Could We Have Done Even Better?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Olympic Sailing
Forum Discription: The top end racing in our sport
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4578
Printed Date: 25 Jun 25 at 8:58pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Could We Have Done Even Better?
Posted By: Chew my RS
Subject: Could We Have Done Even Better?
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 11:38am
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First off, please don't take this as a whingeing thread. I think the British sailors (and support team) did brilliantly to bring back so many medals. It was a really fantastic achievement. However, whilst perfection is obviously impossible to achieve, it doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for it. So what lessons can we learn and how can we improve? On the team selection front, did we get it right? In the four classes we got gold, clearly we did. In all honesty I think one bronze between the two windsurfers will be less than they were hoping for, however Dempsey and Shaw were the outstanding candidates so, again, the right choice. In the women's 470, there doesn't seem to have been any choice. Was there anyone else seriously campaigning for that spot? We seem to have had lots of really good Mirror, 420 and 29er girl champions in the past. Where are they now? In the men's 470 silver was a really good result, but we did leave the reigning world champions behind. Could they have gone one better? We'll never know of course. On the Tornado front, McMillan and Howden won the selection process and so earned the right to go to China. They also won the medal race which is a great result. But (yet another) mid fleet finish in the Tornado at the Games suggests we have not made any ground on the rest of the world in this discipline (and now may never get the chance to!). Perhaps therefore we should have gone with Hugh Styles? Again, we will never know. The 49er was probably the biggest disappointment. Ben and Stevie out qualified Draper and Hiscocks, but D&H were the reigning Gold medallists. Perhaps we should have gone with their experience? The Radial class was the last to be selected, after a prolonged race off. I vaguely know Penny from my youth and was hoping she'd get the spot. But she was very inconsistent, mixing great results with awful ones. Maybe a more consistent performer would have faired better? Please note - I am not saying we got the selections wrong. But are we sure we got them right? Was this definitely our strongest team? What else could we do to ensure that the right people go? ------------- http://www.sailns14.org - http://www.sailns14.org - The ultimate family raceboat now available in the UK |
Replies:
Posted By: theycallmegod
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 12:01pm
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D&H were silver medalists in athens... I think Stevie and Ben were the best choice- they had won a world chamionship and some test events... ( http://gbr49er.blogspot.com/ - Their blog is an interesting read ) Were Draper and Hiscocks even still sailing together during selection? ------------- B14 698 Laser 135776 |
Posted By: Chew my RS
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 12:16pm
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You're quite right, funny how the memory plays tricks! ------------- http://www.sailns14.org - http://www.sailns14.org - The ultimate family raceboat now available in the UK |
Posted By: Contender443
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 1:10pm
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So to put a different slant on this. What would have happened if we were allowed more than one entry per fleet and scheduled the races so that one person could do more than one event.. Would we have got Gold and Silver in the mens 470? A medal in the 49ers? 3 medals in the Finns (Percy, Ainslie and Simpson)? Gold and Silver in the Yingling by allowing Shirley to go. I think what we are saying is that we left a lot of talent at home. ------------- Bonnie Lass Contender 1764 |
Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 1:12pm
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Conspiracy theory: OK, so it was the best ever performance by a sailing team post WW2. But it would be embaressing to do better in Beijing than in Weymouth. Was there some deliberate weakness built in?
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Posted By: Chew my RS
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 1:32pm
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Ooh, I like that. Always one for a conspiracy, me. ------------- http://www.sailns14.org - http://www.sailns14.org - The ultimate family raceboat now available in the UK |
Posted By: Laser 173312
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 2:25pm
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I think in the 470s, Tornados and 49ers the selection was made more difficult by the fact we have multiple good, but not outstanding crews. In both the Finn and Yingling we have probably the 2 top crews in the world by quite a margin (can't believe Contender443 forgot Ed Wright). The selection did seem a bit confused when it was said Rogers and Glanfield had the experience, but same arguement was not used for Draper and Hiscocks. However whilst some under performed, others, notabley Iain and Bart overperformed. Team GBR were not the only one's to have under achievers. Slingsby didn't even make the medal race in the Laser and he stuffed Goodi at the Europeans. To take ensure more medals I guess we need more crews that can dominate a class rather than compete. That may mean earlier selection and more concentration on the chosen ones. I have to say thought 6 medals is fantastic and I guess will be hard to beat. I'm sure the rest of the world would have something to say about us wanting more medals.
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Posted By: RyanV49er
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 3:29pm
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Yeah stevie and Ben were the correct choice. Draper had slipped off his game a year ago (he's still an incredible sailor) and Stevie and Ben had really stepped up. No choice really. Stevie and Ben just had a bad day with a few problems (tar on their boat apparently) so that dropped them out of it.
------------- Online sailing: For when you just can't get to the club: http://visser49erracing.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/online-sailing/ - Visser49erracing |
Posted By: Scooby_simon
Date Posted: 27 Aug 08 at 10:29pm
I'll hopefully get a chance to talk to Will in the next few weeks. Looking at their mark roundings in some races it looks like they got killed by a couple of shifts (Race 2 - 1st to 8th on last beat, Race 4, 2nd to 12th and back to 8th, Race 6 4th to 14th and back to 8th, race 8 10th,9,8,7, 2nd! and then win the medal race). IIRC, when there was wind, they did well; sounds like they did not throw enough double 6's !!!!! ------------- Wanna learn to Ski - PM me.. |
Posted By: Laser 173312
Date Posted: 28 Aug 08 at 2:52pm
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I see the sailors themselves want to get 11 medals. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/sailing/7586070.stm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/sailing/7586070.stm
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Posted By: FreshScum
Date Posted: 28 Aug 08 at 2:52pm
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Draper and Hiscocks were actually winners of the bronze medal in Athens. Silver was Barker and Hiscocks in Sydney. |
Posted By: Skiffman
Date Posted: 29 Aug 08 at 10:13pm
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i would say that we had outstanding teams in the 49er as in 2006 Draper and Hiscocks won the worlds and pre-olympics then in 2007 won hyeres. Selection is always difficult and is not always right like i did not agree with some of the decisions for 2008 but luckily i am not on the selection commitee. I think that the team did outstanding in such difficult conditions and after chatting to them yesterday it sounded really hard for a couple of teams.
------------- 49er GBR5 http://www.teamfletcherandsign.co.uk - teamfletcherandsign.co.uk Team Fletcher and Sign campaign site |