Why Are We So Good At Athletics?

[sp1814]

In the 2012 London Olympics we finished third (behind USA and China), and we are currently in exactly the same place in the Rio Olympics.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2016/aug/05/rio-olympics-2016-medal-table-and-results-in-full

Population of the USA: 318 millon
Population of China: 1.3 billion
Population of 64 million.

Great, don't you think?

[bednobs]

i don't think we are prticularly good at athletics are we?
we like and re good at sport

[sp1814]

bednobs

I should have been clearer - Olympic sports, rather than athletics.

[rockyracoon]

Not sure about athletics, but rowing and cycling is another story.

And yes, I think it's great. The hard work and sacrifice at this level is tremendous.

[-Talbot-]

Money for training from the EU ... we will be crap from now on.

[ummmm]

I heard on TV the other day that the British especially excel at sitting down sports.

[mikey4444]

Just hear this on the news....its all down to lottery funding !

[jno]

I think performances in rowing and cycling have improved over the last few years.

I don't specially kinow why that should be but lots of money went into sports generally after 2012. Proper training and good coaching presumably helped, though I dont know how far that went with cycling

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/36153485

Anyway, very good for a not-so-huge country. But Australia isn't far down the medals list with a population about a third of Britain's. And NZ has eight medals, with a population of 4 million - that's one medal per 500,000 people. (GB: about one medal per two million people.)

That's what I do like about the Olympics: little countries get the chance to shine. Fijians have been partying for days.

[Arksided]

It's a bit greek to me. I don't follow it intensely, However it's brilliant to see our fellow lads and lasses doing so well again.

[Peter Pedant]

we arent

1964 Tokyo - we got the fewest ever
and people were asking why we were so bad at olumpic sports
were the Brits going soft - end of empire etc
AOG wailing : why or why dont the young people of today .......

more professional
and money going to the right places/sports
has something to do with it

fr'instance - the hept and decathletes got money and did well

but do you remember the squawking over synchronised shooting whilst punting and knitting ? - no money three years ago (" they are no good" - official) and so they didnt go
and we have never heard diddly squat after that
it is as tho they dont exist

The clay pigeon shoo'a from Zummerzet ? the one arab sheikh saw shoo'ing and gave him a pair of purdeys ( cost £50k )
he who was given free membership of evershot shooting club ?
wasnt his varmer Dad heard to murmur to one of the sheep/press hacks on the varm ( in Zummerzet that is ) - " why doesnt he get a proper job?"
( I suppose that should be prarper jarb....)

[jomifl]

We aren't really so good...16th.
http://www.medalspercapita.com/

[sp1814]

Ark sided

Agreed.

London 2012 was no 'fluke'.

[Islay]

http://newsthump.com/2016/08/14/daily-mails-blood-pressure-dangerously-high-as-black-muslim-immigrant-wins-team-gb-gold/

[anotheoldgit]

No I don't follow it, but I did catch a little the other day on TV and I couldn't understand that in the particular event that I was watching (that of two ladies rowing) I could not understand why all the focus was targeted towards the lady in front of the boat?

Surely both rowers should have been congratulated, or was I missing something?

[Peter Pedant]

islay
as a satire that is a far higher standard than we are used to seeing

I had wondered why we had so few Allah Akhbar's on the podium
remember God is Great - everywhere
and predestination means that you were gonna get that medal anyway

and why if there were any
why they were keeping quiet ....

[jno]

aog, the same thing has happened in diving

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/36153485

(the story was in real papers as well)

[-Talbot-]

Australia 424 athletes

Great Britain 373 athletes


Just saying .......................

[Peter Pedant]

stroke and bow I think they are called AOG

I think stroke steers and sets the rhythm
perhaps stroke had put her teeth in and had better make up

sorry the one at the front ( pointy end ) is bow
dunno why they picked her and not the other ( at the flat end )

[mikey4444]

jomifl.....those are Cities rather than countries.

Looking at the medal table, Germany has far more people than Britain, and yet we have almost twice as many medals.

France is on a par with Britain population-wise and yet we have again, almost twice as many medals.

Spain are three-quarters our population, but they only have 5 medals !

Italy has almost the same population, but again, has many less medals.

The list is endless....we punch considerably above our weight, and its got *** all to do with our membership of the EU.

British pluck, together with money...an unbeatable combination....long live the Lottery !

[anotheoldgit]

Peter Pedant
10:08 Sun 14th Aug 2016

They do say that if given an infinite length of time, a chimpanzee punching at random on a typewriter would almost surely type out all of Shakespeare's plays.

But not all in the same order you understand.

[-Talbot-]

mikey ... sit down before reading this






I'm with you on this one.