What do you think about WINNING athletes flopping down at the finish?

Did it ever occur to you that they aren't doing it to tell the others something? That they are genuinely happy? Relieved? Overwhelmed that all their training, with a little bit of good fortune, has come to fruition? That they are thankful?

Believing that all emotional reactions are just performances having the intent of achieving some personal goal ... well, that's a pretty strong sign of clinical sociopathy.

There is this thing that many humans have called "honest emotion". You may wish to do some research on it while you are visiting our planet.

You Are What You Is wrote:

Did it ever occur to you that they aren't doing it to tell the others something? That they are genuinely happy? Relieved? Overwhelmed that all their training, with a little bit of good fortune, has come to fruition? That they are thankful?

Believing that all emotional reactions are just performances having the intent of achieving some personal goal ... well, that's a pretty strong sign of clinical sociopathy.

There is this thing that many humans have called "honest emotion". You may wish to do some research on it while you are visiting our planet.

YES! But, and we've all seen this, this particular flop wasn't that. I've seen some joyous ones that are clearly that, and this was a stagger-to-the-ground-and-lay-there-exhausted flop.

My opinion is that the winner has the right to celebrate in whatever way he wants.

BTW, how old was the race you watched? Did it happen to be AJ Acosta winning Footlocker Nationals?

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

My opinion is that the winner has the right to celebrate in whatever way he wants.

BTW, how old was the race you watched? Did it happen to be AJ Acosta winning Footlocker Nationals?

Was not AJ Acosta, and I'm not about to slam anyone, so the person will remain unnamed. I wouldn't call the flop a celebration. It's a spectacle to further set himself apart from the others who didn't "have" to hit the ground when they finished. Never been a fan of flopping to the ground after a race. I think it sends the wrong message.

Flagpole wrote:

What that tells the other runners is:

"I won because I ran harder than you...I put more effort into this race than you did."

Curious what the Letsrun crowd thinks.

I've come in second before and the guy in front was all doubled over from (I assume) exhaustion. Honestly I really didn't give it any thought or have any hard feelings about it or try to read into it to determine if he was trying to diss me somehow. I wasn't happy that I came in second, but that was really all on me.

So I generally don't have a problem with anyone (winner or otherwise) collapsing at the finish. It sounds though that there is some particular instance you have singled out and are taking issue with. I think I'd really have to see that to pass any judgement on that particular runner.

From River Town, about an American expat teaching in China, recounting a track meet at a teachers college in Fuling:

"It was a serious competition. All of the girls' events over four hundred meters in length ended in every single competitor collapsing at the finish, and before their races the runners carefully recruited groups of friends to carry them away after it was over. In a way it was touching, like a soldier writing a farewell note home before going into battle. A girl would give her friends clear instructions, and then after the race she would collapse in their arms and be carried out of the stadium gates, gasping and crying -- exit stage right, a curious form of Sichuan opera. In the boys' races it was less common, but still about a quarter of the runners collapsed at the finish. Friends helped the boys to the department aid tables, where they were given hot tea and Magnificent Sound cigarettes. After five minutes they were fine."

Is there any subject in the world on which you don't take the most boring possible stance?

Big John wrote:

I've come in second before and the guy in front was all doubled over from (I assume) exhaustion. Honestly I really didn't give it any thought or have any hard feelings about it or try to read into it to determine if he was trying to diss me somehow. I wasn't happy that I came in second, but that was really all on me.

So I generally don't have a problem with anyone (winner or otherwise) collapsing at the finish. It sounds though that there is some particular instance you have singled out and are taking issue with. I think I'd really have to see that to pass any judgement on that particular runner.

Well, ask yourself if flopping to the ground is absolutely necessary, ESPECIALLY when the finish was a blazing kick. Now, if you're talking the weaving dehydrated woman in the marathon or some other extreme circumstance, then I could give an out to a few on a case by case basis, but simply finishing a 5,000 or a mile or whatever on a track, collapsing to the ground is just not necessary at all.

It is hard to comprehend for those who have never won anything of any consequence.

Let me clear my throat:

If I win a race, I'm going to do what I god damn please.

And if you don't like it you can grab on these (gestures).

You posting here is not necessary and yet you just can't stop. Just like a flopper.

Believe it or not, when some people run a race, they do not have the willpower to give it a 99% or 100% effort every single time. Out of my entire high school career, I gave it 100% during a race only one time. The other races were usually 95% or 96%, difficult efforts, but always a smidgen left where I could have ran a a second or two quicker. I was not a "mentally strong" individual.

The one time I did give it 100%, my legs were absolutely shot. They wouldn't even contract enough just to keep me standing.I really wasn't 100% until I woke up the next morning.

So, I know this may BLOW your mind, but sometimes those kids that are standing may have had a bit left over come end of the race, whereas some didn't.

I've collapsed and not collapsed at the finish line after winning. When I collapsed it was b/c of a real hard effort against very good competition where I was not favored and always in a big race. When I won against lesser comp and was favored or in a lesser meet, I never collapsed. It's a combo of very hard effort combined with the exhalation of winning a major event where the outcome is not expected to be in your favor.

Hope that helps.

Makes no difference to me, Batman.

this here wrote:

Believe it or not, when some people run a race, they do not have the willpower to give it a 99% or 100% effort every single time. Out of my entire high school career, I gave it 100% during a race only one time. The other races were usually 95% or 96%, difficult efforts, but always a smidgen left where I could have ran a a second or two quicker. I was not a "mentally strong" individual.

The one time I did give it 100%, my legs were absolutely shot. They wouldn't even contract enough just to keep me standing.I really wasn't 100% until I woke up the next morning.

So, I know this may BLOW your mind, but sometimes those kids that are standing may have had a bit left over come end of the race, whereas some didn't.

No living person has EVER given 100% in a race.

Pointing Out the Obvious wrote:

No living person has EVER given 100% in a race.

That may be true, but one of my college teammates once gave 110%. I know he did because he collapsed after running only 90% of the race.

NAIA Scrub wrote:

Pointing Out the Obvious wrote:

No living person has EVER given 100% in a race.

That may be true, but one of my college teammates once gave 110%. I know he did because he collapsed after running only 90% of the race.

I concede.

Nice post.

River Jackson wrote:

I've collapsed and not collapsed at the finish line after winning. When I collapsed it was b/c of a real hard effort against very good competition where I was not favored and always in a big race. When I won against lesser comp and was favored or in a lesser meet, I never collapsed. It's a combo of very hard effort combined with the exhalation of winning a major event where the outcome is not expected to be in your favor.

Hope that helps.

I don't think exhalation is the word for that situation.

Captain Obliviousness wrote:

River Jackson wrote:

I've collapsed and not collapsed at the finish line after winning. When I collapsed it was b/c of a real hard effort against very good competition where I was not favored and always in a big race. When I won against lesser comp and was favored or in a lesser meet, I never collapsed. It's a combo of very hard effort combined with the exhalation of winning a major event where the outcome is not expected to be in your favor.

Hope that helps.

I don't think exhalation is the word for that situation.

Don't be so sure.