Written by Mark Sweney at The Guardian.com
Andy Murray has put John Inverdale in his place for saying the Scot was the first person to win two Olympic golds for tennis, as the BBC presenter made the latest in a string of on-air gaffes.
Inverdale, interviewing Murray after he defeated Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro to claim his second Olympic gold, said: “You’re the first person ever to win two Olympic tennis gold medals. That’s an extraordinary feat, isn’t it?”
But the Scot shot back: “Well, to defend the singles title … I think Venus and Serena [Williams] have won about four each but hadn’t defended a singles title before.”
He added: “I mean it’s obviously not an easy thing to do. I had to fight unbelievably hard to get it tonight as well. Yeah, I’ll enjoy this one.”
Murray’s comment won praise on Twitter, including from Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon:
Murray said earlier this year he had become a feminist after witnessing first-hand the “criticism and prejudice” his former coach Amelie Mauresmo has endured.
The incident marked the end of a less than vintage weekend of presenting for Inverdale, who has also managed to get off-side with five-time Olympic medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, with whom he is co-presenting coverage of the rowing.
Tension has been brewing between the pair, with Redgrave walking off the set live on-air on Thursday after pulling a face at Inverdale.
The spat continued the following day when Redgrave appeared to deliberately shake a wet umbrella over Inverdale.
After the second incident the BBC moved to deny that Redgrave and Inverdale do not see eye-to-eye, saying that any suggestion that there is an issue between the pair is “simply untrue”.
However, over the weekend their relationship hit a new low with Redgrave interrupting Inverdale interviewing the gold medal winner in the single sculls, New Zealand’s Mahé Drysdale.
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