There is no doubt Australians love a winner but we also love the sportsperson who works his or her guts out and places second, third or out of the medals.

Take Grant Hackett as an example - this is a person who has won two Olympic gold medals in his pet event and was on track to win a third in the demanding 1500m.

He would have made Olympic swimming history if he had won.

However, he came a gallant second to Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli in one of his biggest battles in the pool.

This should not be considered a failure in Hackett's swimming career.

Instead, we should recognise that Hackett has placed his life on hold for years with the sole ambition of getting that illusive gold in those big swims.

He has dedicated every waking moment to meeting that dream of representing his country at the highest possible level.

He has missed out on vital family milestones and sacrificed many of the things that we take for granted, all for the sake of his sport.

We have very high expectations of our elite athletes, but we should appreciate the sacrifices they and their families have made to become a representative of our country at the highest level of sport.