Sports personality of the year

2

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    RichN95. said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    I think it's going to be a landslide for Emma Raducanu and I think it's totally deserved. Coming from the qualifiers to win the US Open is massive... I can't really think of any other performance that gets anywhere near

    Tom PIdcock hadn't even done a senior MTB race before May. He was Olympic champion just three months later. And he broke his collarbone in between.
    Says more about MTB tbh.
    _
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    rick_chasey said:

    RichN95. said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    I think it's going to be a landslide for Emma Raducanu and I think it's totally deserved. Coming from the qualifiers to win the US Open is massive... I can't really think of any other performance that gets anywhere near

    Tom PIdcock hadn't even done a senior MTB race before May. He was Olympic champion just three months later. And he broke his collarbone in between.
    Says more about MTB tbh.
    This!
    left the forum March 2023
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    edited September 2021
    rick_chasey said:

    RichN95. said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    I think it's going to be a landslide for Emma Raducanu and I think it's totally deserved. Coming from the qualifiers to win the US Open is massive... I can't really think of any other performance that gets anywhere near

    Tom PIdcock hadn't even done a senior MTB race before May. He was Olympic champion just three months later. And he broke his collarbone in between.
    Says more about MTB tbh.
    If she'd been really good all season in singles, then gone and won the doubles having been a doubles player as a junior, it might be a valid comparison.

    (and if tennis wasn't a bit of a bigger deal than MTB.)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,698
    He's a Mountain Biker, not a roadie
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Ok, so there's never been a story like it...... Except

    Just two years ago the US Open was won by a Canadian born teenager with a Romanian father who and only previously won two matches at Grand Slams. She had pulled out of her previous Slam tournament for medical reasons. At the start of the season she had been ranked 152nd in the World.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    TheBigBean said:

    kingstongraham said:

    I think we can write off this discussion for the year.

    Will she get it every year if she keeps winning?
    That's a massive "if". She is going to come up against players of proven quality in future majors which she really didn't at this one.

    She looked really good though.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    kingstongraham said:



    She looked really good though.

    In more than one way... people are partial to a smiley, good looking young girl who is also bright, and extremely talented at sport... essentially it's every parent's dream daughter, isn't it?

    left the forum March 2023
  • notquite6foot
    notquite6foot Posts: 248
    edited September 2021
    RichN95. said:

    Ok, so there's never been a story like it...... Except

    Just two years ago the US Open was won by a Canadian born teenager with a Romanian father who and only previously won two matches at Grand Slams. She had pulled out of her previous Slam tournament for medical reasons. At the start of the season she had been ranked 152nd in the World.

    Which is pretty much where Emma Raducanu was ranked when she started US Open qualifying. As incredible as her journey to the 2019 trophy was, Bianca Andreescu won that title as the 15th seed (as befitting her ranking at the time) and didn't have to win 3 matches just to make the main draw. Nor did she win every set she played.

    I can see what you're getting at, but there's enough of a difference between them for ER's path to US Open glory to be deemed unprecedented and historic.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,927
    kingstongraham said:

    TheBigBean said:

    kingstongraham said:

    I think we can write off this discussion for the year.

    Will she get it every year if she keeps winning?
    That's a massive "if". She is going to come up against players of proven quality in future majors which she really didn't at this one.

    She looked really good though.
    It felt like Murray won it every year for a while. I'd be tempted to ban repeat winners.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    TheBigBean said:

    kingstongraham said:

    TheBigBean said:

    kingstongraham said:

    I think we can write off this discussion for the year.

    Will she get it every year if she keeps winning?
    That's a massive "if". She is going to come up against players of proven quality in future majors which she really didn't at this one.

    She looked really good though.
    It felt like Murray won it every year for a while. I'd be tempted to ban repeat winners.
    2015 seems like a weird one for him. He didn't win any individual major, but was part of the Davis Cup team. 2013 and 2016 - fair enough.

    Shows what a nonsense the whole thing is when Froome got 3% after his second TdF and Farah got 3% after retaining the world titles in 5,000 and 10,000.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited September 2021
    kingstongraham said:



    Shows what a nonsense the whole thing is when Froome got 3% after his second TdF and Farah got 3% after retaining the world titles in 5,000 and 10,000.

    Froome's 2016 season when he wasn't even one of 16 nominees was better than Thomas's 2018 season when he won it.

    It's just a reality TV show, but the BBC treat it as though it is the greatest prize in sport - greater than winning the US Open itself. No-one outside Britain knows anything about it.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    Female, young, personable and comes across as fairly bright. Unless she's torturing puppies in her spare time it's about as nailed on as it gets.

    Still going to vote for a cyclist, if there is one to make the shortlist....
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,819
    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.
  • shinyhelmut
    shinyhelmut Posts: 1,364
    JimD666 said:

    Female, young, personable and comes across as fairly bright. Unless she's torturing puppies in her spare time it's about as nailed on as it gets.

    …and recent, which counts for a lot.

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    shinyhelmut said:


    JimD666 said:

    Female, young, personable and comes across as fairly bright. Unless she's torturing puppies in her spare time it's about as nailed on as it gets.

    …and recent, which counts for a lot.


    Also not crowded out by others, as with the Olympics
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    mrb123 said:

    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.

    Again, it sounds a bit mean, but where is the opposition? Paralympics are a bit of a mixed bag... some races are very close, some others are not... on the track she annihilated the opposition, sign that there's not much there... respect to the athlete, but the US Open are a different thing... IMO
    left the forum March 2023
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    RASHFORD for me
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited September 2021
    ugo.santalucia said:

    mrb123 said:

    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.

