MONEY FOR MEDALS

[gg]

good

[HOCOLITE]

The money will have to be spent on building swimming pools which are rectangular and have separate diving pools to replace all these leisure pools with flumes etc. We haven't won a single medal in the flume have we!

[awk]

good

A bit of an understatement at present, surely?!

[RJ]

Witnessing the dedication, enthusiam and all-out effort of the GB team I don't think we should begrudge the spending of even one of the £'s from the £300+ million spent. They are all at the top of their game and all deserve to be there. Let's just hope that enough of the couch potatoes are sufficiently inspired to get up and do something. Now we need to spend another serious amount of money on new facilities and support for the various local clubs around the country that will help those couch potatoes to take part.... in something.

[geomorph]

It a simple equation:
£20m+ = win lots of medals
£10-20m = win a few
<10m = struggle to get any at all

Well not quite that simple cos a lot of the <10m lot are in the funding scheme for the first time, so really have not had the timescales to develop the talent levels. One exception is Triathlon: good chance of men's medal and maybe a women's one too. They've had longer term funds, albeit at lower level.

[graeme]

It a simple equation:

Wrong way round

win lots of medals = £20m+
win a few = £10-20m
struggle to get any at all = <10m
none available = bugger all


One interesting thing though, although China has poured zillions into winning Olympic medals, they also had perhaps the most-improved orienteering team at WOC.

[eddie]

all the money goes on this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_3fTVtfxls

[geomorph]

It a simple equation:

Wrong way round

win lots of medals = £20m+
win a few = £10-20m
struggle to get any at all = <10m
none available = bugger all.

Swimming only got 2 bronze medals in Athens...

If prior medal success was the only key to funding levels then equestrian should be up there in the £20m bracket, and swimming funded at equestrian's level.

And can we realistically expect 2012 cycling to take nearly 50% of all cycling medals even if we double their funding based on 2008 successes - h**l no. The rest of the world will catch up.

So its back to building a broad-ranged winning culture, and that means upping capital funding on many more sports to provide local facilities, and using envigorated schools-based programmes, though I doubt we'll reap the returns until 2016, 2020

[Gross]

and using envigorated schools-based programmes, though I doubt we'll reap the returns until 2016, 2020

which of course is so far in the distance that no government will be interested:)

Interested word on the street in Vilnius from the politic people is they are happy with poor LTU medal count.... they don't need to pay bonuses:)

[geomorph]

and using envigorated schools-based programmes, though I doubt we'll reap the returns until 2016, 2020

which of course is so far in the distance that no government will be interested:) /quote]

Yeah that's the shame of it... £500m invested in school sport reaps medium term rewards in the economy at large (10 years) of circa £1.5bn, and there are longer term values in health/sick pay costs etc.
Wish I could say that it would definitely do something for violence and addictions levels

[greywolf]

If prior medal success was the only key to funding levels then equestrian should be up there in the £20m bracket, and swimming funded at equestrian's level.

Hmm - the horsey lot aren't all that successful - 1 of each in 2004, a silver in 2000 and nothing in 88 / 92 / 96. But IMHO, if Jemima Ponygirl wants to go the Games she should get Daddy to sell a bit of Gloucestershire, and leave the Lottery money to the proper sports...

i.e. what is the effect of being an Olympic sport on funding?

sad truth is, unless Orienteering becomes an Olympic sport (and chance of that are slim...) we're always going to be scrounging for crumbs in comparison

[geomorph]

The only consistent sports have been cycling, rowing and sailing. Athletics and swimming have not produced, and although swimming seems to be on the up, the success level 2008 is still way off given the number of opportunities (96) available.

It is rather sad that we cannot get nearer 10 medals in both A & S; where propelling yourself to success is unassisted (except pole vault, so it should be a separate sport). There has been a lot of non-pc discussion about why this is in forums not related to Nopesport. Got the feeling though they've a lot to learn from cycling and the way they are doing things

[ryeland of doom]

This is too close to the old East Europe for comfort. Packing money into certain sports, ones with lots of medals, for willy waving purposes. Not that for one minute, I begrudge them a penny and well done, absolutely amazing performances, well rewarded.

I fear for sports outwith the Olympics though, one where the GB team are rather successful in,in particular .

[Gross]

I fear for sports outwith the Olympics though, one where the GB team are rather successful in,in particular .

Even those sports need to meet their targets.... which despite a Gold Medal orienteering has failed to do:(

[EddieH]

I question the whole concept that failing to win medals means abject failure - it seems to me like a parallel track to our dreadful blame culture. Success is fabulous and it is great to watch British success in sports that I had no knowledge of, and even better our relay success in Czech.
However "Sport for all" was the slogan many years ago, and that should be what it's all about. After all if everyone that doesn't win gives up what will be the kudos in winning.

One thing I like about the Olympics is that it recognises more than just the winner. I think Elite orienteering is great that it acknowedges the first 6.