The media in a number of countries have been asking what lies behind the success rate of British athletes at the Rio Olympics.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-37108833
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-37108833
It's a sad result of the extent of doping in athletics and other olympic sports, that any individual or team who performs better than expected is going to have insinuations made about their chemical intake.
By all accounts, most elite sport funding is directly attached to Olympic performance. So they can flunk every other competition, and get more and more funding from doing well solely at the Olympics.The article made a big deal over the Russians being the main competition and that the Russians had been heavily penalized for doping. The obvious conclusion being the Brits doped too but were better at not getting caught.
I have a different thought. That the Brits followed the Russian pattern of looking for sports where funding was most apt to have a huge impact. Track cycling definitely fits and taking it a step farther track cycling where everything is pointed to one event fits even better. Cycling, swimming and athletics are all sports where preparing for a specific competition interferes with overall training. Who here knows anything at all about the last track cycling world's? If we have 3 people I'll be shocked. That the Brits did not have good showings was used as innuendo to point to doping. I'll present the alternative. The money for the British program was assured, they did not need results and they pretty much trained through everything else. They had no training interruptions. Come the one competition every 4 years that they care about that uninterrupted training pays off.
I shouldn't moan, things could be worse:Incidentally, the coverage of Team GB's success has become creepy over the last week. Especially from our state broadcaster. Jingoistic and nationalistic. It's felt a little like North Korea, but with more food.
Britain is a former great power, and now a nation in decline.By all accounts, most elite sport funding is directly attached to Olympic performance. So they can flunk every other competition, and get more and more funding from doing well solely at the Olympics.
Incidentally, the coverage of Team GB's success has become creepy over the last week. Especially from our state broadcaster. Jingoistic and nationalistic. It's felt a little like North Korea, but with more food.
On what basis are we 'in decline'?Britain is a former great power, and now a nation in decline.
Of course the state broadcaster would over-exaggerate sporting success to inspire some national pride, when there are far more important areas that Britain is no longer successful at...
I shouldn't moan, things could be worse:
Turkmenistan leader: our medal-less Olympians ‘betrayed the motherland’
As far as I'm aware, betraying the motherland is not advisable in Turkmenistan.
From what Britain was in the past, global clout, reputation, influence, wealth etc.On what basis are we 'in decline'?
I wouldn't even describe us like that after the Brexit vote!
The Sun does now set on the British Empire. If you look back far enough, it's not hard to find a time when Britain was the world's dominant superpower.From what Britain was in the past, global clout, reputation, influence, wealth etc.
Over the decades, not looking at some year on year GDP or anything.