Without meaning to offend Tyson (well, a little bit ...) I was giving some thought as to why there are so many public-school athletes representing the UK in sports. Whilst facilities and opportunities are part of it, might there be another component? My school week was six days, with Wednesday and Saturday being half-days academically. On those afternoons, we mainly played sports and/or other activities (Pathfinders, CCF etc). We could also got permission to do academic work..........According to (1), the average time dedicated to sports in secondary schools a week is just 107 minutes.
Are you asking for state schools to run 6 days a week? The Teachers Unions are more militant than the doctors! Of course the grammar schools also produced more athletes when they were more prevalent.
I presumed it was the investment in your kids future. If you're going to spend thousands to send offspring to school, you'll consider taking them to sports practice/buy better quality equipment as just another way to do so.
I was bought a left-handed hockey stick in the 80s - we had to order it especially. I was crap at hockey - but my mum thought it was essential for me to be even in with a fighting chance.
Just to add to the “we’ve won more medals than you” bragging table someone on WalesOnline has worked out that per head of population Wales has won more medals per head of population than anyone except New Zealand. Scotland, Malc, is 5th. China, Russia and the US are the bottom three. Yorkshire’s not been incuded in the table.
Compare the range of skills required in athletic events with cycling. Cycling has a narrow range of skills and funds 110 people. Athletics has an enormous range from running, jumping and throwing yet athletics only funds 86 people individually. Athletics so far has had 138 medals awarded, Cycling had 51 medals awarded. We are clearly underfunding athletics and choosing Cycling instead becuase we have a better chance of winning cycling medals.
I think my point was maybe it isn't just underfunding athletics, perhaps we are funding people in events we have an inbuilt genetic disadvantage and with limited scope for marginal gains type approach. Cycling and rowing were identified as perfect for this approach, where as we have chosen to fund crocked 5km women runners rather than perhaps pumping money / research efforts into events we could compete in by being concentrating on technique.
This is what South Korea did for Winter Olympics.
But we are funding 100+ cyclists and 100+ rowers and (I guess) fewer than 20 long distance runners... If we only fund 3, then when 1 or 2 get crocked there are no substitutes and little competition.
I know...what I am saying is if the pot is limited for track / field, perhaps we just don't bother with long distance runners who don't have a chance, and funnel it towards things we could gain from. Also it isn't 1 or 2 getting crocked at a late stage....6 years and permanently crocked, that isn't a heart breaking injury in the trials for the Olympics.
Another point, we still fund Mo and a number of other multi-millionaire athletes. Again if funds are limited, perhaps we have to redirect some of that funding.
The womens running where there are "testosterone" ladies, does seem to be a bit pointless.
I see no point in competing against Caster for years unless injured/retires. It's PC nonsense - she's testes and no womb or ovaries. That isn't a marginal physical gain from having big feet or long legs.
Perhaps in that event, they should let all the other athletes dope....although to match 3x the normal level of testosterone, they will have to pumped to the gills...there are former East German doped women athletes that had less testosterone than that.
Well quite. I may be unfair here - but the three medallists in that event looked like men.
I see the whole of Rio have turned out for the marathon...oh wait....
Incredible and insulting for the athletes involved ...... How did Rio ever make a credible case for hosting the Olympics with such pathetic levels of support from its population?
Compare the range of skills required in athletic events with cycling. Cycling has a narrow range of skills and funds 110 people. Athletics has an enormous range from running, jumping and throwing yet athletics only funds 86 people individually. Athletics so far has had 138 medals awarded, Cycling had 51 medals awarded. We are clearly underfunding athletics and choosing Cycling instead becuase we have a better chance of winning cycling medals.
I think my point was maybe it isn't just underfunding athletics, perhaps we are funding people in events we have an inbuilt genetic disadvantage and with limited scope for marginal gains type approach. Cycling and rowing were identified as perfect for this approach, where as we have chosen to fund crocked 5km women runners rather than perhaps pumping money / research efforts into events we could compete in by being concentrating on technique.
This is what South Korea did for Winter Olympics.
I know...what I am saying is if the pot is limited for track / field, perhaps we just don't bother with long distance runners who don't have a chance, and funnel it towards things we could gain from. Also it isn't 1 or 2 getting crocked at a late stage....6 years and permanently crocked, that isn't a heart breaking injury in the trials for the Olympics.
Another point, we still fund Mo and a number of other multi-millionaire athletes. Again if funds are limited, perhaps we have to redirect some of that funding.
The womens running where there are "testosterone" ladies, does seem to be a bit pointless.
I see no point in competing against Caster for years unless injured/retires. It's PC nonsense - she's testes and no womb or ovaries. That isn't a marginal physical gain from having big feet or long legs.
Perhaps in that event, they should let all the other athletes dope....although to match 3x the normal level of testosterone, they will have to pumped to the gills...there are former East German doped women athletes that had less testosterone than that.
