World Games

[mharky]

If LOT wishes to remain anonymous, then that is their choice and it's not for me to say. They are a real person though, and unfortunately they appear to be deadly serious.

LOT

Becks did not say it was a career, she said that many of the top athletes work part time, so they can dedicate every other hour to their sport. It's easy to get up at 6am if you are being paid to do it, anyone can suffer for money. The are orieneers out there who do make enough money to train full time professionally (despite what you think you know)

You have shown your lack of knowledge of all aspects of this discussion. British Orienteering receives two packages of money from the Sports Council. This has been discussed, by yourself(!), quite recently. BOF is getting £2.75million from UK sport and Sport England, this is for the development of the sport. They get a separate sum of money which is to be used for the national team.

So when you say the sports council shouldn't fun the elite, do you mean you want them to pay for you to go to the World Masters and supply you with team kit???

LOT, you do not know what you are talking about.

[HOCOLITE]

LOT
I am not a student or an elite orienteer, in fact never have been and never will be. I have however been to spectate at the World Champs in Denmark and run in the spectator races and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I admire the athletes and found it delightful that the athletes had the time to acknowledge and speak to the 'unknown' supporters, not snub them. I'm afraid you are well off the mark. Go and moan in your little corner of Yorkshire as it seems that you are a professional moaner from what I've seen in your posts on Nopesport.

My first experience of elite orienteers was at the World Champs in Scotland and I was most impressed there how the elite were happy to talk to the juniors and sign autographs etc. They are amateurs who have a passion and persue it with some financial assistance.

[greywolf]

can't shed any light on who LOT is (and generally not in favour of outing regardless of how daft anyone's opinions are)...but think in the interests of balance and inclusivity s/he should be given a regular column in Focus to air her/his views

shame we can't find a better word than "elite" - only know a few of them but they seem like the least elitist bunch of international sportspeople i've ever had the pleasure to meet

[Mrs H]

Well as long as long as it's in Focus not CS or someone
might read it. I've missed out on this being almost in communicado but i take issue with LOTs definition of a career as something you get paid for that's news to
me. Obviously someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. I knew who he is - but I've forgotten!

[awk]

Oh yawn. LOT stirring again.

For any sport to really succeed, it needs a well balanced pyramid, with a strong elite at the top, and a healthy base upon which to draw. Any sport without one or the other sees all sectors struggle in the long term.

I don't go along with 'think how much they sacrifice' argument - that's their decision, and it's not really a sacrifice if it helps you achieve what you want, but a sport has to enable people to reach the limit of their potential, or else the participation dries up. LOT may not be inspired by international success, but a lot of people are.

Elite sport also provides the cutting edge. Hardly any of the innovations and developments we've seen over the years (improved maps, new formats etc) would have happened without elite competition. This trickle down effect is true in most sports.

I for one reckon that, as a fairly average punter, I've benefited hugely from elite orienteering. Given the tiny amounts I've paid, it's been a pretty good deal, far better than some others I've forked out for.

[mharky]

Well as long as long as it's in Focus not CS or someone might read it.

one of the funnies things i've read on here in a while!

[Spookster]

It seems that MHarky and Spookster know who LOT is.

No, I didn't know either, until I checked the results of a couple of the events he went to (and the Ski WOC 1988 certainly wasn't one of them!).

LOT - having a difference of opinion is great, but being so obviously ill-informed about things like the funding of BOF and the world of elite orienteers just blows big holes in most of your arguments.

[graeme]

I've benefited hugely from elite orienteering. Given the tiny amounts I've paid, it's been a pretty good deal, far better than some others I've forked out for.

Likewise, as an orienteering enthusiast, I would agree with that. The small cost to me in money and the rather larger cost in time and fundraising supporting our elites is well spent.

The elite's effect in constantly innovating and driving up standards for the rest of us is widely underestimated (epunching, map standards, sprint races etc. etc.).

BUT, as the elites like to point out, it's actually paid direct from general taxation. I don't feel its the best way to spend random people's money supporting people living outside the UK to do an obscure sport at events outside the UK which nobody outside a small group of us will ever know about. There are better priorities than giving elites free holidays (according to LOT) of extra stress (according to Becks) just to give me something to watch on youtube.

The points made about the elite's talent, dedication, hard work and generally being really nice people are all true, and I would be more than happy for the sport to provide proper support for them. But that's irrelevant to whether they should get a government hand out when public spending is taking a hammering (though of course, if it's offered one can't blame individuals for taking it).

[EddieH]

More than 1 elite (includeing a WOC gold medallist and a junior) has asked me how I have done - in a holiday event attached to one of their major events of the year!!!!!!

I think that's amazing - what the hell does my holiday event matter in comparison?

I fully concur with AWK - without elite orienteering I think our sport really would be in an unhealthy state. Elite orienteers cover a whole range of attitudes and personalities - if you are unlucy enough to meet one of them on a bad day who treats you less than courteously then just think how many people in all walks of life do that every day. I think our current bunch are decidedly "nicer" than average, which i amazing considering to be elite they have to have phenomonal drive.

[SeanC]

Graeme - regarding elite funding for sports in general, I can see your logic but I think we should be prepared to justify spending. Even after this recession our country will still be incredibly wealthy and have more than enough spare cash to spend vast amounts of money on things of little value or use (via the state or individually).

I'm of the opinion that elite sport is a central part of promoting sport, and we'd all agree that people who choose an active lifestyle are less likely to indulge in lifestyles that will end up costing us all a lot more through the criminal justice system, NHS etc. Orienteering might be a tiny sport but definately delivers on these fronts given that it's such a great family activity and accessible for a big age range.

In this respect there seems to be an opportunity missed with these World Games. Those that got up at 4am to watch the sprint race on the internet said it was incredibly exciting. If there were U tube style highlights I could send the link around my club and it might encourage more to enter the London city race and South East Sprint champs. That link could be sent by our members to any friends/family who might be interested in orienteering and it might be used by schools where orienteering is taught in PE.

[mharky]

Good point, their is TV coverage at Tio, Jukola, WOC, Nordics; even the Finish Elite League goes out live on TV there. But if you search on YouTube all you get are dodgy camera phone recordings of the mass starts, some badly edited holiday montage from lesser teams, and some highlights from the 90's that someone clearly video-taped off the news.

[geomorph]

Well, there's over 100 countries without a recognised Orienteering Federation.
LOT could emigrate , set up his own OF, and then run for them at WOC

[Gross]

Well, there's over 100 countries without a recognised Orienteering Federation.
LOT could emigrate , set up his own OF, and then run for them at WOC

But he'd need to get a passport from that country..... I'm sure lots of good references available from here

[Dave]

hahaha

I never realised one person could be so wrong on something.
And this is after I've been looking over my solutions from the recent exams!