Wombat words...

Arrogance !! is this a good thing or a bad thing.... well to some extent to be a good sportsman you need it but the important thing about arrogance is that it is kept in check. This usually comes in the form of close mates who always are able to bring you down a peg or too.

The ability to walk the walk is an important element of being good at what you do. It helps, in some cases, to create the image or impression that your in better shape than you actually really are and if you are able to carry this onto the race track then you are more likely to be able to control the race.

The arrogance of self belief is a good thing. We see it in many sports people, without it , self belief , you tend to fall short of what you set out to do.

The ability to keep this in check also helps to keep you on the straight and narrow when it comes to training. Mona was, is, a bloody good athlete, in the right situation he was arrogant, he new he was the top dog in the field, you could just tell in the way that he carried himself. Yet at the same time he did this in such away that he was respectful of those he was racing against. He paid tribute to the other competitors when questioned about his ability to do well in race. The bottom line however was Mona new he had done the work, he knew he was fit and he knew he would be bloody hard to beat but he did not rub it in your face.

Armstrong was, is the same, you just knew he was in bloody good shape and he would say as much but he always had the humility to acknowledge the guys he was up against. He would point out there strengths and identify what it was he and other competitors needs to watch out for but by doing this he was also saying I know this guys strengths and you bet your bottom dollar I have prepared myself to deal with that.

De Castella was the same, he would state clearly what his intentions were, he could have been consider arrogant in his statement of fact with regard to what he was about to do but again , like my other two examples he acknowledged he competitors for what they were, competitors. He paid tribute to their abilities and and in doing so was also paying respect to them as fellow runners who were not be treated lightly despite his incredible strengthen.

In all these cases the competitors have their arrogance in check, they write their own press and control what is written yet at the same time were and are humble in the public arena outside of the battle arena. They knew and know when to out the game face on but in public as a citizen like the rest of us they left the arrogance behind.


While I can't speak personally for Armstrong as I have never met him, I can say of Mona and Deek that away from the field when they were not in competition mode they were extremely approachable and would happily provide the time of day to you.

I remember vividly when Deek, Mona and Hoyle came to Perth for the Swan Premium Quit meet and were competing in the Bernie Cecins 5ooom track event (The wombat was racing too) a young spectator approached Deek as he was warming up on the track and asked for an autograph. Deek simply said not now... Why? Well the answer is easy, this is his arena, he was about to do battle and it was game face on.... What impressed me was that after the race was over he made the point of going over to the far side of the field and signing the autograph for the fan. He was not treating the young kid with disdain it was simply that 5 minutes before the start of the competition was not a good time to be getting an autograph.

Sometimes its all about the persona and if we can get it right for the competiton it can make the difference between winning and losing. Just remember that that if you carry it too far and take it with you away from the field then in Australia it will earn you the title of 'wanker'

Barrel on wombats...