Tokyo Olympics 2020

There will be questions over the rowing for sure the first time since 1980 we havn't had a gold what did they say they spent on funding? 27m? Or was it 2.7 I can't remember. Anyway it goes to show that simply throwing money at something doesn't gaurantee results the BMX rider who got gold had to self fund her mum had to work long hours to pay for the trip. On the other hand if I heard the commentators right Sir Steve Redgrave 5 times olympic gold medallist was coaching the chinese womens team who absolutely stomped on everyone else and won by a country mile. The reason the old eastern bloc countries had so much success in the past was previous generations would train the next. Its all very well having success but if theres no followup or follow through on success no amount of money is going to fix that. Unless you happen to have China's money, that is.
 
It was 27 million. A lot of the blame has been put on the ex GB rowing coach Jurgen Grobler who was thrown out by the current generation last year because they didn't like his tough training methods and healthy diets. He coached Redgrave, Pincett, Cracknell as well as many others to years of success but the current generation couldn't handle it.
 
Pigeon_Killer said:
Just watching the replay of the women's 100m heats and the track looks ridiculously quick for the shorter events. I thought DAS might have a chance of a medal but Elaine-Thompson, Fraser-Pryce and Ta Lou all jogged to times around 10.8.
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Saw this talked about on Science of Sport. New - controversy rousing - shoe tech has suddenly improved the times of all the runners using it, and a noted lack of WADA testing leading up to this Olympics.
 
Somnambulist said:
Saw this talked about on Science of Sport. New - controversy rousing - shoe tech has suddenly improved the times of all the runners using it, and a noted lack of WADA testing leading up to this Olympics.
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If it makes that much difference, they'll eventually ban them. The Chinese developed a swim suit a few years ago that slashed swimmers times and that was eventually banned. Think something stupid like 95% of all swimming medals were won by athletes that wore the suit.
 
Somnambulist said:
Saw this talked about on Science of Sport. New - controversy rousing - shoe tech has suddenly improved the times of all the runners using it
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You sure that applies to sprinters spiked shoes? I know it's been called in to question for recent marathon records but hard to believe it would transfer over to 100m?? :confused:
 
Well I'd expect these shoes to be affordable(!) for most runners so that evens the playing field a bit but of course new records would be unfair on previous generations.

Cycling is very much a sport for the haves and have nots. I was watching the time trial the other day and they were talking about 3d printed titanium handlebars custom moulded for each rider costing £10,000 a pop. Apparently it's allowed because it's not "exclusive" and can be bought "off the shelf" by anyone (who can afford it). :D
 
Rowing needs significant cuts, it's get so much money due to all the posh friends in the top jobs who dish out the money in the first place.

I understand it's is also based on expectations of results and future talent. Which is basketball got dropped. We have zero chance of winning anything in that game.

Cycling in the UK is massive, from BMX, velodrome and road racing it's accessable and cheap for everyone.
 
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Is a shame about the rowing and does make you question what decision making behind the scenes might have led to the UK losing what was quite a dominant position once upon a time... Who knows whether it's the departure of the previously successful coach and introduction of an unproven new one, the performance director using poor selection methods or something else... Or maybe the talent just isn't there at the moment!

Whatever the truth, I'm sure rowing will be an easy topic for plenty of uninspired journalists to tap out a thousand or so words to fill some column space. My ideas for a few articles for different papers:
Telegraph: modern ********* rowers just don't want to put in the work and dedicate themselves to the task. They should be more like Boris and show some fortitude!
Guardian: athlete welfare and mental health has to come above all else and we must salute the new era of sensitive and supportive sportspersonship, even if that comes at the expense of winning medals in an imperialist and racist and patriarchal and transphobic system like the Olympics, come to think of it why are we funding these disgusting rich layabouts to go galavanting off around the world to advance racism, down with these disgusting people who didn't even win us any medals.
Daily mail: Is Steve Redgrave a communist SPY? After learning from the best he in blighty the traitor has taken his know how over to China, and probably poisoned our rowing team somehow too.

Anyway nice to see more success in other areas :)
 
Damn it, I missed the first 2 legs of the triathlon but Georgia Taylor Brown is in first with a nice little lead. Alex Yee to go last and hopefully bring it home.

edit: yikes, our lead has evaporated. :p
 
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