The love for Keely on this side of the pond rivals that of her country folks. No mystery as to why but not to worry,they’ll sour on her soon enough once they found out who her boyfriend is.
Reasons : 1) She’s a gold medalist and it wasn’t close. 2) it is a competitive event 3) she’s an indigenous British representing the flag; word of appearance spreads 4) White people, though the minority in London, are still the overwhelming majority in the UK. It makes sense white people kept their tv screens on the longest for a gold medalist in track that looks like them. My 100 cents 💯
I understand this and don't think it's at all racist. By the same token, I identify more with Lyles, Kung Fu, Tebogo, Nuguse, Lagat, and Makh daddy than with some white dudes (and ladies).
If the only reason you identify with them is because of the color of their skin I would contend that is racist, need to call it out both ways. The poster before you called out things around shared experiences, where they grew up, etc. which is why I found the inclusion of Cooper Teare (NOT AN OLYMPIAN) and exclusion of Yared Nuguse (OLYMPIC MEDALIST BORN AND RAISED IN KENTUCKY) quite interesting.
Fair points to be sure. I agree that if this was "just" about skin color, it would be racist. That is pretty much the definition of racism.
But that isn't really what it comes down to for me. It has to do with the community you are raised in and your body-type.
I don't identify with the Tigray community in Kentucky because "Tigray" and "Kentucky" mean little to my sense of self. The body-type of runners with Tigray heritage also means I will never have their weight, height, or form. You can't diet your way down to 128lbs if you a 6'1 white guy with English grandparents.
Cooper Teare was one of my examples because "not making the team" is something a lot of D3 guys like myself can very well identify with. Teare got no medals? Me too! :)
I don't identify with any sprinters because I can't sprint and am skinny-fat. I basically look like an out-of-shape Bob Kennedy. So guess what, that is who I relate to. This is normal human psychology.
And BTW, I wasn't saying these have to be your "favorite" runners. My favorite runner of all time was Geb. But I don't relate to Geb the way I do to someone like Kennedy. And my favorite miler of this era is Nuguse who I got to meet at Pre. He could not be any nicer!
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Soon to be Dame Keely Hodgkinson, while the real worthwhile in society go unnoticed.
UK honours system is a joke.
Can you substantiate this?
Well, isn't Mo Farah a knight now? I think that is worth a second look... I don't think "winning gold medals" should be a criteria for the Medal of Honor, right?
I love sports more than 99% of people but athletes are not really "heroes" in any real sense of the word. I love what they do (bring joy) and how the do it (by showing us the limits of human potential) but I think of them more like actors or musicians.
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Do you think Hispanic runners are "racist" for the particular pride they had in Leonel Manzano's accomplishments? Are the Tigray people around the world "racist" for being especially proud of Nuguse? Would you call them out for caring more about Nuguse than Kerr? Kerr is better, so by you definition all the Ethiopians living in the U.K. should be fans of Kerr, not Nuguse.
Obviously not. That would be nuts. People love their people. That is not racist or bad. If you are connected to someone, you are closer to them. That is tautologically true.
If you live in Seattle and run on the same track as Kerr, you are "closer to Kerr" than you are to Bernard Lagat. But if you are Kenyan or ran at WSU with him back in the 90s, then you are closer to Lagat. If Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare went to college with your kid, you might feel a connection to those guys even if you don't know them personally. That's how fandom in sports works.
It is about relationships, connections, and sense of community. We are not equally connected to all other humans on Earth. That's okay.
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