Thoughts so far

Originally posted by Stuart O Originally posted by getafix Glad to see we've wasted millions of lottery funding and sponsorship on our 'world-class swimming team' again.... why do we waste sooooo much cash on this lot every 4 years? We do so much better in Rowing, Cycling, Sailing and Boxing, to name but a few 'first week' sports - why send such a large team when they fail to get into the finals and once there, only have a slim chance of a medal? Just glad we have so much strength in depth in almost all Olympic sailing classes, means all our sailors have a chance of competing at the front end of each fleet and we're not just sending people to 'make up the numbers'. A couple of million less to swimming and a couple of million more spread across the sports where we do excel wouldn't hurt with 2012 coming? BTW - WELL DONE to the girls who got Gold & Bronze the other day in the swimming - it's not you guys I'm slating, it's the four-years-funding, out in the 1st round of heats types.... Interesting viewpoint and can see where you are coming from...however the swimming has had its best results in years in the pool...could it be argued that the funding and change in management style is beginning to pay off? My bug is with the over funded track and field atheletes who once again have failed to perform. They are all coming off with the same bull excuse...this is good preperation for 2012.... NOT really a good PMA. I have to agree with Micheal Johnson...all the GB Track and Field atheletes needed to give their all and traet each heat as their final. Congrats to the Sailors, Cyclists, Rowers and Swimmers and their governing bodies who have adapted and brought/bringing UK sport to the pinnacle of their sports.

There was some discussion one evening about some of the factors that have helped the cyclists to their success, and how athletics could try and emulate it. One of the major factors mentioned was the close-knit team. If you make it to elite status, and onto the team, then you're then required to move to Manchester- it's one of the requirments of the job (and given the proffesional status, it IS a job). The track cyclists therefore live close together, train together and socialise together. They all go to the same events, that sort of thing. Yes, the ones who also do road stuff are in other teams for that, but with Brailsford's plans, even that could change.

To a limited extent, the same is true of the sailors as far as I know- a lot of them live in Weymouth and count that as their base. Witness Ainslie being amongest those wading in to hoist Goodison out the water on his boat- good team spirit.

In other sports- the swimmers seem to be moving in that direction; a lot of them are now based at Loughborough. The Equestrian team are all second cousins at most distant*. But athletics is very fragmented. The suggestion was to form centres for the sprinters, the throwers, the jumpers and the distance runners. Get them training, living, travelling together.

 

Yes, this means having an elite clique. yes, it means taking the best away from the clubs. But it might work.

 

*This is a possibly unfair slur, and almost certainly made-up.

You are required to carry them but not wear them unless the RC fly the appropriate Y flag. It's in the RRS there.

Wake up with the laptop to see what happening by watching on BBC - if it looks good go downstairs put the coffee on and watch it on the red button. Needless to say the battery has had a hammering on the laptop this week. 

Originally posted by tack'ho Which begs the question why the hell should the sailors give up medals?

Because there are a lot more swimmers than sailors worldwide... The medal situation in swimming doesn't match IOC wishes very well: IOC doesn't like events where the same person can win loads of medals: but the participation is good and it would be difficult to have different Olympic events to every other swimming event I guess.

Looking at the race where Ben went down the tubes so badly the fleet was sailing with a lot of lateral separation but were all very close together as regards distance to the mark, so even a small advantage to one side or the other meant a big change in places. A similar shift in more wind would have had much the same result: but usually in those conditions the fleet is much more spread out, so you get less place change for the same difference in wind.

The unthinking mantra that people shout on viewing this situation on other forums tends to be shouts of "why didn't he cover", but in that situation its just not possible - too much separation in the fleet.

Edited by JimC

Originally posted by getafix Glad to see we've wasted millions of lottery funding and sponsorship on our 'world-class swimming team' again.... why do we waste sooooo much cash on this lot every 4 years? We do so much better in Rowing, Cycling, Sailing and Boxing, to name but a few 'first week' sports - why send such a large team when they fail to get into the finals and once there, only have a slim chance of a medal?

Cos there are about 34 medal events in swimming and only about 8 in sailing?