However, for many, the wounds are beyond physical & especially in a championship year, such as 2012, the psychological scars may time some time to heal.  For all the medallists, there are those that battled loss of form or untimely injury & lost, dashing their Olympic dreams in the process.  Some are young enough & strong enough to bounce back, whilst others may never have the opportunity to right the wrongs they have endured along the journey.

Either way, the trials & tribulations of missing out on Olympic selection or failing to achieve the targets that were set to maximise the exposure to the Olympic stage, must be put into context to allow the individual to move on.  The mark of a successful athlete is being able to learn from the highs & lows, respecting the lessons & striving forwards without dwelling unnecessarily...it's not just about winning titles & medals.  If an athlete, like a businessman, is unable to move on from the celebrations & setbacks, their career will be short-lived & achievements limited.

For Annabel Vernon, the GB rower, the feelings she has experienced since crossing the line in an eights boat that achieved 5th place in the Olympic final at Eton Dorney, have been challenging to interpret.  For those of you out there that live to compete in any walk of life, be it in sport or business, you would be wise to read Annabel's blog on the BBC Sport website by clicking the link below.

Several of the athletes in our training centre, I know, have had similar personal debates, whilst dealing with their experiences from the 2012 season & there are several more who might just be putting that internal dialogue off for one more week.  Those guys are competing tomorrow night in the final Diamond League meet of the season in Brussels. 

For those of you in the UK that can, tune into the BBC coverage & for those of you that can't track down the live footage, click below to find out the results from the Belgacom Memorial van Damme.

Here's hoping we give the season a fitting send off!!