Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 28

Thread: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

  1. #1
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Blackburn
    Posts
    8,793

    Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19234466

    An interesting debate is now going on. Many will feel that GB did great and so did the athletes. However, 6 medals was below the target set by UKA Head Coach Van Commenee.
    Despite all the funding, the overall performance isn't as good as some other years dependent how you look at it rather than just the medal count.
    When you further consider that Ennis and Farah are largely outside of the UKA "system" then it really does beg the question why athletics has disappointed overall whilst other sports seem to have upped their game.

    I do think athletics is difficult to manage. It isn't like other sports. Cycling is very straightforward as is rowing. The Olympic athletics events are a diverse range of from 100m, to Marathon, Pole Vault to Shot, so with all these individual events linked under the umbrella of athletics, the formula of funding used for more specific events like cycling / rowing cannot be replicated with athletics.

    The set up at Manchester for the cycling would be akin to having a High Jump centre, hurdles centre, sprinting centre etc...

    But how could the sport be structured better help ensure that our undoubted talent gets to the next Olympics better prepared to PB.

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Leeds. Capital of Gods Own.
    Posts
    11,176

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    Do I remember Van Commenee saying if they didn't reach his target of 8 medals he would walk?

    More northern coaching and top facilities may help.

  3. #3
    Master Multiterrainer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Bramley
    Posts
    4,415

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    Quote Originally Posted by Stagger View Post
    Do I remember Van Commenee saying if they didn't reach his target of 8 medals he would walk?

    More northern coaching and top facilities may help.
    He did indeed say that Stagger. However I understand that was also based on just 1 Gold - apparently he's gone on holiday for a couple of weeks and will consider his future.

  4. #4
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Leeds. Capital of Gods Own.
    Posts
    11,176

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    Going for a positive, get all the failed athletes to do days in schools to encourage kid to have a go at various sports.
    Thats how Jess got started after Sheffield games.

  5. #5
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Monmouth
    Posts
    7,389

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    But track and field did better than swimming...which is another monophasic enterprise.
    It's a conundrum to be sure but perhaps T&F is about finding solitary unique talents and nurturing them into success rather than something like cycling where you can build a support network around your stars....although swimming, again, failed in that respect.
    How many of the T&F golds can be attributed to the GB management? Farah's cannot but I don't know about the others.

    There's something about Van Comenee I don't like. I'd be happy to see him replaced with someone more....personable??
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

  6. #6
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Blackburn
    Posts
    8,793

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    I think the centralising policy of drawing the elites together at a couple of Hi Performance centres isn't the right way. It works for some sports but not athletics as it is too diverse.

    I also think the method of funding needs to be looked at. It's not easy for UKA in this respect as they have to fund within the criteria set down by UK Sport but UKA should be going back to UK Sport and making the case that the diversity of athletic disciplines requires a different approach.

    I would look at :-
    1. Rewarding Champs performances.
    Too much of athletics has become focused on PB and time trials and you can be funded without even winning at the top national level and particularly our sprinters seem to have the approach in recent years that once funded, they've made it.

    2. Supporting Universities that want to establish athletics.
    Most universities offer bursaries and some for sport. UKA could link up with some of these to like-for-like match fund the bursary, which would further encourage like-minded athletes to attend.
    Rather than the Loughborough set up, I would try and spread this so that we have endurance specialist Unis, Throws, Jumps, sprints, so that we perhaps encourage 4 or 5 of each to spring up.

  7. #7
    Master Dynamo Dan's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Manchester
    Posts
    2,189

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    Quote Originally Posted by Witton Park View Post
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19234466

    An interesting debate is now going on. Many will feel that GB did great and so did the athletes. However, 6 medals was below the target set by UKA Head Coach Van Commenee.
    Despite all the funding, the overall performance isn't as good as some other years dependent how you look at it rather than just the medal count.
    When you further consider that Ennis and Farah are largely outside of the UKA "system" then it really does beg the question why athletics has disappointed overall whilst other sports seem to have upped their game.

    I do think athletics is difficult to manage. It isn't like other sports. Cycling is very straightforward as is rowing. The Olympic athletics events are a diverse range of from 100m, to Marathon, Pole Vault to Shot, so with all these individual events linked under the umbrella of athletics, the formula of funding used for more specific events like cycling / rowing cannot be replicated with athletics.

    The set up at Manchester for the cycling would be akin to having a High Jump centre, hurdles centre, sprinting centre etc...

