That medal table's looking good

[Jon-of-arc]

Tool.

Get over it. Do you really have nothing better to do than sit around pointing out very minor flaws in peoples posts all day? I think i used GB further down the page. and quite frankly, the difference between england and Britain, to me, is next to nothing. As it is to pretty much the rest of the world. Everyone knows I meant GB.

Very pedantic, very sad...

 

[Jon-of-arc]

Dont be such a friggin short sighted idiot. Money spent on elite sport produces gold meadls and great performances in Olympic games, children see these and want to be sportspeople. They eat properly, dont smoke, get used to a strict training regime and are more likely to be law abiding respectful members of the community.

Exactly what I don't want to see. It really does sound like some Hitler Youth type dystopia.

That money spent on the elite probably saves the country money in other areas. If we could get all the kids causing trouble on street corners into sport we would be right up there with Aussies and USA, if thats what u mean by being like Australia then I say yes please every time.

Spending HUGE amounts of money on the very elite will not accompish what you suggested. Serioiusly, look out your window - we're in ASBO britain. It will create an elite and, with it, elitism. Not a good thing.

And the US has huge amounts of kids on the corners causing trouble (and huge levels of obesity). I know little about australia, but I don't imagine its the paradise you make it out to be.

 

[1927]

Exactly what I don't want to see. It really does sound like some Hitler Youth type dystopia.



Spending HUGE amounts of money on the very elite will not accompish what you suggested. Serioiusly, look out your window - we're in ASBO britain. It will create an elite and, with it, elitism. Not a good thing.

And the US has huge amounts of kids on the corners causing trouble (and huge levels of obesity). I know little about australia, but I don't imagine its the paradise you make it out to be.

I didnt say it was paradise , but it has to be preferable than what we have now.

 

[Dan U]

But he does have a point. That money could go toward another cause, more deserving. I don't object to funding sport in general, but the "elite"? Well, it must be hugely expensive and only makes a difference to those at the very top. Who aint gonna be that fat anyway....

success in elite sports along with grass routes funding will get more people in to sport.

we've got a long way to go though on the grass routes funding, sadly.

 

[Jon-of-arc]

I'm not against the grass roots funding. In fact, I think that the elite funding should be drastically reduced and put into the grassroots stuff. Elitist stuff could be sponsored by non-public funds (the lottery beng a semi-public fund...)

 

[Jon-of-arc]

I didnt say it was paradise , but it has to be preferable than what we have now.

I dunno. I guess i'm just a bit of a subversive. I like a world that isn't to sterile, where there is room for conformity and non-conformity side by side. I'm not suggesting that hoodies knifing each other should be acceptable, but I guess I believe that someones right to get fat and smoke fags should be sanctified and, to an extent, even encouraged. Not much logic to that, I know, but it's how I feel....

 

[Dan U]

I'm not against the grass roots funding. In fact, I think that the elite funding should be drastically reduced and put into the grassroots stuff. Elitist stuff could be sponsored by non-public funds (the lottery beng a semi-public fund...)

That wouldn't happen though would it.

Sponsorship in sport is bad enough without 'Bradley Wiggins was bought to you today by Mcdonalds...'

 

[JTG]

Private sponsorship won't happen without success at the top.

 

[London_Calling]

I think the point is the public would go nuts in 4 years time if we picked up our usual 5, 6 or 7 Golds - what pay off their is comes not in hosting but in winning and hosting.

And smallish first world countries have to win their golds in sports where the financial entry barrier excludes most of the world, whether it be in the infrastructure (like rowing venues, vellodromes, even decent swimming venues) or in equipment (bikes, bows and arrows, boats, top grade horses - all costing thousands).

We're really not going to be winning too many events that only need a pair of running shoes.

 

[SpookyFrank]

To save me starting a new thread to ask this, why is our team called Great Britain and not United Kingdom? Great Britain is not a country, it's an island and athletes from Northern Ireland compete as part of the GB team, despite not being from Great Britain.

 

[1927]

To save me starting a new thread to ask this, why is our team called Great Britain and not United Kingdom? Great Britain is not a country, it's an island and athletes from Northern Ireland compete as part of the GB team, despite not being from Great Britain.

