[Other Sport] Olympic squads - value for money ?

Questions · Jul 30, 2021

Not our GB rowing squad that is for sure. 14th in the rowing medal table.
Tough questions will be asked about the best funded sport in the Olympic programme after Team GB finished with just a bronze and a silver from the men’s quad sculls. It was the lowest total for the team since Atlanta 1996.

Bakero · Jul 30, 2021

I heard they'd had a few rows in training

maltaseagull · Jul 30, 2021

Questions said:
Not our GB rowing squad that is for sure. 14th in the rowing medal table.
Tough questions will be asked about the best funded sport in the Olympic programme after Team GB finished with just a bronze and a silver from the men’s quad sculls. It was the lowest total for the team since Atlanta 1996.

According to the Guardian:
The £24.6m it received over the Tokyo Olympic cycle was more than any other sport yet Britain’s rowers failed to pick up a gold medal for the first time since the 1980 Games in Moscow and their contribution to the medals table is poorer than any since the 1972 Games.

SAC · Jul 30, 2021

There is no doubt that GB Rowing will need to be asking questions of itself and will need to get by in the next three years with less money than they are used to. Rowing's loss will mean a gain in income for British Swimming, Taekwondo and BMX Cycling.

Just like Everton spending millions on trying to come 5th, it doesn't always work out and look at the money and Bloom needs to pump million into the club each year just to flirt with relegation. Neither could be called value for money but, perhaps, necessary in order to compete.

The Andy Naylor Fan Club · Jul 30, 2021

Interesting reading.

highflyer · Jul 30, 2021

Questions said:
Not our GB rowing squad that is for sure. 14th in the rowing medal table.
Tough questions will be asked about the best funded sport in the Olympic programme after Team GB finished with just a bronze and a silver from the men’s quad sculls. It was the lowest total for the team since Atlanta 1996.

Yeah, but medals aren't everything. Look at all those wotking class council estate kids that have been inspired to pick up a scull and pair of oars, join a rowing 8 and get out on the Thames instead of sitting around playing video games and being drawn into a life of drug dealing and knife crime.

Lower West Stander · Jul 30, 2021

Cracknell and Pinsent have been pretty vocal on this and quite rightly in my view.

Weird decision getting rid of Grobler and subsequently not winning anything. Whining from some of the rowers they didn’t like him. Idea is to get results - if you don’t on that kind of funding, expect criticism from those who have been there and done it.

And it would help if they had been able to steer properly. Looks like they all got a bit cocky and took their eye off the ball (or boat in this case).

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zeemeeuw · Jul 30, 2021

On form, I suspect track cycling, next week, will be similarly disappointing like the rowing (hope I'm wrong though).

Simster · Jul 30, 2021

Those sneering at the rowers and their funding will do well to remember they've carried British in half the Olympiads of the last 20 years. They'll need to address this year's absolute shambles but equally they deserve some patience from those who fund Olympic sports. I'm not a fan of the way they're already tearing themselves apart in public, that's for sure.

Gazwag · Jul 30, 2021

All sports go in phases, you can pump as much as you like into a sport but if there is no talent at that point of time you won't win medals. Look at Swimming we have won more golds this year that we have for 112 years.

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Jul 30, 2021

Barnet Seagull · Jul 30, 2021

Personally I'd prefer better balanced funding for more accessible and diverse sports than rowing, sailing, equestrian etc.

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knocky1 · Jul 30, 2021

highflyer said:
Yeah, but medals aren't everything. Look at all those wotking class council estate kids that have been inspired to pick up a scull and pair of oars, join a rowing 8 and get out on the Thames instead of sitting around playing video games and being drawn into a life of drug dealing and knife crime.

zeemeeuw said:
On form, I suspect track cycling, next week, will be similarly disappointing like the rowing (hope I'm wrong though).

Crack cycling perhaps.�� Excellent story from the wonderful Burgess Park BMX team in Peckham.

vegster · Jul 30, 2021

Barnet Seagull said:
Personally I'd prefer better balanced funding for more accessible and diverse sports than rowing, sailing, equestrian etc.

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My mrs is away on holiday in Scotland with her sister, she's an experienced rider and she's booked an hours horse riding for tomorrow, she said she hopes to get a canter out of it... for £40 for the hour, so, now you can see how much them dancin Horses cost !!!

BN41Albion · Jul 30, 2021

Gazwag said:
All sports go in phases, you can pump as much as you like into a sport but if there is no talent at that point of time you won't win medals. Look at Swimming we have won more golds this year that we have for 112 years.

Exactly this.
Like with anything in sport, things go in cycles.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jul 30, 2021

maltaseagull said:
According to the Guardian:
The £24.6m it received over the Tokyo Olympic cycle was more than any other sport yet Britain’s rowers failed to pick up a gold medal for the first time since the 1980 Games in Moscow and their contribution to the medals table is poorer than any since the 1972 Games.

Money can't always buy you love. Or medals. Ask Arsenal and Spurs. Especially Spurs. And Newcastle. And Everton.

Just a blip I expect.

From the OP's question, I think that the birth of a successful Olympic operation on the back of lottery money has been brilliant and I support it fully, for the encouragement to participate, through to the joy of the successes. 2012 was one of the events of my life.

Plus, rather like the French atitude to football, if we do badly, who gives a shit?

hart's shirt · Jul 30, 2021

BN41Albion said:
Like with anything in sport, things go in cycles.

Especially cycling.

beorhthelm · Jul 30, 2021

think Team GB and whole Olympic movement needs a serious look at itself. they fund rowing for dozens of millions, but other have to pay their own way to compete in BMX? it doesnt even need millions diverted, just if someone qualifies Team GB should be funding their trip.

Bry Nylon · Jul 30, 2021

Harry Wilson's tackle said:
Plus, rather like the French atitude to football, if we do badly, who gives a shit?

To be fair that’s the French attitude to pretty much everything.

“You sez we iz merde?” :shrug:

(Except cooking and riding bikes, obvs. They lose their shit about that stuff for some reason).

Grizz · Jul 30, 2021

You could actually look at it completely differently and say that all the 4th places are a good sign for Paris 2024. There's been a massive turn over of rowing athletes since plenty of retirements after Rio, so there was always going to be a transitioning period.

Should be asking why the Cycling Team decided only to fund men's BMX rather than both them and the women's since Shriever had to crowd fund to get to the Olympics and bring home the gold. I know there's only limited resources, but she's been in phenomenal form leading up to the games.

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[Other Sport] Olympic squads - value for money ?

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