    But how could the sport be structured better help ensure that our undoubted talent gets to the next Olympics better prepared to PB.
    I think the medals flattered to deceive. I suspect Commenee realises that too, if it wasn't for Farah, Ennis and a fortuitous long jump gold the athletics tally would be pretty pathetic for a home nation with our sporting pedigree. Too many athletes failed to make the semifinals/finals let alone win medals.

    There's some great talent coming through, but you have to question the standard of the elite coaches in UKA - especially when you consider our best athletes have to leave the UKA system to be successful.

    I can understand why you want to make athletics coaching sound more complicated than cycling and rowing, but the reality is that athletics could learn a great deal from the success of those sports - especially cycling.

    I don't think it's a question of facilities, it's more about signposting talent from other sports (Gemili is a great example) and improving coaching. One thing which is often overlooked when it comes to Manchester Velodrome is that it's not just a track for cyclists it's a hub for developing coaches too.

  8. #8
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Blackburn
    Posts
    8,793

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    Quote Originally Posted by Dynamo Dan View Post
    I think the medals flattered to deceive. I suspect Commenee realises that too, if it wasn't for Farah, Ennis and a fortuitous long jump gold the athletics tally would be pretty pathetic for a home nation with our sporting pedigree. Too many athletes failed to make the semifinals/finals let alone win medals.

    There's some great talent coming through, but you have to question the standard of the elite coaches in UKA - especially when you consider our best athletes have to leave the UKA system to be successful.

    I can understand why you want to make athletics coaching sound more complicated than cycling and rowing, but the reality is that athletics could learn a great deal from the success of those sports - especially cycling.

    I don't think it's a question of facilities, it's more about signposting talent from other sports (Gemili is a great example) and improving coaching. One thing which is often overlooked when it comes to Manchester Velodrome is that it's not just a track for cyclists it's a hub for developing coaches too.
    Dan I agree with you - but just to clarify I'm not saying that athletics coaching is more complicated, but that athletics is more complicated as a sport and we cannot just replicate the Veldodrome and put all of our elite athletes in to one or two HIPACs.

    Gemili isn't "new" he was just tied to football as a junior at Chelsea. Since 2010 he's competed and improved. We have a similar lad at BBH called Luke Evans. He was in rugby and couldn't compete for us until U17 / Year 11 when he ran 11.1 and 22.5

    Luke is at Loughborough and ran slower when under their coaching regime in 2011. It seems they spent most of the time in the gym and you only need to look at the likes of Harry AA and you can see that.
    Luke is an athlete and needs to run.

    I don't think these centres are the way for athletics. I think smaller more focused centres, perhaps more difficult to fund alone which is why I suggest the Uni way.

  9. #9
    Master Dynamo Dan's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Manchester
    Posts
    2,189

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    Quote Originally Posted by Witton Park View Post
    I don't think these centres are the way for athletics. I think smaller more focused centres, perhaps more difficult to fund alone which is why I suggest the Uni way.
    I think the Uni idea is great. Commenee doesn't seem very personable, but he strikes me as honest enough for things to change at the top of UKA, which is a good thing.

    Don't you think coaches would benefit from regional/national centres, even if it would be difficult to manage for athletes?

  10. #10
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Blackburn
    Posts
    8,793

    Re: Olympics 2012 - Athletics

    Dan - I think athletics is so diverse and short of volunteers. I can't speak for other sports. The volunteers in our sport are often involved with more than one hat.

    I am always looking to learn as a coach, but the courses that are put on for us coaches can involve cost, time and also for some reason seem to overlap with events. I suppose the problem I have is that I try to be more than just a coach, in that I run (sort of) and get involved in the athletics structures.

    I find the best way is when I have been involved in group sessions with some of the older stalwarts of coaching + a mix of the newer academically trained coaches. You can pick up the bits that you like.

    If we had this "Uni" structure, then it should also involve (for example) open sessions for athletes and coaches from outside the area and become a regional hub for the specific event.
    That already happens to a degree at Sportcity with the indoor facility.

Similar Threads

  1. Olympics 2012
    By IanDarkpeak in forum General chat!
    Replies: 443
    Last Post: 14-08-2012, 03:52 PM
  2. The 2012 Olympics - what...
    By Stolly in forum General chat!
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 15-07-2010, 03:47 PM
  3. Winter T'Olympics
    By ukhursty in forum General chat!
    Replies: 34
    Last Post: 03-03-2010, 10:50 AM
  4. Wythenshawe Olympics
    By Danbert Nocurry in forum General chat!
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 15-02-2010, 07:55 PM
  5. Olympics 2008
    By Multiterrainer in forum General chat!
    Replies: 179
    Last Post: 11-09-2008, 02:07 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •