***Athletics Thread***

Otty became a Slovenian citizen in 2002 and represented them in the 2004 Olympics. So she hasn't just randomly stated to compete for them as a convenience. Her coach is Slovenian, and she has trained there most of the career I believe and has lived there for 12 years or so.
 
semi-pro waster said:
Is the bit about Michael Rimmer linked to the flag of convenience rant? Because if it's the 800m runner he was born in the UK and as far as I'm aware has always represented Team GB. Mo Farah who you were praising on the other hand was born in Somalia and moved here at the age of 10.

I quite enjoyed seeing Merlene Ottey still competing at 50 for Slovenia, it's a remarkable achievement to be there at all. If people want to run under a flag of convenience and I get to see more of these marvellous athletes who might not get a place for their 'real' national team then I'm ok with that.

At the moment I'm quietly hopeful for the British team, there's still a long time before the Olympics though so I'm not getting too excited yet.
Click to expand...

He has lived in the US all his life I understood until about 2 years ago when he moved over here (you really think MJ would be his coach if he was actually British? I never specified whether he had represented any other flag or not - but I guess he would have if he was good enough......

I would suggest there is a huge difference in regards to a family moving to another country and bringing their child who grows up in that country (and decides to participate in sport) to a fully grown adult competing for one country until they cant qualify, so they move to another country where they can...... :)

I dont believe for a minute that M Otty would have gone to Slovenia if their standards had been higher so the fact she trained there for x years and her coach is that nationality has very little to do with it imo
 
Last edited:
FrankJH said:
He has lived in the US all his life I understood until about 2 years ago when he moved over here (you really think MJ would be his coach if he was actually British? I never specified whether he had represented any other flag or not - but I guess he would have if he was good enough......
Click to expand...

Or maybe he's just training with the best/being trained by the best - if he chooses to train wherever but considers himself British then I've got no problem with him doing so. I'm not sure whether he has the option of competing for another nation anyway. Really I just want to see great athletes compete and if this is the way it is then so be it.

FrankJH said:
I would suggest there is a huge difference in regards to a family moving to another country and bringing their child who grows up in that country (and decides to participate in sport) to a fully grown adult competing for one country until they cant qualify, so they move to another country where they can...... :)

I dont believe for a minute that M Otty would have gone to Slovenia if their standards had been higher so the fact she trained there for x years and her coach is that nationality has very little to do with it imo
Click to expand...

Merlene Ottey moved to Slovenia in 1998 according to Wikipedia and became a Slovenian citizen 4 years later, I've got to give her credit for the forward thinking to enable her to compete in the Euros almost a decade later.

We've obviously got very different views on this but I'm happy to see such a fantastic athlete still competing at the age of 50 and doing pretty well considering.
 
FrankJH said:
He has lived in the US all his life I understood until about 2 years ago when he moved over here (you really think MJ would be his coach if he was actually British? I never specified whether he had represented any other flag or not - but I guess he would have if he was good enough......

I would suggest there is a huge difference in regards to a family moving to another country and bringing their child who grows up in that country (and decides to participate in sport) to a fully grown adult competing for one country until they cant qualify, so they move to another country where they can...... :)

I dont believe for a minute that M Otty would have gone to Slovenia if their standards had been higher so the fact she trained there for x years and her coach is that nationality has very little to do with it imo
Click to expand...

I believe your talking about Michael Bingham and not Michael Rimmer.
 
100m heats starting in a minute guys and girls.


Heat A

1 - Ndure
2 - Devonish
3 - Forsythe
4 - Gay
5 - Blake
6 - Kimmons
7 - Samuels
8 - Malcolm


Heat B

1 - Spearmon
2 - Padgett
3 - Lewis-Francis
4 - Dix
5 - Thompson
6 - Martina
7 - Rodgers
8 - Gilling


Shame no Bolt and Powell, good job I didn't end up buying tickets to see them 3! :D
 
Oslo tonight people. BBC3 from 7PM or on the BBC Sport website on the athletics page found here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/default.stm


Greg Rutherford is in the long jump, Caster Semenya is in the womans :D 800m, Christian Malcolm is in the 200m along with some bloke called Usain Bolt. Bolt has looked sluggish, by his standards in his past two 100m races. Hopefully the cobwebs have been blown away and he comes flying out tonight. 200m is scheduled for 8:45PM.
 
Azza said:
Christian Malcolm is in the 200m along with some bloke called Usain Bolt. Bolt has looked sluggish, by his standards in his past two 100m races. Hopefully the cobwebs have been blown away and he comes flying out tonight. 200m is scheduled for 8:45PM.
Click to expand...

destroys the field in rainy Oslo

I heard the bbc commentators over the weekend saying something along the lines of he's not on form yet. The World Championships is looking good.
 
New York this evening people. Coverage starts from 8 on the BBC Sport website - http://goo.gl/oImmU and on the BBC Red Button channel.

Great meet this is. Gay and Mullings running in the 100m. Dai Greene is in the 400m hurdles against van Zyl, who has been brilliant so far this year. Oscar Pistorius is running in the 400m and he needs to get to 45.25 to qualify for the World Championships before 20th of June. He's already ran a PB of 45.61 this year and I really hope he gets it, would be superb. Phillips Idowu is in the triple jump, as well as Olsson. Womens 200m has a great field as well with Allyson Felix, Shelly-Ann Fraser and also Carmelita Jeter running. And then there is the womens 100m hurdles which should be a great race as well, Kellie Wells runs as well as Lolo Jones and Danielle Carruthers. And of course the gorgeous Jess Ennis!!! mmmmm :D
 
That was ****. 3 false starts, Padgett should have not even gone. Mullings beats Gay literally by a whisker because he dipped to early and he had a shocking start did great to make it up though. Slow time in rotten conditions. Mullings looked good as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom