Sports fanatic Isaac Smith shares his thoughts on athletes competing at the Olympics in his new, exclusive sports column My Take, to appear fortnightly on hawthornfc.com.au.

The 2012 London Olympics have allowed us, as spectators to choose what kind of athlete warms our hearts. For me, the kind of athlete I feel a connection to depends on the expectations I have developed of them, and the image I see.

An athlete’s image is a strong reason why you may be drawn into or feel a distance from their persona. The only way we are able to do this usually, is via the media. How the media portrays them is often the only way we, as spectators are able to form and base an opinion of a sportsperson. 

Some athletes can be sensitive as to how they are perceived by the public, and because sport is so dynamic and geared around success and failure, this can be a contributing factor to the way they are viewed.

The image of an athlete can play a major role, especially when we, the public may only encounter them every four years in an Olympic event. Throughout this Olympics, we’ve seen a big range of personalities and profiles, with athletes differing from extremely arrogant or confident (as I try to convince my girlfriend) to completely humble.

James Magnussen has been the quickest man in the 100m freestyle over the past couple of years. This alone has created huge expectations and an image of invincibility. 

Magnussen’s approach prior to the London Games reflected a good deal of self-confidence, though some may have perceived this as arrogance. His image was splashed across Australian media, and he projected an attitude of being unbeatable.

I hold no judgement on whether Magnussen’s approach was right or wrong. Maybe it has something to do with the lack of financial support Australian Olympic athletes receive, with this period being his opportunity to earn money through sponsorship and promotion.

That aside, to the eye of the public it has affected his performance and he has underachieved according to the expectations of himself and his country.

Those high, but reasonable, expectations were developed as a result of him smashing World Records and beating the best in the world over the last few years.

Magnussen forgot one little thing, however; that this is the Olympics and it doesn’t matter what has happened in the three years leading up to the Games.

It’s all about that short moment in time.

Expectations and elite athletes are paired together. This is something that I am learning to deal with at Hawthorn.

Certain expectations derive from the media, which also controls the image of a player to an extent, but there are many other sources with opinions. This includes fans, friends, family. Then you have the Club, teammates and the harshest judge of all, yourself.

It was interesting though, to witness Magnussen’s behaviour at media opportunities and events throughout the meet, attempting to assume modesty and release the pressure of the expectations he had created on his broad shoulders.

Usain Bolt, on the other hand, had been careful prior to the London Games. To the media, he was reserved in his assessments and thus allowed the public to form their own opinions of him, one that tends to connect with observers around the world.

This perception was one of uncertainty with current results, including the 2011 World Championship and the Jamaican Olympic Trials, when Bolt was beaten by training partner, Yohan Blake.

Does this approach therefore create more of a 'legend' and allow Bolt to compete without the pressure Magnussen clearly felt?

Being able to mentally withstand the pressure to become the first man to win back-to-back gold medals in the 100m sprint for the first time in the IOC-recognised Modern Olympics, even if the media and public pressure was evident, is an incredible achievement.

I couldn’t imagine the pressure these athletes are under, having their whole lives to prepare for what will be, in Magnussen’s case, under 50 seconds of racing, and in Bolt’s under 10 seconds.

I can only compare this anxiety with an elimination or grand final.

We, as footballers are extremely lucky in the sense that for 20-odd games a year, we get the opportunity to redeem our performance the next week, if we didn't meet the expectations of coaches, fans and ourselves.

It has been intriguing to witness that these two competitors’ roles have reversed, with Magnussen being humbled through the experience and Bolt now expressing thoughts such as, “you have to give credit to Blake. He works harder than me but, when it comes to business, I know what to do. He is going to do better next time.”

As my dad always said, “winners are grinners and losers can please themselves, until next week that is” - or in an Olympian’s case, in Rio in 2016.

All that being said, there is one race that many Australians are talking about even though it did not yield a gold medal for our country.

It was the Women’s Marathon.

The courage shown by Benita Willis, who finished 100 out of 107, with a time of 2:49:38.

This alone enhanced my 2012 Olympic experience and will be a special memory  for a long time. 

Many sportspeople are never competing at 100% as I have learnt since my introduction in elite sport, and Willis had recently torn ligaments in her hip.

I believe that she typified not only the Olympic spirit but also the great Australian attitude of never giving up and completing what many would see as impossible, or just too hard.

Willis will forever be admired for her resilience and character, which has already inspired many Australians.

I could talk about the Olympics forever, but that’s my small take on some of the stories of London 2012.