Summer Olympics 2012: 7 Athletes Facing the Most Pressure to Win Gold Medal
There is a ton of pressure put on some athletes to succeed during the Olympics.
Some athletes have dominated their individual events leading up to the Olympics and are the heavy favorites to win gold.
Others are on teams that are supposed to come out on top and have the pressure of leading their squads to victory.
Either
way, failing to live up to the hype is not only embarrassing for the
athlete, but also disappointing for their entire country’s fanbase.
Here are seven athletes who are facing the most pressure to succeed during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Jessica Ennis
Country: Great Britain
Event: Heptathlon
No British athlete has bigger expectations on him or her than Jessica Ennis does.
From
2009 until now, the 26-year-old Ennis has finished either first or
second in every major competition she has entered. She understands that
every British fan thinks she will win and will consider her a failure if
she doesn’t.
Ennis spoke with the press recently about these expectations
and the pressure on her to take home the gold in her first Olympic games.
“Because
of the expectation and pressure, I think anything but gold, everyone
would view that as a failure. But it’s just about focusing on what I
know I can do. I obviously get asked a lot about the pressure and how
I'm feeling and of course I feel it. There is a lot of expectation going
into a home Games for anyone, but I'm just really focused on my
training and how things have been going and realistically what I can
achieve.”
No one wants to disappoint their fans and
their country. Jessica Ennis will have to focus extra hard if she wants
to overcome all the distractions and take home the gold in front of her
home crowd.
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh
Country: United States
Event: Beach Volleyball
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in beach volleyball in 2004 and 2008.
Since
though, the two have gone in very separate directions. Misty
May-Treanor tore her Achilles and was forced to miss significant time
rehabbing her injury. Kerri Walsh gave birth to two children since 2008
and was forced to get a new partner in May-Treanor’s absence.
The
two recently teamed up again, but will not be entering the Olympics
with the No. 1 ranking like they are accustomed to having. The pair is
currently ranked third in the world, but is determined to become the
greatest duo ever with a third straight Olympic gold medal.
Walsh recently spoke with
Jim Caple of ESPN.com about teaming up with Misty May-Treanor once again and defending their title.
"Misty
said we have nothing left to prove because we have done so many great
things, but I want to prove to the world that we're the best in 2012. I
feel like if we win a third gold medal, when we win a third gold medal
in London, it will put us in that realm. We'll be the best there ever
was in beach volleyball, and I just want that. I want us to do it
because we're capable.”
Novak Djokovic
Country: Serbia
Event: Tennis
From July 4, 2011 until July 8, 2012, Novak Djokovic was the No. 1-rated men’s singles tennis player in the world.
Less than a month ago though, Roger Federer took that title back for the third time in his career.
With Rafael Nadal, the defending gold medalist from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, not able to compete this year because of
an injury,
Djokovic and Federer are the clear favorites to become Olympic
champion. The pressure is on Djokovic to prove he is deserving of the
No. 1 spot and defeat Federer, who owns their head-to-head record 15-12.
Federer
is the crafty veteran who will never go away, but this is supposed to
be Djokovic’s time to shine now. He is a younger and faster player and
must be victorious at the Olympics in order to reclaim his spot on top
of the tennis world.
Hope Solo
Country: United States
Event: Soccer
The goalie on any soccer team has more pressure on them than any of the other players.
Besides
being the goalie, the United States women’s soccer team is also the
heavy favorite to take home the gold medal. The four times that women’s
soccer has been an Olympic sport, the Americans have won the gold three
times and silver once.
A strong performance by Hope Solo is
essential to the United States continuing its dominance. If the
Americans don’t do as well as they have in the past, you can be sure
Solo is the one who will be blamed for the loss.
She understands these expectations and knows she can handle the pressure,telling Andrew Romano of
The Daily Beast, “It takes a lot to rattle me these days.”
Usain Bolt
Country: Jamaica
Event: 100- and 200-Meter Dash
Usain Bolt is regarded as the fastest man on the planet.
Bolt
is the reigning gold medalist in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints.
Not only did he win both races back in 2008 in Beijing, but he also set
the world record in both events in the process.
Bolt is still
the world record holder in both events, but has recently been getting
beat by fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake. Blake, not Bolt, actually
enters the 2012 Olympics as the favorite to take home the gold in these
two events.
If Usain Bolt wants to maintain his status as the
fastest man and not get overshadowed by Blake during these Olympics, he
must overcome the pressure and defeat Blake once again.
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A More Flexible Interview
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Dating Before Marriage
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Change Agent
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Money
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Bağdat Caddesi
Gel de parmaklara hakim ol, yapma bir Caddebostan, Bağdat Caddesi nostaljisi şimdi!...diğer bir deyişle 'Karşı taraf' . Cok uzun seneler yazları gittiğim, son yıllarda ise her Türkiye'ye gittiğimde kaldığım Istanbul'un bir başka eşşiz köşesi.
1960'lı 70'li yıllarda köşkleriyle, bahçelerinden salkım salkım sarkan ortancalarıyla, billur gibi denizliyle, 'sayfiye' yeri olmasıyla meşhur Erenköy, Suadiye, Caddebostan.
Dükkanların az, ağaçların çok olduğu, bunca yıl geçmesine rağmen hala güzelliğini koruyan Bağdat Caddesi. On, onbir yaşımdan itibaren yazlarım geçti oralarda. Sokaklarda oynanırdı o zamanlar, öyle pek araba filan geçmezdi. Doyasıya bisiklete binilir, el birakarak gitmek büyük marifet sayılır Erenköy, Saskınbakkal, Göztepe bisikletle rahat rahat gidilir dönülürdü. Deniz için bazı sokakların denize vardıkları noktalarda bulunan kayıkhanelerden saatlik ücretle kayık kiralanır, kadın erkek kürek çekmeyi bilir, kayıktan denize girilirdi. Bazı gençler dalıp iskele ayaklarından midye toplar bazıları ise sığ kumda zıpkınla vatos avlarlardı. Sokaklardan dondurmacılar geçerdi o zamanlar. Simdiki gibi binbir çeşit ne gezer 'Dondurma, Kaymaaak' diye bağıran dondurmacının küçücük arabasında sadece kaymaklı ve limonlu dondurma olur, bazen ise çeşit olsun diye vişneli bulunurdu.
Caddebostan Plajı'nın yanı sıra bir de üyelikle girilebilen klüpler vardı. Marmara Yelken Klubü başta olmak üzere, Balıkadamlar, Caddebostan Yat Klübü ve İstanbul Yelken. Eğer bunlardan birine üyeyseniz veya üye bir arkadaşınız varsa bazı sporları yapma veya izleme olanağınız olur, voleybol, ping pong oynar, kıyıdan yelkenlilerin yarışlarını izlerdiniz. Denizin ortasında ise köfteciler vardı. Bunlardan aklımda kalanı ise mayomuzun kenarına sıkıştırdığımız parayla yüzdüğümüz, veya kayıkla yanaştığımız 'Fıştak'tı. Dönerken yüzülüyorsa demirlemiş kayıklara tutuna tutuna, dinlene dinlene yüzülürdü.
Akşamüstüne doğru herkesi bir 'piyasa' heyecanı alırdı. Saçlar yıkanır, bildiğımız ütüyle ütülenerek düzeltilir, ve (Bağdat) Cadde'ye binbir tur atmaya çıkılırdı. Bir aşağı, bir yukarı. Parkur ise genellikle Santral Durağı'ndan Saşkınbakkala kadardı. O zaman 'cafe' adeti bir elin parmaklarını geçmez, 'Borsa'da yer bulabilmek için hızlı davranmak gerekir, 'Divan' ise gençlere çok pahalı geldiğinden ancak hafif 'yaşı geçmiş'lerin duraklama mekanı olurdu. Hali varaba sahiakti oldukça yerinde olan birkaç genç ise bir aşağı bir yukarı arabayla giderek Mustang veya Corvette'leriyle gelene geçene hava atarlardı.