    Again, it sounds a bit mean, but where is the opposition? Paralympics are a bit of a mixed bag... some races are very close, some others are not... on the track she annihilated the opposition, sign that there's not much there... respect to the athlete, but the US Open are a different thing... IMO

    In the road race she rode on the front the whole time with the other GB rider in her wheel so the GB rider got the silver (as she did in all Storey's events). It was like a Premiership player turning up to your five a side league.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    RichN95. said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    mrb123 said:

    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.

    Again, it sounds a bit mean, but where is the opposition? Paralympics are a bit of a mixed bag... some races are very close, some others are not... on the track she annihilated the opposition, sign that there's not much there... respect to the athlete, but the US Open are a different thing... IMO

    In the road race she rode on the front the whole time with the other GB rider in her wheel so the GB rider got the silver (as she did in all Storey's events). It was like a Premiership player turning up to your five a side league.
    Yes, basically...
    left the forum March 2023
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    ugo.santalucia said:

    mrb123 said:

    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.

    Again, it sounds a bit mean, but where is the opposition? Paralympics are a bit of a mixed bag... some races are very close, some others are not... on the track she annihilated the opposition, sign that there's not much there... respect to the athlete, but the US Open are a different thing... IMO
    Considering Raducanu never lost a set, never even faced a break to lose a set, where was her opposition? I know it doesn't tell the whole story, I didn't watch enough to know if she was taken to break point in every game and she survived despite that. A quick check of the results though show many of the matches were won fairly easily (6-1, 6-0 etc)

    What she did was incredible, historic even, but only time will tell if she can back it up. Or is this as good as it gets for her?

    Sarah Storey has been doing it year in year out. She has backed it up, time after time.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,819
    ugo.santalucia said:

    mrb123 said:

    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.

    Again, it sounds a bit mean, but where is the opposition? Paralympics are a bit of a mixed bag... some races are very close, some others are not... on the track she annihilated the opposition, sign that there's not much there... respect to the athlete, but the US Open are a different thing... IMO
    She has been winning medals since Barcelona 1992. Multiple medals in swimming and then a sack full in cycling.

    She is also a former national champion in able bodied cycling events.

    Her opposition in the latest Para games may not have been that strong, but you can only beat what's in front of you, as did Radacanu.

    As I said, she won't win, but I admire her incredible achievements over many years.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    JimD666 said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    mrb123 said:

    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.

    Again, it sounds a bit mean, but where is the opposition? Paralympics are a bit of a mixed bag... some races are very close, some others are not... on the track she annihilated the opposition, sign that there's not much there... respect to the athlete, but the US Open are a different thing... IMO
    Considering Raducanu never lost a set, never even faced a break to lose a set, where was her opposition? I know it doesn't tell the whole story, I didn't watch enough to know if she was taken to break point in every game and she survived despite that. A quick check of the results though show many of the matches were won fairly easily (6-1, 6-0 etc)

    What she did was incredible, historic even, but only time will tell if she can back it up. Or is this as good as it gets for her?

    Sarah Storey has been doing it year in year out. She has backed it up, time after time.
    I don't think it's doing Storey a disservice to say her sport doesn't have the depth of talent or public interest to merit the award.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    JimD666 said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    mrb123 said:

    Sarah Storey really would be a worthy winner but she won't get it. Hopefully they will consider her for a lifetime achievement award at least when she finally packs in.

    Again, it sounds a bit mean, but where is the opposition? Paralympics are a bit of a mixed bag... some races are very close, some others are not... on the track she annihilated the opposition, sign that there's not much there... respect to the athlete, but the US Open are a different thing... IMO
    Considering Raducanu never lost a set, never even faced a break to lose a set, where was her opposition? I know it doesn't tell the whole story, I didn't watch enough to know if she was taken to break point in every game and she survived despite that. A quick check of the results though show many of the matches were won fairly easily (6-1, 6-0 etc)

    What she did was incredible, historic even, but only time will tell if she can back it up. Or is this as good as it gets for her?

    Sarah Storey has been doing it year in year out. She has backed it up, time after time.
    Were there many of the top seeds missing in the tournament?
    If no. 1 seed gets beaten by no. 10 and Raducanu has to face no. 10 as a result, we have to assume that on the day no. 10 is a stronger opponent than no. 1, don't we?

    I don't think there is such a thing as an "easy Grand Slam", not in this day and age
    left the forum March 2023
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Peaty was my nailed on favourite before Saturday.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,927
    Raducanu has just been described as the most martketable athlete since Beckham. Speaking Chinese and winning in the US is a good start for global domination.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    I heard someone on radio saying that women's tennis is currently in a post Serena period of openess with lots of Slam winners - 13 since Serena's last one in 2017. It looked like Osaka would be the dominant force, but is struggling mentally. So they're waiting for the next big stars. It might be Raducanu, it might not. Time will tell if this surprise winner is like Froome at the 2011 Vuelta or Tao at the 2020 Giro. (Maybe being harsh on Tao, but I don't think he'll see another GT podium)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    ugo.santalucia said:



    Were there many of the top seeds missing in the tournament?

    No, the only one from the WTA top 20 who didn't enter (Covid) was Sofia Kenin.
  • rjgr
    rjgr Posts: 52
    Well, with the greatest respect to Sarah Storey, today, if a woman cyclist is on the short-list (and they certainly deserve to be) then Lizzie Deignan just 'hit the ball out of the velodrome'!

    Awesome ride.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I pretty sure winning some weird race on farm tracks in France / Belgium won't be viewed as being as impressive as Paralympic golds. Not that it matters as Radacanu is walking off with the title.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,819
    Pross said:

    I pretty sure winning some weird race on farm tracks in France / Belgium won't be viewed as being as impressive as Paralympic golds. Not that it matters as Radacanu is walking off with the title.

    Well we can definitely rule out AJ.

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