Well quite. I may be unfair here - but the three medallists in that event looked like men.
There were three athletes (including Semenya) that have androgen abnormalities of varying types.
I see the whole of Rio have turned out for the marathon...oh wait....
Incredible and insulting for the athletes involved ...... How did Rio ever make a credible case for hosting the Olympics with such pathetic levels of support from its population?
I really feel for the athletes (in all the sports). For most this is the moment of their life, that moment they have worked their whole life for and probably never happen again...and they look up and see a handful of people watching them...and for some getting booed.
I see the whole of Rio have turned out for the marathon...oh wait....
They're one deep again in places - inspirational.
All joking aside, I'm beyond fucked off about the Paralympics. Downgraded venues, 12% ticket sales - no doubt CSR stuff, no local interest in anything much even for blue ribbon events.
Economic thought: all the REMAINER traitors are predicting a huge spike in inflation, thanks to Brexit, so we won't be able to afford tea and we will forced to boil nettles and dockleaves etc
If you look over ten years, the £'s collapse after the Crunch was much much bigger than Brexit.
Yet inflation over the same period stayed pretty low. It briefly hit 4% but then went back to the desired 2%....
Said it before, but I don't think repetition is forbidden on this site...
We have services inflation but goods deflation. Our personal rates of inflation are going to vary widely - when I look at the CPI basket of goods it doesn't resemble mine in any way shape or form.
The rate of goods deflation is going to reverse. There's no reason to believe we won't hit 3% or so by end 2017. There are countries who would kill to have that problem. Inflation is fantastic for debtors. It's one of the forgotten factors that led the boomers to be able to capitalise on home ownership back in the 80s.
Bear in mind that index linked gilts have only existed since 1981, and took time to grow to where they are today to 25% of all gilts. Hence inflation is no longer the pain-free bonanza it used to be for government.
I see the whole of Rio have turned out for the marathon...oh wait....
They're one deep again in places - inspirational.
All joking aside, I'm beyond fucked off about the Paralympics. Downgraded venues, 12% ticket sales - no doubt CSR stuff, no local interest in anything much even for blue ribbon events.
It's undone years of effort.
But its ok, Rio have blown a s##t tonne of money on a "Museum of Tomorrow"....if that ain't a white elephant nothing is.
LOL....they even mis-measured the route....and it had to be altered at the last minute. Are we sure that the 400m track is actually 400m, especially in lane 8?
I see the whole of Rio have turned out for the marathon...oh wait....
Incredible and insulting for the athletes involved ...... How did Rio ever make a credible case for hosting the Olympics with such pathetic levels of support from its population?
I really feel for the athletes (in all the sports). For most this is the moment of their life, that moment they have worked their whole life for and probably never happen again...and they look up and see a handful of people watching them...and for some getting booed.
Mo's double gold ceremony - something not seen since the 1970s was watched by a tiny number last night.
The Rio crowds wet themselves over beating Germany in football FFS. It just really annoyed me. They had the WC just two yrs ago and couldn't give a toss about 95% of other events. The MP final had acres of empty seats.
Compare the range of skills required in athletic events with cycling. Cycling has a narrow range of skills and funds 110 people. Athletics has an enormous range from running, jumping and throwing yet athletics only funds 86 people individually. Athletics so far has had 138 medals awarded, Cycling had 51 medals awarded. We are clearly underfunding athletics and choosing Cycling instead becuase we have a better chance of winning cycling medals.
I think my point was maybe it isn't just underfunding athletics, perhaps we are funding people in events we have an inbuilt genetic disadvantage and with limited scope for marginal gains type approach. Cycling and rowing were identified as perfect for this approach, where as we have chosen to fund crocked 5km women runners rather than perhaps pumping money / research efforts into events we could compete in by being concentrating on technique.
This is what South Korea did for Winter Olympics.
I know...what I am saying is if the pot is limited for track / field, perhaps we just don't bother with long distance runners who don't have a chance, and funnel it towards things we could gain from. Also it isn't 1 or 2 getting crocked at a late stage....6 years and permanently crocked, that isn't a heart breaking injury in the trials for the Olympics.
Another point, we still fund Mo and a number of other multi-millionaire athletes. Again if funds are limited, perhaps we have to redirect some of that funding.
The womens running where there are "testosterone" ladies, does seem to be a bit pointless.
I see no point in competing against Caster for years unless injured/retires. It's PC nonsense - she's testes and no womb or ovaries. That isn't a marginal physical gain from having big feet or long legs.
Perhaps in that event, they should let all the other athletes dope....although to match 3x the normal level of testosterone, they will have to pumped to the gills...there are former East German doped women athletes that had less testosterone than that.
Well quite. I may be unfair here - but the three medallists in that event looked like men.
There were three athletes (including Semenya) that have androgen abnormalities of varying types.
Not entirely my imagination then. It must be so for those without this advantage to even bother.
I note that the current main headline on the ARD German news site is that Germans are, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, being advised to keep at least 10 days worth of food and 5 days of water stockpiled at all times in case of disaster. I'm sure this won't concern anyone here though
P.S. The German word for stockpile/hoard - hamstern - always amuses me.
Yes. I've personally stockpiled 389 days' worth of fine red wine
Which means that events will wash over you for 389 days. But on the 390th day, woe betide anyone who stops you getting to an offy (*).
"Sir, those pesky russkies are blocking the road ahead with five tanks!" "Well Joyce, SeanT's just run out of alcohol, and the tanks are between him and the nearest Majestic Wines. Let him loose!" "But sir.... would that be fair on the enemy?"
I note that the current main headline on the ARD German news site is that Germans are, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, being advised to keep at least 10 days worth of food and 5 days of water stockpiled at all times in case of disaster. I'm sure this won't concern anyone here though
P.S. The German word for stockpile/hoard - hamstern - always amuses me.
Yes. I've personally stockpiled 389 days' worth of fine red wine
Which means that events will wash over you for 389 days. But on the 390th day, woe betide anyone who stops you getting to an offy (*).
"Sir, those pesky russkies are blocking the road ahead with five tanks!" "Well Joyce, SeanT's just run out of alcohol, and the tanks are between him and the nearest Majestic Wines. Let him loose!" "But sir.... would that be fair on the enemy?"
(*) What is the posho variant of an offy?
Wine merchant?
Nah. I've used a wine merchant in the past, and I'm a pleb. SeanT probably uses a wine merchant where your order gets delivered by a nubile nymphet riding on the back of a gilded unicorn.
I note that the current main headline on the ARD German news site is that Germans are, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, being advised to keep at least 10 days worth of food and 5 days of water stockpiled at all times in case of disaster. I'm sure this won't concern anyone here though
P.S. The German word for stockpile/hoard - hamstern - always amuses me.
Yes. I've personally stockpiled 389 days' worth of fine red wine
Which means that events will wash over you for 389 days. But on the 390th day, woe betide anyone who stops you getting to an offy (*).
"Sir, those pesky russkies are blocking the road ahead with five tanks!" "Well Joyce, SeanT's just run out of alcohol, and the tanks are between him and the nearest Majestic Wines. Let him loose!" "But sir.... would that be fair on the enemy?"
(*) What is the posho variant of an offy?
Wine merchant?
We have it from the horse's mouth that Sean is a Waitrose man.
The EU helped fan the flames of an already precarious situation.
I would agree with that.
Foreign policy is one of the reasons why Hillary might actually be more disastrous than Donald.
(Both would of course be disasters, it is simply a matter of risk assessment now).
The US has already done a huge amount of damage with its wars in the Middle East (the repercussions of which have almost wholly affected Europe rather than the US).
Hillary could easily blow up the Ukraine. With even more disastrous consequences for Europe.
We could be living in a year like 1913.
It was the Rupublicans who with great gusto set the Middle East alight, it was the Democrats who tried to tidy up their mess.
I think Trumps isolationism risks America leaving a major power vacuum in the world, in East Asia, MENA and also East Europe.
Er, we did have a say in the EU policy towards the Ukraine, or at least we supposedly had one, at the time. Much good it did.
As for having a say in the policies of Poland and the Baltics we don't really because NATO is a completely different type of organisation. We certainly have obligations to each other, and possibly some influence. Those obligations are nowhere near as strong as some people like to make out though. The idea that the UK, with its tiny and hollowed-out armed forces, would go to war with Russia to protect either is laughable.
This is the EU that had to have three days of talks prior to being able to agree a statement on the Hague's ruling on China's claims in the South China Sea.
It's really not a credible foreign policy actor.
Well, as our principal counterpart on the Continent we are shortly to find out how coherent EU Foreign policy is without us.
More coherent than with us I would have thought. If we weren't in the EU at the time of the Iraq war I doubt Spain would have joined the coalition.
One of the reasons the US has for irritation with the UK is that we've essentially stopped participating in the EU for years, simply due to our domestic politics. They wanted a wing man and an honest broker; what they got was a deaf-mute.
An Obama/Hillary US would think that, Trump backed BREXIT and will leave Europe to solve its own problems
Comments
I was bought a left-handed hockey stick in the 80s - we had to order it especially. I was crap at hockey - but my mum thought it was essential for me to be even in with a fighting chance.
All joking aside, I'm beyond fucked off about the Paralympics. Downgraded venues, 12% ticket sales - no doubt CSR stuff, no local interest in anything much even for blue ribbon events.
It's undone years of effort.
NEW THREAD NEW THREAD
Truly is the OmniShambles Games.
The Rio crowds wet themselves over beating Germany in football FFS. It just really annoyed me. They had the WC just two yrs ago and couldn't give a toss about 95% of other events. The MP final had acres of empty seats.