Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 342
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

Good idea as well I reckon.

I can totally understand the perspective of pfft sport, what about interest rates, trade deficit and community health. I get it.  But the reality is that sports investment is way worse than it has b

Usain Bolt tomorrow!

 

I might catch the final, it's on at 5:50 AM tomorrow (monday), but the semi final is on at 350AM.

 

I feel like London is the only one watching these Olympics live lol

Link to post
Share on other sites

Marathon at the moment.

 

They run faster over 42km than Incan probably for 100m. Amazing.

 

Out of curiosity, I just calculated it and at world marathon record pace, they cover 100m in 17.6 seconds!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Marathon at the moment.

 

They run faster over 42km than Incan probably for 100m. Amazing.

 

Out of curiosity, I just calculated it and at world marathon record pace, they cover 100m in 17.6 seconds!

 

Mad.

 

Yeah, that's 100m in 17.6 seconds consecutively 422 times!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Watched the "big race" at around 7am today. Mr Bolt wasn't cruising, finally!

First time I've ever seen him run flat out for the entire 100m, because he was under a bit of pressure, and not getting any younger, either!

Link to post
Share on other sites

I see Japan not doing so good in the medals.

Heads may roll.

 

 

Doing better than Australia, just.

Questions being asked here. What went 'wrong'.

I think I know the answer.

 

Everyone else was faster, stronger, higher, longer, better.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I see Japan not doing so good in the medals.

Heads may roll.

 

 

Doing better than Australia, just.

Questions being asked here. What went 'wrong'.

I think I know the answer.

 

Everyone else was faster, stronger, higher, longer, better.

What's wrong is the National investment in sport.

Some funding exists but it is spent strangely. And it is not nearly enough to give the strength required for us to compete with the big nations on the board.

 

The American College scholarship programme provides a large pool of athletes that train, compete and are financially supported in the collegiate atmosphere - this gives them a large pool of athletes to draw from. Then they look after thier Olympians.

In China if you are an Olympic athlete, or a potential Olympic athlete, then that's what you do...state supported.

 

PB ducked over to Russia to help establish reciprocal training opportunities for our 1997 born cohort, and discovered that the facilities for the the CLUB in a regional area were superior to what our guys have at the AIS! Let alone the beg, borrow, steal and negotiate for pool space that our kids put up with at a club level.

 

What is needed is grassroots facilities and investment (without money to pay coaches you don't get kids with a good foundation), active talent identification (does exist in some disciplines) and then a well funded and solid programme for those identified. And at the pointy end of Olympics prep the athletes need financial support (so many of them are holding down fulltme jobs, are parents and then finding time to train on TOP) and services including psychological support. The AIS axed the sports psych support years ago!

 

Get that stuff right. Gold will come.

Link to post
Share on other sites

MB I get the feeling that a lot of people here are glad that sporting success has been relegated down the list of the countries priorities.

I think after decades of sport, sport, sport we are suffering a bit sporting fatigue.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
MB I get the feeling that a lot of people here are glad that sporting success has been relegated down the list of the countries priorities.

I think after decades of sport, sport, sport we are suffering a bit sporting fatigue.

I can totally understand the perspective of pfft sport, what about interest rates, trade deficit and community health. I get it.

 

But the reality is that sports investment is way worse than it has been in the past.

The cash out there might actually be more (not sure) but it is the way it is spent, or how far it goes, that has changed.

 

Sport is an amazing thing with way more far reaching outcomes than gold medals at games held every 4 years.

 

I had this discussion this week while watching Olympic coverage with a large group of parents who spend 6 or 7 evenings of the week poolside supporting thier kids pursuit of excellence. All agreed that thier boys are better men because of the lessons they are learning at training. They have the kind of 'I will still have your back when we are 40' mateships that I dont see in kids not involved in team sport, they have a massively high work ethic, they have learned to take that cup of HTFU concrete through dealing with disappointments, or training with injuries, they have developed total commitment even in the face of adversity, they have developed problem solving skills (how the heck am I going to get to training when Dad is working and Mum is skiing in Thredbo...Ohhh I know..I'll ride my bike), they are physically fit and have had to learn more about nutrition than most adults know just to survive what they do. Then there is the respect and teamwork...

All outstanding qualities missing in the kids that are raging against the establishment and bashing bus drivers, king hitting innocent youngsters or bag snatching from the elderly on a Friday night.

 

I think an investment in sport at a grassroots level will help improve society, stuff the gold medals! ;)

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

As a Parent that spends a good deal of his waking day running kids around to sporting commitments, I totally agree. If Australia's top coaches want to get a $250 000 bonus for coaching Chinese (or Brittish) athletes to a gold medal, then good luck to them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...