The IAAF World Athletics Championships is upon us and I can't wait for the competition to start. However, my interests are not all about Jamaica and its athletes and how many medals we will win. For me, the rivalry and the fierce battles on the track and in the field are what give me the chills. Sure I would love if every Jamaican individual athlete could win a medal, but that's not the way life is.

Being Jamaican doesn't mean you have a divine right to a gold medal or any medal for that matter, and that's what I want to remind people about when it comes to sport. I am sure that we will get our fair share of medals, but it bothers me that for many of us the number of medals Jamaica wins will never be enough, and if the athletes don't do as we expected, we get all angry and start to disrespect them.

Look at what has been happening with the netball team that recently returned from the Netball World Cup. The team did not perform up to expectation, and in some quarters, they were slammed. Some people, including several from their own sport, criticised them and called for heads to roll and threatened the ladies physically. It's like fourth in the world is so dreadfully bad.

Something is very wrong about that. Yes, we are disappointed, and yes, changes need to be made, but do we have to be vile about it? No, we don't. Have you ever witnessed how people elsewhere in the world deal with disappointment? There is discussion, solutions are found, and action taken, but without all the vitriol we have unfortunately chosen to adopt.

Unrealistic expectations

Sometimes I feel that many athletes, regardless of sport, if given a chance, would choose to represent another country, not because of financial reasons, but for the mere fact that they are human and don't need to put up with the abuse they encounter here.

"Too many times I have witnessed athletes being thrown to the wolves because of unrealistic expectations (by their adoring public). Instead, we should praise them for their perseverance, their passion and sprit to fight, and their dedication to succeed for the green, black and gold. Nobody wins all the time, and if they do, I would love to meet them," Alia Atkinson said at the 2014 RJR Sportsman and Sportswoman Awards during her acceptance speech.

Our athletes are human. They are people, not robots. There will be times when other people from other countries will be better. It's life. It's what happens.

BEST SHOT

I don't know why and when we got to be like this. There was a time, not too long ago, when we were happy when our athletes got to a final and would occasionally win a medal for which we would be so grateful. Somewhere along the way, we started to take things for granted, and in many ways that is not a good thing.

It is against that background that I want to take this opportunity to wish every Jamaican athlete well for these Championships. All that I wish for you, the athletes, is that you remain healthy and are able to give it your best, shot. You might not win a medal, but once you do your best you will feel fulfilled, no matter what John Public wants to believe.

Very few know the tremendous sacrifices you have made on this journey, so pay those who criticise in ignorance little mind. They will never understand. It's what wagonists do. They have no idea of the process, just the result, and it's partly why success is always fleeting for us. We have never understood or embraced what it takes just to get there.

Send comments to levyl1@hotmail.com.