Andrew Johnsen: Valerie Adams all class in defeat

New Zealand's Valerie Adams, taking a selfie with the two other medallists in the shot put, typifies how an athlete should act in defeat. Photo / Photosport.nz

Valerie Adams and Hope Solo: two names that wouldn't normally be lumped together but for how they have conducted themselves in defeat at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Defeat is as much part of sport as victory, and how one acts after a loss gives an insight into what kind of person they are.

While Adams exuded all the qualities that you would want in a pro-athlete, Solo couldn't have been more contrasting.

Solo started her Olympic campaign in controversial circumstances after she took to social media to express her disdain at travelling to Brazil due to the Zika virus.

Her exit was even more controversial, and a supreme showing of a bad sport.

Sweden pulled off an unlikely quarter-final win over the US in a shootout, eliminating the three-time defending Olympic champions.

But, instead of paying homage to a spirited Swedish team, Solo decided to go rogue.

Her statement started disrespectfully and didn't get any better.

"I thought we played a very courageous game. I think we showed a lot of heart. But I also think we played a bunch of cowards."

"Sweden dropped off, they didn't want to play open ball. I don't think they're going to make it far in the tournament. I think it was very cowardly. The best team didn't win today."

It was a petulant, immature response and she consequently copped a lot of warranted criticism, particularly from her own country's media.

Former US captain turned ESPN commentator Julie Foudy said Sweden were smart to play conservatively, pointing out that it was a tactic most over-matched teams use in football.

She then blasted Solo's tirade as "ridiculous and classless, and it really doesn't represent the house that we built with the US team".

Clearly she dealt with loss the wrong way. But how do you respond to a loss on the grandest stage of all?

You go the Valerie Adams route. Adams epitomises what a pro-athlete should be, both in victory and defeat.

After leading until the final round of the shot put, Adams was pipped at the post by Michelle Carter who snatched the gold almost from Adams' mantle.

Instead of crying foul or criticising Carter, she gave her the credit she deserved in a showing of great sportsmanship.

"Michelle has been around for a while and she's one of these athletes you can never underestimate. She can come out in the first throw and do a big one and the last one and do a big one, and she did that tonight. Congratulations to her, she's thrown really, really well," she said after the event.

While it was a bittersweet moment for Adams (her throw was her best in the past two years), she paid credit to someone who was better on the day.

It's easy to be classy in victory, but the real test of an athlete is to be gracious in defeat - a test Hope Solo clearly failed.