you've just made all this up

too long

you've just made all this up
===================

What is a "household name" is obviously subective. I did it as reasonably as I could though, and there werent too many cases of controversy I dont think.

What does everyone think of the Team GB Kit ?

Why did you not put discus? at the bottom for starters.


I think this was a conscious decision made many years ago. It's why funding has gone in to lesser known sports to give us an all round better chance to 'medal' (what a crap excuse for a verb) in any given event.

I think medal is a great verb. It's one of my favourites actually.

For a start you said we won 2 0 1 in 2004 we actually won 3 0 2

now amended.

has anyone else got any starters ?

JPB-Spur.


I agree. I think the whole Olympic thing is now a bore-fest. I never used to mind watching the atheletics when we has some decent chances of medals, but now it seems our big chance is in the women`s heptathalon, hardly an event to get the pulse racing. As for watching cyclists going around an arena, I cannot think of anything more boring or yachtsmen or women racing against each other.

I doubt I will hardly watch any of the Olympics, may glance at a bit of track and field, but all the other events are not for me.

It would be great if the success of Dave Brailsford in transforming UK Cycling could be replicated on the running track.

Funding wise, I know people who hold or have held national records for less high profile events(pole vault etc) who have to work part time in crappy jobs just to get by. If you are the UKs 4th best 800m runner, you probably wont even get lottery funding so it is pretty difficult to move to that next level. Would struggle to motivate myself to train and sacrifice so much for so little reward. Remember Tracy Morris who not being Radcliffe's level had to work full time but was still one of our best marathon runners http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/3638965.stm.. Financially if you are not the best it appears to be pretty tough.

Was interesting recently to read a tweet from Kelly Southerton who wished she had been a boy and a Premiership footballer due in part to the financial rewards available even if you aren't the best in the team/league etc .

To further compound it, imagine trying since being a young teenager to make the grade, training every day and racing every week under UKA, only to just ahead of 2012 to find out your place has been taken by a "plastic" brit who has developed and trained under the US Athletics framework but not quite made it over in the US, but the powers that be select them for GB because they are 1s faster. I would be throwing in the towel.

Just my two cents

You should have said penneths

Anyway......I am looking forward to it all BIG TIME.

I put GB bunting up in my back garden yesterday too

Interesting comments.

Funnily enough, arguably GB's 4th best 1500m runner in 1984 was Seb Coe (after cram, ovett and elliot). I couldnt name a single GB male middle distance runner now.

Presumably these guys were amatuers in those days, but whereas from the sounds of it most of our athletes are still amateurs, they may be competing against runners from other countries who are effectively "professional", albeit that the olympics are supposed to be an amateur competition.

"Just my two cents"

Shut it, you whiney tart.

Suicide by cop

Another thing...I seem to remember from the age of about 14 having to sign forms for random drugs tests as UKA was fairly militant in its policy. In some countries which I won't name, who have fairly strong track teams there is no testing internally during the season. Or other countries where you would only get tested if you collected your prize(many runners won all season without doing this), remember those Greek athletes and the motorcycle accident story?

I am sure UKA and Team GB pay a price in terms of success in the desire to keep our athletes clean. Not all countries are as interested in this.

"Another thing...I seem to remember from the age of about 14 having to sign forms for random drugs tests as UKA was fairly militant in its policy"

Failed athlete.

Was more the lack of Beer and Takeaway testing that was my biggest issue.

"Was more the lack of Beer and Takeaway testing that was my biggest issue"

Revel in the triumph of JA606 etc.
Last thing we want is an athletics version of Galvais blabbing around on Spurs 606.

<I could have been a contender>

All the comments look like they support the contention in the article that less effort has been put into deveoping track and field athletes, and more focus has been put onto other olympic sports.

The exception to that being the drug testing comment - and I dont think GB athletics can be blamed for being more succesful than other countries in eliminating drug cheats - and the plastic brits comment, which appears to be only a very recent phenominon.

why is this on the spurs board? Are we allowed to discuss anything then?

What does everyone think of the pedestrianisation of Norwich City centre? I've gotta say, i'm dead against it.

RDBD fair point, I'll have you know this is now the Olympics board.

I wont go Galvais, If you won't trash our third rate under performing athletes. Deal?

2012 Olympics

JPB, I might move this thread to the Olympics board.

there's noone on the athletics board basically.

I did an extension of time claim on a city centre redevlopement project round there somewhere. romford i think it was. cant comment on the norwich stuff though.

"All the comments look like they support the contention in the article that less effort has been put into deveoping track and field athletes, and more focus has been put onto other olympic sports."

No success to capture the imagination of the kids after the late 80s.
So you got into the vicious circle for about 15 yrs.

Cycling, rowing, swimming etc have had branch/root reform of the regimes. Which translated into material success and public awareness.

Until you get the next Daley, Coe/Ovett/Cram holding court for a couple of years, UK athletics is going nowhere.