What went wrong at the Olympics

[batgirl]

ah true. and its also countries like ours that have a bad word to say about first world country's - that get these sort of things right. coincidence?

[Racing Hart]

I think politics shouldn't be blamed for every single dissapointment in SA sport..Whenever things go wrong its politics..when the boks lose, like now, its politics...China is the country with by far the most politics in their sport and yet they walked home with the most gold medals. We need politics in sport, because that's where the money comes from...Its not the amateur days anymore...

 

However what should be blamed is the structure in our sport(or the total lack thereof). There is no talent identification,no developmental programmes to help athletes reach their full potential, no plan, everything gets done on point no 99, even team selections(the SA 4*100m running relay team was still 2 weeks before the olympics trying to figure out who should start of, who should run the back straight...,while the french team was for the past 3years training together each day), no support(AT ALL)...Its pretty much a single athlete versus a team of specialist(athletes,coaches,physiologists,psychologists,nutrionalists etc etc....) when we compete at world class events, other than rugby or maybe cricket.

 

Everything starts at the big fat bosses at the top and cascade down...If the boss shuffels sh!t down the pipeline don't expect gold at the bottom.

[Sean Badenhorst]

 

 

I'm not going to rehash what I've already said on the other threads that relate to this topic, other than this:

 

To improve our Olympic Games performance, we need:

1. A plan

2. Competent administrators

3. Sponsorship

 

Note: we don't have No. 3 right now because we don't have No. 1 or No. 2 and; politics is unavoidable in sport.

 

Sean Badenhorst2008-08-29 11:04:32

[Sean Badenhorst]

Since we're on this topic, does anyone know what happened to Hendrik de Villiers, our male triathlete in Beijing? He was ranked 8th in the world going into the Games and finished 4th at the World Champs in June. An outside shot a medal with those credentials, but he did not start... 

[TNT1]

the de villiers curse? in training to be a sproingbuck coach?

[Sean Badenhorst]

 

the de villiers curse? in training to be a sproingbuck coach?

 

sproingbuck?

 

[TNT1]

ya, a buck thing that wears a green asols shirt and springs about as men wearing yellow or black score lotsa tries and things...

[Old Dog]

Seems SA isn't the only country with admin problems - Andrea Kloden hi the nail on its proverbial head in his statement after not being selected for the Olympics......

 "I urge a complete reform of the nomination criteria and point out
            that in other countries, the participants are chosen by experience
            former riders and not from functionaries who don't necessarily know
            anything about cycling," he concluded. (SW)