For most athletes, an Olympic gold represents nirvana but US basketball star Chris Paul admitted the victory over Spain had left him on a downer.
This was Paul’s second gold after he was part of the American team in Beijing in 2008. It was not that the LA Clippers player was fed up of London 2012: he liked the competition so much that he is sorry the Games are over.
Now the Olympics are at an end, these elite basketball players return home to prepare for their domestic competition. That means Paul will soon be an opponent of NBA aces such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and, at the moment, he finds that difficult to take.
“It seems strange to suggest that winning a gold is bittersweet but it is,” he said. “The gold medal is sweet but it’s tough because maybe I won’t get this chance any more. I hate it that in a couple of months, these guys will be my enemies again.
“Playing has been brilliant, practising the same. This has been the most fun time of my life, so special, and it’s something we will never forget. There is nothing like the Olympics and the chance to represent your country. Nothing compares to what has happened over the last few weeks.”
