The whole Gaia affair has been swept away as quickly as befits the fickle news items of this land. The Queen handed out some honours today and (Sir) Bradley Wiggins was one of the persons on the honours list. Wiggins was a champion cyclist – seven times Olympic medallist – and was no surprise addition to an honours list that included many Olympic champions from the London games. Below you will find an interview he gave Channel 4 and it will give you an idea of how this kind of honour is normally treated with respect and pride. I had heard Wiggins speak to Sky News earlier today and I was struck by a particular phrase of his when he said that he felt “humbled” and “inferior” to some other recipients. Although Wiggins rightly accepted that his sporting feats merited this kind of recognition he did state that he did not feel that he was up to the standard of some other recipients – particularly soldiers who had fought bravely in battles in Afghanistan.
The discussion on honours and why they are dished out may rage on but Wiggins’ reflections and comments might provide some food for thought.
