One gold medal from an entire Olympic event.
Nearly £6 million pounds invested.
And all we have to show for it is one gold medal.
What about value for money, eh?
Why are we floating around on a sea of mediocrity, eh?
How come when our athletes do their best it looks ordinary? Tell me that? How come?
The above rant isn't mine. I changed the font colour not to indicate red for anger but to disown the comments. Young people from a temperate climate country, that at a national level invests minimally in winter sports, are subjected to this kind of uninformed criticism by punters, politicians, commentators, news reporters and everyone else who has an opinion but little talent. And our own TV news networks lead the way. And I listen to them spouting forth indignation, and wonder if any of them has ever been good enough to get down a hill on a wee plastic sledge without falling off.
So here's what I think. Amy Williams won a gold. Rightly we celebrate that as a great personal and sporting achievement. Our other athletes didn't win, some didn't perform as well as we know they can. It happens. Did they not try? Were they complacent? Did they give the training regime a body swerve? Was it their fault and should we blame them for not being better than their best?
Och for goodness sake. Why don't we celebrate effort as well as excellence? Why is encouragement of those who pour huge chunks of their lives into their sport such a hard thing to say but such an important thing to hear?
This ritual humiliation of those who don't bring home the medals,
this wingeing and whining about poor performances,
this constant narking at folk who happen to be two seconds slower than the medal winners at skiing down an alpine slope at speeds of up to 90 kilometres,
this head shaking dimissiveness of a bobsleigh team who in a split second lose control and risk life and limb as their machine hurtles around, over and past them.
Just stop it.
Anyway, if it's the money that's a problem then instead of the Government's minuscule £5.8 million, why not ask Wayne Rooney, Peter Lampard, and any three other top earners in the Premier league to double the amount by donating 3 month's wages over the next four years. Snowboarders and skiers, curlers and sledgers, don't get the celebrity status and money professional footballers do. Instead they show dedication, enthusiasm, discipline, live with disappointment, strugggle for funds and equipment and sponsorship, love their sport and do it for reasons other than money.
So don't give me it - and don't give them it. Instead, why not just thank them that they have represented their country well and with dignity.
Rant over - till the next time British media have a go at athletes whose skis the same reporters and commentators are not worthy to unloose!
Right, feel better now!
Oh absolutely!
[and blessings on your head for spelling 'minuscule' correctly]
Posted by: ang almond | March 01, 2010 at 01:08 PM
Jim - What we need is a government who are not beholden to the rich and thus will establish an equitable tax system, thus freeing up money to invest in areas such as sport and the arts.(i.e. close the loop holes which enables the rich to avoid paying the full amount of tax). Both these sectors have become too reliant upon lottery money, too much of which is being diverted to the London Olympics.
If the UK government taxed foreign footballers as residents and not as non-doms then this would both increase revenue to the treasury and create a more level playing field with regards to tax across Europe (see AccountancyAge, 29 July 2004 for details). It may even have the result that clubs would opt for home grown talent rather than importing talent.
While your statement about snowboarders applies to most of these sports people it most certainly does not apply to Shaun White - £5.8 million is small change to him!
Posted by: Brodie | March 01, 2010 at 05:20 PM
Yes to all points Brodie. One rich sportsman doesn't make me repent of my sweeping statements though! But my major issue isn't the money - it's the definition of success, the implied dismissiveness of real achievement, and the devaluing of genuine effort, skill and willing participation. And all this from people paid to talk - just wish they would find other ways of talking than talking down.
Posted by: Jim Gordon | March 01, 2010 at 05:26 PM