Gary Lineker Calls Piers Morgan A 'Berk' For Labelling Olympic Medallist Max Whitlock A 'Loser'

Article originally published 11/08/2016: due to a technical issue this article may have resurfaced for some readers, and the original publish date may not have been visible.

Millions watched with bated breath as Great Britain’s Max Whitlock clinched a bronze medal in the men’s all-around gymnastics final. As the first time a Brit gymnast has scaled the podium in the event in more than a century, it was no mean feat.

Frankly, the 23-year-old is a superman.

But, as soccer legend and TV anchorman Gary Lineker pointed out, it wasn’t enough for some.

Ah, Piers Morgan. The ex-tabloid editor, TV presenter and wind-up merchant of note did what he usually does when he tweeted - then wrote at length - why winning is all that matters in sport.

He riffed on THAT picture of 21 gold medal-boasting US swimmer Michael Phelps, in contrast to the British joy in bagging a bronze.

In some quarters, the piece went down like a cup of cold sick.

And when Team GB enjoyed a gold rush tonight - Jack Laugher and Chris Mears winning Britain’s first ever diving gold and Joe Clarke scooping top prize in the canoe slalom - Morgan took credit (tongue-in-cheek, of course).

He returned to the ‘winning is all’ theme after Lineker, no slouch himself having won the Golden Boot as top scorer in the 1986 World Cup, tweeted his praise of Whitlock.

Which drew this response from Lineker.

It’s unclear whether Lineker, a respected broadcaster, is aware ‘berk’ is Cockney rhyming slang for ‘c***’, having been shortened from ‘Berkshire hunt’.

In any case, Morgan prompted more condemnation from another BBC sports broadcasting A-lister.

Even his colleague was unimpressed.

Perhaps we should leave the final word to (fake) Bill Murray.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.