There's already a thread in general about this.

 

[JTG]

here it is

 

[SpookyFrank]

Ta

 

[marty21]

i can't see us winning many golds after the sailing,rowing and cycling is over, athletics won't be rich pickings - odowu, if he's in form will win a gold, can't see where any others will come from in athletics - can't see radcliffe winning the marathon - i'd love to be proved wrong on that

 

[JTG]

boxing still looks OK for one or two medals though

don't forget modern pentathlon, we're still shit hot at that

 

[marty21]

boxing still looks OK for one or two medals though

don't forget modern pentathlon, we're still shit hot at that

there's still hope then, what did they predict, the olympic folk, 41 medals? it will be going some if we hit that

 

[Andy the Don]

God bless John Major. The day he left number 10 was a downward turn for both British politics and British sport.

Say what you like about John Major he was a South London boy who liked his sport, shame he couldn't run the country or his cabinet.

4 golds in a day, great effort..

 

[JTG]

41 have been 'targeted' ie they think we have a good chance in them.

The unofficial UK Sport target is 35 with 11/12 of those Gold. The BOA haven't set any official target.

We've missed medals in judo (again), a couple in swimming, tennis, boxing, athletics which I'm sure they'll be disappointed in.

Sprint canoeing (Tim Brabants) is another they're looking to bag btw.

 

[marty21]

it is pretty impressive so far, tbf

 

[ScallyWag II]

Add one more gold to the total for the yngling sailing team Bossed their race

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Been watching that. Don't forget the gold/silver already secured today which i can't wait for!

 

[ScallyWag II]

The women's pursuit? Not forgotten mate Just updating for current events

 

[1927]

Add one more gold to the total for the yngling sailing team Bossed their race

Wahaay. Another sitting on ya arse Gold medal. We friggin rock at winning sitting down!!!

 

[JTG]

you can be sure that if Usain Bolt could win his events sitting down, he'd give it a go.

So sitting down whilst winning is clearly ftw

 

[1927]

Interesting chat on Radio 5 early hours of this morning about the cycling programme with Chris Boardman. They are proactively seeking out good kids to turn into cyclists. As well as checking out all the velodromes around the country they are screening 15000 kids a year and just observing what they do on the playing field. If they have an aptitude for sport or the right attitude or physique or whatever, they are inviting to try cycling. They also said the importance of building a programme from a position of strength, cycling have that strength unlike say Uk tennis, Middle distance running used to be an area of riches for GB but we just thought the conveyor belt would continue and neglected to invest at the time we were strong. 20years later we have no conveyor belt, athletics is dead as a spectator sport and we are unlikley to have anything in 4 years time.

 

[CharlieAddict]

awesome!!!
GB could well beat australia!

 

[1927]

Gold for lightweight sculls, I make that 3rd place in the medal table!

 

[JTG]

Interesting chat on Radio 5 early hours of this morning about the cycling programme with Chris Boardman. They are proactively seeking out good kids to turn into cyclists. As well as checking out all the velodromes around the country they are screening 15000 kids a year and just observing what they do on the playing field. If they have an aptitude for sport or the right attitude or physique or whatever, they are inviting to try cycling. They also said the importance of building a programme from a position of strength, cycling have that strength unlike say Uk tennis, Middle distance running used to be an area of riches for GB but we just thought the conveyor belt would continue and neglected to invest at the time we were strong. 20years later we have no conveyor belt, athletics is dead as a spectator sport and we are unlikley to have anything in 4 years time.

Absolutely, similar to how the West Indies failed to invest in their future at the top assuming the cricket conveyor belt of talent would keep moving.

The rowing team have a similar programme of selecting club athletes etc who may have an aptitude for rowing

 

[CharlieAddict]

tied with aus!

 

[JTG]

1 China 28 13 8 49
2 USA 17 18 22 57
3 Germany 9 5 5 19
4 Great Britain 9 3 7 19
5 Australia 8 10 11 29
6 South Korea 7 9 4 20
7 Japan 7 5 6 18
8 Italy 6 5 5 16
9 Russia 5 8 8 21
10 Ukraine 5 3 5 13