Geceleri ise açık hava sinemalarının keyfine doyulmazdı. Caddebostan'daki Ozan Sineması'nda genellikle Türk filmleri oynar, çıkınca biraz aşağıda, Caddebostan Maksim Gazino'sunun (MIGROS)yakınındaki büfe'de 'zümküfül' yenirdi (Bir çeşit sosisli sandoviç ) Yabancı filmlerin mekanı ise Budak Sineması'ydı (Şimdiki CKM). Yastıgını kapıp tahta iskemlelere yerleştirdikten sonra, çekirdeğini çıtlatarak izlenirdi filmler. Bazen bu sinemalarda Cem Karaca gibi o zamanın ünlü sesleri konserler verir, bazıları ağaç tepelerinden konser izlerdi.
Sonra sonra o köşkler birer birer yıkılmaya, yerlerin uzun uzun binalar dikilmeye, Cadde'deki evlerin yerlerini dükkanlar almaya, arabalar çoğalmaya, faytonlar yok olmaya, tekerlekli dondurmacıların yerini Algida'cılar almaya başladı. Ama ne mutlu ki tüm büyümeler, kalabalıklaşmalar rağmen 'Cadde'yi bozmayı başaramadı! O hala 'Cadde', İstanbul'un ,Türkiye'nin en güzide caddesi hala boydan boya yürümekten zevk aldığım, bir yerde oturup geleni geçeni izlemenin keyfini her yıl bir iki hafta yaşayabildiğim bir yer.
The best way to improve health care requires physicians and other stakeholders
My honest approach for how to improve the care is to support a methodology such as being self-serving. I would like to start a program to introduce a software-based point-of-care tool for obtaining patient feedback. This real time information can be used with clients to positively impact the patient experience, nurse engagement, physician (soft skills) competence and overall quality. In my perspective the criteria for fulfilling the demand for finding the best way to improve healthcare is that it need be simple to implement, impactful and cost effective. The most impact to healthcare improvement will come from process improvement and healthcare provider recruitment AND retention. The by-products will be reduced cost of care and improved patient satisfaction. This applies to hospitals and private practices. Based on current studies and the economy, supplying adequate healthcare to the community is already tough and is going to get more challenging. Recruiting sufficient healthcare coverage will boost revenue and provide some improvement to patient satisfaction (wait time and access). However, failure to retain the medical staff will significantly hurt the outcome. With high demand and low supply, it will be well worth the time and money to present "we have the greenest pastures here". The method mentioned above may be called such as point-of-care through successful implementations that may turn in to popular key parts of process improvement. You need to have some feedback from the patients and the physicians in order to measure the processes that should be or are currently being improved. In order to achieve this you have to create the acronym HOSPITAL to help those in Healthcare recall the numbers of different types of inefficiencies in any medical facility. Those who have been exposed to Six Sigma and Lean have an appreciation for improvement opportunities and generally view things through differently trained eyes that can see within all those facilities. Publishing the results of the similar programs online may offer a transparent access to the consumers to monitor these inefficiencies. Welcoming any feedback relative to this and encourage your staff to consider this method or similar training methods for their teams will be highly critical for the outcome. We have to understand that it is impossible to solve a problem that we are unaware of. By providing even the most basic tools at the lowest level possible, these problems have a way of surfacing. While everyone recognizes that healthcare systems and organizations need to improve, I think not enough time is spent on firstly identifying the key stakeholders, and secondly properly ENGAGING them. I strongly believe that not enough time is spent trying to engage physicians in this process. In my experience too many of these "improvement strategies" are top-down decisions by non-clinical managers who failed to conduct any research into what physicians might want or what stumbling blocks there are/were to get them to adopt the new technologies. EMR/EHR/CPOE are prime examples - all of these require a breakdown in the normal activity flow of providers, as it requires them to either find and log on to a terminal or carry a bulky instrument. Almost all clients and colleagues I have worked with resent and resist those methods. And look how few MDs are part of Healthcare consulting firm teams. IMHO, I believe more energy should be spent engaging rather than alienating MDs as a first step, then doing the same for patients in order to get buy in from the two key stakeholders as I see it. I've always found that engaging these stakeholders on projects from the beginning results in more buy-in and most importantly, better recommendations/outcomes (a better product).
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