Ben Whittaker/Photo courtesy of NY Post
There are a lot of things in life to cry over. For Ben Whittaker, a British boxer, winning
a silver medal at the Olympics is one of them. While on the podium, the thought of not winning a gold medal sent him into a tantrum that made headlines.The Olympics is known for showcasing the best of the best in a range of sports. However, Whittaker took his second-place finish much harder than many expected.
“You don’t win silver, you lose gold. I’m very disappointed – I feel like a failure,” the 24-year-old boxer said.
Whittaker lost his match in the light-heavyweight division to Arlen Lopez of Cuba, BBC reported.
Whittaker began the match quite confidently but soon, the tables turned and Lopez bested him.
Once on the podium, Ben Whittaker held his head down and put the silver medal in his pocket. He only took it out so that photographers could get the pictures they needed.
In hindsight, Whittaker seemed to regret the miniature tantrum.
“At the time, I should have put this beautiful silver medal round [sic] my neck and smiled because this is not just for me, it’s for the country,” he said. However, that bright spot dimmed again when he apologized to his country for making them witness his loss.
Thankfully, he did demonstrate some after-school special sportsmanship and congratulated his opponent.
The boxer has other aspirations, namely running for mayor of his town, Wolverhampton. However, because he won silver, he plans to try again for a gold medal in the future.
Although he may have felt terrible, this is nowhere near the worst thing that could have happened to him. According to the BBC, he was once fired for eating pie in one of the restroom stalls of a local sports club.
Surely, he will bounce back!