Historic "Plastic Brit"

[Guto Nyth Bran]

116 years ago this weekend Charles Gmelin finished 3rd in the 400m at the 1896 Athens Olympics. Obviously Britain's first medal in any major championship.
He was born in India to German parents. I'm guessing nobody made a fuss.

[trickstat]

Going back that far would he have been a "Bakelite Brit"?

[usedtoit33]

I googled. Bakelite wasn't invented until 1907.

[3a]

Honestly, The term seems to have been coined by a "newspaper" who have never documented the sport in any kind of positive light and only turn up at the sniff of a scandal. The last article I remember being printed by them was one destroying Caster Semenya and faciliting a host of ignorance and hatred directed at an 18 year old girl. Then they turn up at a world indoor championships to insult/incite a hard working athlete on the eve of a World indoor championship for no other reason than to provide yet another platform for ignorance,abuse and "scandal". Frankly, I'm bewildered by the fact that sports enthusiast on a sport specific website are STILL giving this issue credence.

Across every sport there are athletes born in one country who represent another and vice versa. A country like Britian who has left its mark world wide, with a Commonwealth of countries and host of former colonies is bound to be more colourful than other nations. Having said that, look at France, Perec, Baal, Bennebad etc are just some of a litany of athletes that would equally be termed "Plastic", yet, I haven't ever heard of athletes like them given such a title. If it's within the rules and the governing body accept them, then there's very little to add other than enthusiasm and support, surely? BRITAIN is made up of many countries, including Northern Ireland that's geographicaly not even part of the same island....yet there's no issue with Mary Peters' medals etc. This debate will never end unless we decide to end it.

[mump boy]

This ^^

[Guto Nyth Bran]

Honestly, The term seems to have been coined by a "newspaper" who have never documented the sport in any kind of positive light and only turn up at the sniff of a scandal. The last article I remember being printed by them was one destroying Caster Semenya and faciliting a host of ignorance and hatred directed at an 18 year old girl. Then they turn up at a world indoor championships to insult/incite a hard working athlete on the eve of a World indoor championship for no other reason than to provide yet another platform for ignorance,abuse and "scandal". Frankly, I'm bewildered by the fact that sports enthusiast on a sport specific website are STILL giving this issue credence.

Across every sport there are athletes born in one country who represent another and vice versa. A country like Britian who has left its mark world wide, with a Commonwealth of countries and host of former colonies is bound to be more colourful than other nations. Having said that, look at France, Perec, Baal, Bennebad etc are just some of a litany of athletes that would equally be termed "Plastic", yet, I haven't ever heard of athletes like them given such a title. If it's within the rules and the governing body accept them, then there's very little to add other than enthusiasm and support, surely? BRITAIN is made up of many countries, including Northern Ireland that's geographicaly not even part of the same island....yet there's no issue with Mary Peters' medals etc. This debate will never end unless we decide to end it.

I thought I was being ironic.
As it happens I agree with every word of the above.