supported these athletes in one way or the other, hence their inability to do what they went to China for.

This wave of support and almost a celebration of mediocrity by some of these South Africans may perhaps signal a wind of patriotism sweeping across our land in this moment of Olympics spectacle. If that is indeed the case, then it is commendable that there are those who, for the love of the country, will yield to nothing that seeks to dilute their fervent support of the country’s ambassadors.

However, it is troubling when there is an expression of selective-patriotism, which on closer examination, appears in many ways to be characterised along colour lines. It has been the case in point in the past that members of one particular racial group would be critical of the other, when the latter group is predominant in the under-performing team, and vice versa. Even the defence to mediocrity is often established along colour lines. Other will blame quotas and all sorts of nonsense for such shameful performance.

There has been some measure of consolation that even though Team SA has disappointed at least they have broken or set new Africa records in various events! I had been mostly under the impression that a self-respecting athlete will measure him/herself by prevailing world-records and not by some lower ego-boosting measure that only encourages mediocrity. South Africa must be represented not by so-so athletes but by those who are the best and capable; not only in the continent but in terms of world standards.

The notion that athletes’ aims are not to win but participate is ridiculous! The Springboks did not go to the World Rugby Cup to come second and definitely the nation did not cheer them for second place but for victory. The objective of any athlete for entering whatever competition should be victory and nothing less, otherwise he/she should rather not participate.

It is without doubt that the level of performance has increased considerably since the last Athens Olympics. What our team needed was an extreme talent upgrade to position themselves for medal contention. Optimism is not enough when competitors around you have progressed many steps ahead; it requires realism on part of those hoping for miracles to subvert mediocrity.

The preparation for such events must be brutal and agonising in order that cruising for victory becomes smooth and painless. Whether Team SA over-exerted themselves in the four years following the Athens Olympics in preparation for China is debatable.

When Team SA arrives back home, instead of receiving a heroes’ welcome, theirs will be a smattering of cheers from family members and few members of the public who are sympathetic to their disgraceful endeavours. The bottom line is, for any person demanding a modicum of respect and celebration, mediocrity is not enough!

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) said, “… mediocrity acquires spirit, wit, genius – it become entertaining, it seduces …” I have certainly not been entertained nor seduced by such pitiful performance at the Olympics.

I however subscribe to Joseph Heller’s (1923-1999) claim that, “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.”