Olympics 2012 - Athletics

[Guick Dotto]

That doesn't look so bad to me. Am I missing something or haven't we actually done better than last time? Can fouling up a relay baton handover be attributed to a failure in UK athletics? If Jamaicans beat us at sprinting and Rift Valley athletes beat us at long distance does that make us rubbish. You're all runners if you don't like it get running and win something yourselves.

[Guick Dotto]

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.

My previous remark is in relation to the stats.

[Witton Park]

GD - it depends how you analyse. If you go further back there is evidence to say that the funding hasn't helped - Souel being the high-point since the era of the boycotted games. I think it's also fair to say that a lot of our medal contenders under-performed this time.
WE also can see quite a few of our stronger athletes didn't even get to the Games - the 800m Women being the most highlighted event.
Our discussion won't change things, but I am pretty sure the UKA Management will be having similar conversations.
If my athletes underperform I try to understand why.
Surely it's Ok for us to have a discussion?

[sore legs]

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.

I found this very strange - the olympics are in London and our athletes could not even be bothered to show up at the opening of it - more of a disgrace in my view.

I suppose if the athletes cant hit their peak with a 4 year build up with a full supporting and managing team behind them then they dont deserve any future support. Everyone has off days or lets the occasion get to them but I view these latest performances as woeful.

How many and who are funded?? Listening to one of the boxing coaches, he stated that there was no need for the the boxers to rush off after success and become professional as they were currently earning nearly as much as an amateur - I dont know how that is supposed to work as that is not an amateur in my books or by definition.

[Witton Park]

I found this very strange - the olympics are in London and our athletes could not even be bothered to show up at the opening of it - more of a disgrace in my view.

I suppose if the athletes cant hit their peak with a 4 year build up with a full supporting and managing team behind them then they dont deserve any future support. Everyone has off days or lets the occasion get to them but I view these latest performances as woeful.

How many and who are funded?? Listening to one of the boxing coaches, he stated that there was no need for the the boxers to rush off after success and become professional as they were currently earning nearly as much as an amateur - I dont know how that is supposed to work as that is not an amateur in my books or by definition.

Roughly Sport Funding from central coffers comes from 2 sources.

UK Sport for Elite Sport which funds the potential Olympians. UKA receive a settlement every 4 year cycle and the new settlement will be announced on the 12/12/12 and will commence in April 2013.
Each sport is assessed on it's performance in the previous period and so cycling might receive more and swimming is worried incase they lose funding.
Previously Gymnastics and Judo have lost funding but battled back this time around.

Sports have to demonstrate that they have a good chance of getting to Rio - eg Handball UK only got in as we were at home. They would have to improve a lot to have a chance of qualifying for Rio so may lose their UK Sport money in the review.

Sport England is for Grass Roots sport whether club based or non-club initiatives.
So handball could still receive assistance from this source.

The funding comes mostly from lottery but also from central government and then the individual sports go out and try and attract commercial sponsors, such as UKA have done with Aviva and McCain.

It's not quite a simple as having a four year build up. Sometimes shit happens, illness, injury etc.

But questions will be asked in all sports - even the most successful ones. I am sure that UKA could have done some things better. Of course I'm not ideally placed to comment, but it's fair enough that we can have a debate.

[sore legs]

WP - thanks for the insight. I had read a couple of things online about how the funding works and the 'home team' not having to qualify for some events and I think that it has certainly brought some of the lesser known sports into the spot light so fingers crossed they will be able to develop their sport for the future.

Personally I think that overall Team GB did fantastic and completely out did the anticipated collective performance. After all we are only a small nation with limited resources.

[Witton Park]

SL - Agree - it was a fantastic event from start to finish and the competitors and the backup all did great. I can see though that swimming and athletics didn't really excel in the same way.

We had 3 Olympians at BBH. Sam Murray who won the Silver in the Modern Pentathlon is BBH and we have never had one of our members at the Olympics ever before, so it was extra special for us. Holly Bleasdale the Pole Vaulter started of with BBH and Sophie Hitchon was a Pendle athlete until 16 and I'm sure those at Pendle shared our excitement at seeing Sophie and the other young athletes on the World stage, just as forumites in general did with the Brownlees.
You feel part of the occasion yourself.

[Wheeze]

High point for me was Jack Maitland being interviewed on R5 about coaching Brownlees....didn't mention Guiness once!!!