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Bootscooter View Drop Down
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    Posted: 31 Jul 12 at 11:37pm
... stuff that's being bandied around about Phelps by the media - anyone else think it's a bit insulting to other Olympians? 
Agreed, it's a fantastic achievement and a tremendous medal haul, but it's been done over 3 editions of the Games.  Names like Elvestrom, Redgrave, and even Ainslie (I may be a little biased here Wink) spring to my mind as although they haven't the outright numbers of gongs, they have dominated over fare longer periods in their sports. 
Micheal Johnson just mentioned that context of achievement must be taken into account when making these claims, and that for him Jesse Owens is still the man. Clap
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Posts: 6649 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug 12 at 6:22am
There are certain sports where its less hard to win lot of medals than others, so arguably those medals are "cheaper". Swimming is one of the most notorious.
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Posts: 1151 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 2547 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug 12 at 8:10am
They should cut the swimming medals. All those different strokes are a joke, just think if you had 100m running backwards, sideways and hopping as well as forwards. 

The should just have a range of distance events, any stroke you like, just like running. 

How can it be fair to other sports and athletes that one person can win so many?
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Posts: 6649 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug 12 at 8:31am
Yeah but... if people want to buy tickets to all those swimming events. Selling tickets and TV is a big part of it, even if we don't like to think so.

And although the different strokes do seem pretty silly when often the same people are good at all of them, there are walking races as well as running, running races where there are obstacles on the track to jump over, races off the track as well as on it...

Not to mention different sorts of boat sailed round the same course...
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Posts: 2899 		Post Options Post Options   Quote alstorer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug 12 at 8:38am
Originally posted by 2547


How can it be fair to other sports and athletes that one person can win so many?
it isn't unfair, it would just be good if the media got a little less giddy and took into account the number of possible medals.
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Posts: 1094 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Bootscooter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug 12 at 8:42am
Originally posted by alstorer

Originally posted by 2547



How can it be fair to other sports and athletes that one person can win so many?

it isn't unfair, it would just be good if the media got a little less giddy and took into account the number of possible medals.


Spot on
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Posts: 1151 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 2547 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 12 at 7:44pm
Maybe shere should be medals for each race of the series giving BA 11 medal chances.
 
Or perhaps one for upwind, one for downwind and one for reaching.
 
How can one guy sensibly win so many medals when someone like Regrave at the top of his game for 16 years can only win 5 ... just not fair ...
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Posts: 1005 		Post Options Post Options   Quote fab100 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 12 at 7:52pm
Deliberately going swimming is simply disrespectful to 2 billion years of evolution back thru your family tree
Great book for Club Sailors here
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Posts: 4028 		Post Options Post Options   Quote G.R.F. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 12 at 9:54pm
Originally posted by fab100

Deliberately going swimming in an Rs100 is simply disrespectful to 2 billion years of evolution back thru your family tree

FTFY
https://www.ease-distribution.com/
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Posts: 552 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JohnW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Aug 12 at 9:57pm
Originally posted by 2547

Maybe shere should be medals for each race of the series giving BA 11 medal chances.
 
Or perhaps one for upwind, one for downwind and one for reaching.
 
How can one guy sensibly win so many medals when someone like Regrave at the top of his game for 16 years can only win 5 ... just not fair ...

Redgrave has 6 medals - 5 gold and 1 bronze he doubled up in Seoul  (coxed and coxless pairs).

(plus the one I'm sure he values the most when he rowed with me at Henley RC anniversary invitation scratch VIIIs)
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