but i did notice the frech pointing out the BRits are only good at the sprots involving sitting down........
Just a quick post to congratulate the efforts of the team so far. Awesome achievement. Its a real buzz to hear about the medals that we are winning
each day in some gruelling events. Proper blood, sweat and tears stuff.
If this is the practice for 2012 then its all boding well. Long may the success continue.
What sticks out in your mind as a real triumph for Team GB?
Im still buzzing for Rebecca getting the WR in 800m swimming and of course the Gold. The rowing medals are also fantastic (ive got an erg and can only
watch in amazement at what they can do).
Thats why it's called GREAT Britain!
but i did notice the frech pointing out the BRits are only good at the sprots involving sitting down........
We're very good at sports involving equipment (cycling, horse-riding, boats, rowing etc etc)...... Not sure what happened with the swimming!!!
its amazing what a bit of money can do - cant remember the exact figures but in Australia the funding was approx £50 million, more than twice that for
the Greece olympics and approx £250 million this time around
post 2012 expect funding to drop and the teams performance to follow suit 
It's not just funds that make success. Our athletic team have had more money than any other team, any yet they have not even got a bronze... You can't polish a turd!
what stands out for me is Ben ainslie winning his 3rd gold medal and fourth olympic medal after a class change for 04, at the age of 31!
or perhaps more impressive is his first medal at 19.
the ynling girls team again...
you all wrong!!! The 4 man team pursuit!!! AWESOME!!!
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
you all wrong!!! The 4 man team pursuit!!! AWESOME!!!
Our results (South Africa) are non-results. .
I guess that's what happens when the team racial demographics at all levels of sport is more important than excellence. and coaches and
administrators are chosen more on their willingness to toe the government's policy line than on their skills.
Anyway - we still have the Rugby World Cup
Quote "We're very good at sports involving equipment (cycling, horse-riding, boats, rowing etc etc)......
I think it was a comedian on Mock the week who said the only reason we're good at these sports, is the Ethiopians can't afford the gear!!
Made me cringe too!
I think it's a shame the focus is so much on the medals.
Whilst getting a gong is the crowing glory, to actually get there is a huge achievement requiring a massive personal sacrifice.
For most it is the peak of a decade or more of training and competition. There must be loads who end up 4th, 5th, 6th and above that won't even
get a mention.
Lets here it for all those that have made it there to represent Team GB.
I dont think that a member of the cycling team would have been included if they had suffered a stress fracture a couple of months previously !!! and
could not prove that they were capable of competing.
Another can of worms opened.
Mike
quote:
Anyway - we still have the Rugby World Cup
quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
It's not just funds that make success. Our athletic team have had more money than any other team, any yet they have not even got a bronze... You can't polish a turd!
Our large and fractious country managed to happily break our natural placement of 4th a few times by doing well in rowing (8 man and doubles),
women's wrestling, swimming and horse show jumping (why is this in there? - I know the answer: to give the Royal Families something to do), to
name a few.
If it gets the average lazy child out of the house and into sporting activity, the money we all spend is worth it.
Didn't do to well in the Archery though
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
you all wrong!!! The 4 man team pursuit!!! AWESOME!!!
quote:
Originally posted by peterparsons
Didn't do to well in the Archery though
quote:
It's not just funds that make success. Our athletic team have had more money than any other team, any yet they have not even got a bronze... You can't polish a turd!
Of course I could do better - but only when armchair events are introduced!
I am not saying we are crap - quite the opposite, I am simply saying if we don't have the right people in GB, then it doesn't matter how
much money you throw at the training, you won't win. Look at Jamaica - I guarantee the team training budget will be tiny compared to ours, yet
they had 3 runners in the final for the 100m. Why is this? I would suggest it is the physiology of the population.
I agree, a fantastic olympics, and well worth our tax money.
I take it you didn't win a medal in the commonwealth games? You must be crap! 
The biggest problem is life style, when i was competing i had a full time job and a morgage to pay for but yet on the track i am expected to beat full
time athletes most of them from Africa that have nothing else to do but compete, i was British number one indoors and number two outdoors and i still
didnt qualify for funding. There is one thing i learned during my time , was too only depend on myself and no one else.
It was good while it lasted. But i thought that was it until tonight on the Olympic highlights, a 42 year old cyclist winning gold in the madison, i
fancy a go at that.
I know and have raced with most of the GB cyclists. They're a great bunch off the bike, but brutal to race with. I couldn't be happier for
them.
Roadrunner, imagine running 600m fast , jogging slow for 200m(while your teammate laps you) then running 600m again and repeat for almost an hour
(while in the closest packed group you ever ran in) and you'll get some idea of what a madison is like to ride. It's a killer event but a
complete buzz with the speed and concentration needed to avoid the changes in front of you (the rider slowing goes from 35mph to 20mph in 10 yards and
his partner does the opposite).
I think GB athletics are close to breaking through as a top nation. There's a noticable drop in some nations performance and we can guess why.
It's taken cycling 10 years to get where they are now and selections have been ruthlessly tough; you only went if you could medal. Now they have
to leave riders at home who could medal (our u23 team pursuiters would win bronze) but the allocation of places is limited per nation.
adrian
The way i see it is that even in the events where we dont get medals we have athletes in the finals. This si nothing short of outstanding. Surely even
if a person comes eight out of eight in a final - they are still in the top 10 in the WORLD. How good is that? They had to beat scores of others to
get that far.
Superb performances all round i say. Good practice for 2012.