In sport, if you want to be the best you have to compete against the best - I would much rather have come tenth and be judged against everyone than come first and be judged against just a few.
Interpretation
True success comes from challenging oneself against the highest standards.
This quote emphasizes the importance of competition and striving for excellence. Daley Thompson expresses the idea that achieving a high rank is more meaningful when it comes from facing tough opponents rather than winning easily against lesser competition. It highlights the value of pushing oneself to grow and improve by engaging in challenging situations.
In practice
Motivational speech to athletes at a sports event.
I was in the doldrums for a while after my athletics career ended in 1992. I spent six to eight hours a day training, for 18 years, and it took a long time to get over the regret that I wasn't competing in major championships any more. All I ever wanted to be was the best. But I find new projects and I keep things in perspective.
I did not want to be the best black man of the year; I wanted to be the best man of the year.
Being a decathlete is like having ten girlfriends. You have to love them all, and you can't afford losing one.
I wouldn't swap the era I competed in for anything, not a day of it. I started out as an amateur, and people like myself, Seb Coe, Steve Ovett, Steve Cram, Tessa Sanderson and the rest did it for the glory of winning medals for our country.
The things that caused problems for me in school are the same things that help me succeed in the world.
Trust me, if you're working on a $70 million movie and you're the last guy, you feel all that weight on your shoulders.
On the summit of Everest, I had a feeling of great satisfaction to be first there.
It is not sufficient that I succeed - all others must fail.
Become a millionaire not for the million dollars, but for what it will make of you to achieve it.
If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.
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