Being part of a collective at the world’s greatest spectacle should have been irresistible to every elite athlete in either sport - it is a missed opportunity for those who withdrew
Watching live sport is beautiful at any time of the day.
There is a certain romance, though, when the viewer has to make certain sacrifices in order to do so.
Andy Murray’s Olympic gold medal-winning match against Juan Martin Del Potro would, of course, still have been the most compelling tennis final of the year had it started at its proposed time of 7.30pm BST.
But that most it took place in Monday’s early hours – when the 3.2m people who were watching would ideally have been enjoying a sound night’s sleep – made it even more satisfying when Murray eventually triumphed.
On Sunday afternoon, meanwhile, non-golf fans were forced to request – politely, of course – that their Sunday dinners be put back an hour or two so they could watch Justin Rose duke it out with Henrik Stenson on the back nine.
And while it is natural to cite Team GB examples, such occurrences are happening all over the world at similarly inconvenient times of the day.
A sense of togetherness for the supporters, then, but also the players.
Murray’s commitment to the Olympics this year – even though he won gold at London four years ago – was so emphatic that his preparation for the forthcoming US Open has effectively been undermined.
Rose, meanwhile, arrived in Brazil a week before the golf started so that he could embrace the opportunity his sport’s inclusion had afforded him, attending the opening ceremony and sharing a selfie with Murray.
Their commitment is easy to understand – and not just because of their patriotism.
Both compete in individual sports that resemble a travelling circus, with the same players, coaches and officials travelling to the same venues year after year.
A privileged life? Sure, but also one that can be lonely and draining.
The opportunity, therefore, to be part of a collective at the world’s greatest spectacle – something that is infinitely bigger than any one player in a single sport – was irresistible.
Even the challenges that presented themselves at the Games should be welcomed.
The raucous atmosphere in the final between Murray and Del Potro – including the Rio crowd’s pantomime-villain booing when the affable Argentinean was cheered by his own supporters – was more Wembley than Wimbledon.
Those distractions were insignificant, however, compared to Rose, who saw a wayward tee shot in his final round picked up by a spectator whose understanding of golf’s rules was clearly a little sketchy.
That it would never happen at the one of the game’s four major championships is kind of the point.
Facing those unique challenges and overcoming them to deliver a medal for your country – the shinier the better – is why Murray, Rose and every other Olympian has pitched up.
More remarkable is that several reputable names from tennis and golf decided that, either because of the mild Zika threat or because they did not deem their sport to be “the stuff that matters”, the trip was not worth their time.
Shame on them.
While they stayed at home to sulk, the rest of us – whether it be the athletes who achieved greatness in Rio or the supporters who watched on from under the duvet back at home – were having all the fun.
Even if it meant being knackered at work throughout Monday.
