Olympics 2012 - Athletics

[Witton Park]

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??

Swimming did fail on the medal count, but we seemed to have a lot of finalists so I'd be interested to see the stats on top 8 finishers which might suggest depth.

Only Ohorugu and Rutherford could really be attributed to the UKA structure.

Ennis is funded, but her income stream is well established and her coaching away from the UKA structure just like Farah.

Grabartz I would say not either. He wasn't on the radar until he jumped 2.34m indoors in January this year.

[molehill]

In athletics we don't seem to have strength in depth at any single discipline, but throw up individuals at random who sometimes make it to the very top, whether through UKA or their own system.

[sore legs]

In athletics we don't seem to have strength in depth at any single discipline, but throw up individuals at random who sometimes make it to the very top, whether through UKA or their own system.

Im not sure about strength in depth - I just dont think we have any strength full stop.

The Olympics was fantastic and I enjoyed it all but was very down hearted and quite embarrased by the Team GB performance other than Mo and Jess.

I would class their performance as a big fat 'Freddie Fail'. It will be interesting though to see if they get their funding cut like is potentially likely to happen to other sports. £25M well spent ........?

[sore legs]

As I cant edit my post I need to add that this comment is in relation to only the athletics, but swimming also under performed.

All the others I feel could hold their head high with their performances.

[Multiterrainer]

Im not sure about strength in depth - I just dont think we have any strength full stop.

The Olympics was fantastic and I enjoyed it all but was very down hearted and quite embarrased by the Team GB performance other than Mo and Jess.

I would class their performance as a big fat 'Freddie Fail'. It will be interesting though to see if they get their funding cut like is potentially likely to happen to other sports. £25M well spent ........?

I'd say there were a few others who could also hold their heads up - relative to the expectation we had for them even 3 months ago. For example, apart from the aforementioned Robbie Grabartz, I'd say Steve Lewis and Andrew Osagie in particularly, and also Laurence Okoye in the Hammer did better than expected while Christine Ohorugou (sp) achieved as much as could be expected.

[molehill]

Thought we threw up a gold in the long jump as well - gold is gold whether you are Mo, Jessica or Greg. Just don't seem to be many others snapping at their heels for places.

[Witton Park]

It's a mixed bag, but we also have to look at the imports we had this year, and I don't include Mo in that. We had Tiffany Porter in Sprint Hurdles, Yamile Aldama in Triple Jump, Shana Cox 400m... could be more.

I actually think we have got the athletes - look at some of the other medal contenders who didn't quite make it.
Dai Greene - 400 Hurdles
Philips Idowu - Triple Jump
Holly Bleasdale - Pole Vault (from my club)
Hannah England - 1500m
Shara Proctor - Long Jump - (an import really)
Goldie Sayers - Javelin
Peri Shakes-Drayton - 400 hurdles
Chris Tomlinson - Long Jump

and then the relays where we had a chance on paper in 3 out of 4 of getting a medal.

On another day perhaps? A case of bad luck?

I don't think so.

We clearly had some athletes who hit their peak early and couldn't perform to their seasons bests. All 8 of those athletes above plus the 3 imports were below their season's bests let alone their PBs in the Olympics.

They are all funded athletes.

I know Holly really well. I think it was a little inexperience on the day - perhaps from coach as well. As a pair they have worked phenomenally well together taking her to 4.87m indoors this winter, the 3rd highest of all time. 5 years ago she was a hurdler.
But both are learning - all the women vaulters struggled in the difficult conditions and she came a creditable 6th when in a heart I'm sure she fancied a medal.

But the others are all experienced performers, so I don't know.

I did wonder what the merits of the holding camp in Portugal was though. We have a home advantage, so why go to 35C and club med conditions?

the Jamaicans holding camp was Birmingham.

[XRunner]

I'd be interested to see the stats on top 8 finishers which might suggest depth.

Stats for the Olympic placings are now available here.

This gives a score of 85 for GB in 2012. The equivalent score at the 2008 Olympics (1 Gold 2 Silver 1 Bronze + 4 2 3 2 3) = 72 points.

[Witton Park]

Stats for the Olympic placings are now available here.

This gives a score of 85 for GB in 2012. The equivalent score at the 2008 Olympics (1 Gold 2 Silver 1 Bronze + 4 2 3 2 3) = 72 points.

Yes I'd seen them - I meat the same stats but for swimming.

the athletics stats show a decline since Soeul which is startling since we didn't have any funding then.

I was very impressed by Jo Pavey and Julia Bleasdale in the 10K and then the 5K.

Both ran PBs in the 10K and placed high in the 5K. Not bad for non-funded athletes.

[IanDarkpeak]

As I cant edit my post I need to add that this comment is in relation to only the athletics, but swimming also under performed.

All the others I feel could hold their head high with their performances.

I know some one in the hierachy of british swimming and to say they are scared of what their performance will do their funding is an understatement...