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London 2012 Olympics

Macman45 said:
Pretty impressive display by team GB...Best for 104 years! Thoughts will soon be turning to the "Legacy" debate though...I'm not keen on London any more, but the games have run far more smoothly than I anticipated. An all round good job.

Just a mention for my home team USA too! Locked in battle for first place, but to put it into perspective:

USA: Population 312 Million, 73 medals at present.

GB: Population 60 Million, 48 Medals at present...Quite a feat!:)
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Of course being home nation does help.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ol...nefit-from-home-advantage-in-medal-table.html

What really surprises me is the Netherlands.

NL: Population 18 Million, 14 Medals at present. :)
 
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Happybunny said:
Of course being home nation does help.
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A reason for this might be that with a home Olympics, countries are more likely to invest time and money in making sure that their athletes are fully backed with funding and facilities. Nobody wants to be shown up on home turf.

It's already been mentioned by others in this thread, but from a British viewpoint we've had a lot of money come in from sources like the Lottery over the past couple of decades, and this has been mainly funnelled into sports we're seen as being likely to do well in. It's a long-term strategy but its one that is really producing results at these games.

It's a shame the FA seems unable to take a similar approach, but that's a matter for a different thread...

Macman45 said:
Nice stat! Your nation is very good at the Equestrian events I believe ?
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The Dutch would be doing even better if we weren't claiming their equestrian medals as our own. ;)
 
I think one of the best legacies we could take from these games is an understanding of how long term planning and preparation is the real route to success. There's always been an infuriating aspect of the British character that it's just not the done thing to be seen to be trying too hard or to prepare too well. Hopefully these results might make us reflect a bit on how we can approach other things.
 
jeremy h said:
I think one of the best legacies we could take from these games is an understanding of how long term planning and preparation is the real route to success. There's always been an infuriating aspect of the British character that it's just not the done thing to be seen to be trying too hard or to prepare too well. Hopefully these results might make us reflect a bit on how we can approach other things.
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You're completely right… 'Shortermism'… it's endemic in the UK and it doesn't just affect success within the sporting sphere.

Ill considered privatisation, the public sector, sustainable pensions, NHS, energy planning, urban planning, transport infrastructure all suffer from the same short termist approach.

Nothing will change though... we're in a me-me, I want, now-now instant gratification world.
 
mscriv said:
Since both of our men's teams have choked and are out of it you won't have to look at the uniforms anymore. :(

The ladies still give us hope though.
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More like certainty, now that two U.S. teams are going to play for the gold. The match between MMT/KWJ and the team from China was amazing.
 
No country that has hosted Olympics so far has seen an improvement in the number of people taking up sports, regardless of the amount of money invested. I think it's really concerning.

All the tax payer funding (40%) and Lottery funding (60%) [both public money] is going into paying for already wealthy people to train (over 50% of the medals won are from rich, privately educated families).

You can break down medals won by your money spent in a particular area:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19144983

I'm already on my Olympics come down. I want to see a return to the basics - athletics, wrestling, swimming. Not sports that are for the privileged and wealthy. Not impressed with our medal count - look how many are equipment based sports, sad.

Jessica Ennis is a real champ though. Want to see the Olympics packed full of men and women like her.
 
niuniu said:
No country that has hosted Olympics so far has seen an improvement in the number of people taking up sports, regardless of the amount of money invested. I think it's really concerning.

All the tax payer funding (40%) and Lottery funding (60%) [both public money] is going into paying for already wealthy people to train (over 50% of the medals won are from rich, privately educated families).

You can break down medals won by your money spent in a particular area:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19144983

I'm already on my Olympics come down. I want to see a return to the basics - athletics, wrestling, swimming. Not sports that are for the privileged and wealthy. Not impressed with our medal count - look how many are equipment based sports, sad.

Jessica Ennis is a real champ though. Want to see the Olympics packed full of men and women like her.
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No need to bring the rest of us down with you. It was bad enough with the negativity before the games started to now have to put up with another dose of miserable. :(

All sports are equipment based, a runner will still need the best training facilities, sports coaches as much as a cyclist or anyone else.
 
remmy said:
No need to bring the rest of us down with you. It was bad enough with the negativity before the games started to now have to put up with another dose of miserable. :(

All sports are equipment based, a runner will still need the best training facilities, sports coaches as much as a cyclist or anyone else.
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It was the International Olympic Committee that brought it to the spotlight not me ;) BBC and the press have been covering it in greater detail since then. Class issues shouldn't be ignored. You can enjoy the games you want and appreciate the athletes, and still be aware of the issues.

Anyone can train to run privately with a little cost, even train at a free local running club. Try getting a sailing boat or horse and private land as a poor kid. You can't even get off the ground never-mind compete.

With an average of 20 playing fields a year being sold of in State schools, that will drive the advantage even further toward the privately educated.
 
The Internet medals again:

McKayla is not impressed.



:D:D:D

maroney.jpg
 
One thing about the NBC coverage has impressed me. I haven't heard them stumble over a single foreign name. I suppose I wouldn't know if they mispronounced a name that I hadn't heard before, but they are certainly naming the competitors with confidence.
 
niuniu said:
No country that has hosted Olympics so far has seen an improvement in the number of people taking up sports, regardless of the amount of money invested. I think it's really concerning.
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Why?

It's important that the nation keep themselves fit through one means or another, and inactivity is concerning... but I'm not sure why sport specifically is something we need to champion.

All the tax payer funding (40%) and Lottery funding (60%) [both public money] is going into paying for already wealthy people to train (over 50% of the medals won are from rich, privately educated families).
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Another way to look at it is that the socialist/state education system with its politically correct 'everyone's a winner' policies has banished all competitive activities from our state schools, with the result that there's little encouragement for kids to achieve excellence.

Private schools don't need to go along with this nonesense - and a competitive spirit is the result. I'm not surprised at all that private education is a better springboard for sporting success, and the funding aspect isn't the main issue.

We need less socialism here, not more.

And why specifically do you want 'poor kids' to go down a sporting route? It would be better if they did something more valuable to society (and themselves) like engineering.
I'm already on my Olympics come down.
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Jeez... this was 'up'?

I want to see a return to the basics - athletics, wrestling, swimming. Not sports that are for the privileged and wealthy. Not impressed with our medal count - look how many are equipment based sports, sad.
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Not sad when they're winning as a result of British technology. Our cyclists and bike-makers should equally be showered with praise.
 
firestarter said:
Why?

It's important that the nation keep themselves fit through one means or another, and inactivity is concerning... but I'm not sure why sport specifically is something we need to champion.


Another way to look at it is that the socialist/state education system with its politically correct 'everyone's a winner' policies has banished all competitive activities from our state schools, with the result that there's little encouragement for kids to achieve excellence.

Private schools don't need to go along with this nonesense - and a competitive spirit is the result. I'm not surprised at all that private education is a better springboard for sporting success, and the funding aspect isn't the main issue.

We need less socialism here, not more.

And why specifically do you want 'poor kids' to go down a sporting route? It would be better if they did something more valuable to society (and themselves) like engineering.

Jeez... this was 'up'?


Not sad when they're winning as a result of British technology. Our cyclists and bike-makers should equally be showered with praise.
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I've heard some good arguments for the status quo.. none of those are any of them, and I did read twice to check :D
 
I hear so much of wrong decisions, faulty measure equipment and wrong given points. Is that always the case with Olympia and the media is just making it prominent or is it these Olympics only, that have a 15 year old using the stop watch wrong, a hammer throw that was counted invalid, though clearly in the center of the throwing field, a runner that was disqualified, although another runner had stepped over the line etc.?
 
Cox Orange said:
I hear so much of wrong decisions, faulty measure equipment and wrong given points. Is that always the case with Olympia and the media is just making it prominent or is it these Olympics only, that have a 15 year old using the stop watch wrong, a hammer throw that was counted invalid, though clearly in the center of the throwing field, a runner that was disqualified, although another runner had stepped over the line etc.?
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Not to me mention the Penddleton/Meares incident, probably the most controversial one in the UK.

Sure has been a few dubious decisions, but I don't think any more than any other Olympics, or sport in general. When there are so many events with so much on the line there are bound to be a few errors (or perceived errors).
 
Some journos have only a little bit more knowledge about the sport than you or I so I doubt they really know what they are writing about and just trying to put down something interesting.
 
Well, I thought it was fantastic. We've just got back from watching the marathon at Embankment. Super, super atmosphere everywhere... Everyone just sort of cheered everything regardless.
 
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