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Maybe it's because I'm knackered at present (work, work and more work, in fact I'm watching the Olympics whilst working this sunny Saturday morning. Sigh) but I find myself ridiculously moved by the sight of the 6 feet 4? inches tall British rower Matthew Pinsent crying away on the podium when he was handed his gold medal for winning the coxless four rowing race.
It's Pinsent's fourth gold medal in four Olympics. He's won a gold medal at every Olympics over the past *twelve* years. Three of them were won in conjunction with Steve Redgrave, who holds the record for winning five gold medals in five Olympics - over sixteen years! Whether Pinsent will go on to try and equal Redgrave's record and even perhaps beat it (the mind boggles at the thought of winning a gold medal every time over a period of twenty years) is not yet known. But Redgrave says that he thinks Pinsent can do it, because he's so strong.
Which is part of the appeal in watching him cracking up on the podium. All four of the British rowers are big, very fit men. Really in shape (those lycra outfits leave *nothing* - happily - to the imagination). But Pinsent is the biggest. He's usually very cool, calm and collected too, the stereotypical British male. He's even an ex-public schoolboy from Eton. (Translation: one of the top private schools in Britain). Then he went to Oxford University. *Really stereotypical* British male, although actually not at all common. So, to see him losing it, overcome by emotion was lovely.
Congratulations to the team, and also to the gallant Canadians, who won silver and oh so nearly got the gold.
ETA: changed the figures for the years. Maths was never my strong point. *wry smile*
It's Pinsent's fourth gold medal in four Olympics. He's won a gold medal at every Olympics over the past *twelve* years. Three of them were won in conjunction with Steve Redgrave, who holds the record for winning five gold medals in five Olympics - over sixteen years! Whether Pinsent will go on to try and equal Redgrave's record and even perhaps beat it (the mind boggles at the thought of winning a gold medal every time over a period of twenty years) is not yet known. But Redgrave says that he thinks Pinsent can do it, because he's so strong.
Which is part of the appeal in watching him cracking up on the podium. All four of the British rowers are big, very fit men. Really in shape (those lycra outfits leave *nothing* - happily - to the imagination). But Pinsent is the biggest. He's usually very cool, calm and collected too, the stereotypical British male. He's even an ex-public schoolboy from Eton. (Translation: one of the top private schools in Britain). Then he went to Oxford University. *Really stereotypical* British male, although actually not at all common. So, to see him losing it, overcome by emotion was lovely.
Congratulations to the team, and also to the gallant Canadians, who won silver and oh so nearly got the gold.
ETA: changed the figures for the years. Maths was never my strong point. *wry smile*
