Tokyo Olympics

airsmashers · County player

Tokyo Olympics

indiana · Tennis legend

I am guessing that Chris Boardman had just suggested that our men's coxless 4 were heading arrow straight to gold, as they apoeared to be catching the Aussies, before their untimely ( and awful for them ), but to be honest somehow quite entertaining steering problems as they almost wiped out the Italians. Coxes will maybe feel more valued after that.

Well done to Charlotte Dujardin on becoming GB's most decorated female Olympian wirh 6 medals over Games (3G, 1S, 2B). I did like someone's contribution to the BBC website of the 3 stages of following Olympics dressage:
1. Dressage? I forgot that existed.
2. Lol this fancy horse dancing is silly.
3. HOW ON EARTH DID THE JUDGE GIVE THAT PIAFFE A 10! THE HIND LEGS WEREN'T NEARLY BENT ENOUGH AND IT CLEARLY LOST FORWARD MOMENTUM TOWARDS THE END!

All in all though our sitting down sports are so far losing out after contributiing most of our golds in each of the last 3 Games. Only one of our 5 golds so far has been won essentially sitting on their backside - our mountain biker.

After Day 5 Wednesday : 16 GB medals ( 5G, 6S, 5B)

Christine · Intermediate Club Player

But 3 were lying down, and one falling over

indiana · Tennis legend

GB boxing looks to be going very well so far and it looks like we may pick up quite a few medals, with already one semi finalist and so guaranteed medal.

Certainly hope we don't see them knocked over and lying down!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Christine wrote:
But 3 were lying down, and one falling over

Our winter Olympics medals are almost exclusively lying down affairs. Falling over not much use in winter sports, of course.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

The young athletes who use the facilities at Burgess Park continues to have plenty to celebrate!

Congratulations to Kye Whyte on securing Silver in the BMX and stalwart of Peckham BMX club, along with the rest of his family (and of course Beth Shriever who won GOLD but is from Braintree, not quite so local). Earlier this month Jadon Sancho was signed by Man Utd for 75 million & his mate from the Burgess Park footie cages Reiss Nelson is still at Arsenal may move before the window closes.

Cant believe the LTA arent all over the tennis facilities there. A roof away from an inner city tennis centre and bringing some outstanding athletes into the sport. Who knows they might like it. Clueless!!!

NB: BMX gets so little funding because it is not considered a sitting down sport more a standing up and falling off!

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Friday 30th of July 2021 08:50:20 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, great stuff by the BMXers

Up to 24 GB medals in all ( 6 G, 9 S, 9 B), currently 6th in the medals table. Overall we will still end up smashing our pre Athens medal totals. The last 4 Games then give a lot to live up to:
Athens 49 medals ( 13 gold )
Beijing 47 medals ( 19 gold )
London 65 medals ( 29 gold )
Rio 67 medals ( 25 golds )

Boxing and sailing are still looking like they will give us a good haul and the track cycling is still to get started, plus no doubt further surprises from who knows where.

Rowing though bowed out with just 2 medals, a silver and a bronze, the first time no GB golds since 1980. 6 fourths ( some very close, indeed one by 0.01 second ) left added frustration. Not agreeing a contract extension to cover to 2021 with! long time head coach Jurgen Groebler may have been very signiticant, plus maybe talk of a "softer" aporoach from these who followed. Though here there could be wider discussions about the general very tough medals/funding orientated regime that flows through much of UK Olympics sport, undoubtably bringing much success and suiting many, but not all ).

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 30th of July 2021 01:29:48 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Yes, great stuff by the BMXers

Up to 24 GB medals in all ( 6 G, 9 S, 9 B), currently 6th in the medals table. Overall we will still end up smashing our pre Athens medal totals. The last 4 Games then give a lot to live up to:
Athens 49 medals ( 13 gold )
Beijing 47 medals ( 19 gold )
London 65 medals ( 29 gold )
Rio 67 medals ( 25 golds )

Boxing and sailing arevstill looking like they will give us a good haul and the track cycling is still to get started, plus no dpubt further surprisrs from who knows where.

Rowing though bowed out with just 2 medals, a silver and a bronze, the first time no GB golds since 1980. 6 fourths ( some very close, indeed one by 0.01 second ) left added frustration. Letting Jurgen Groebler step aside as head coach may have been very signiticant.

Im not sure if its changed but Gracenote the analysts, predicted 55 medals total on Monday of this week. Not sure the breakdown.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

www.gracenote.com/virtual-medal-table/

52 total, 14 golds - I think thats current- 5th place predicted

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
www.gracenote.com/virtual-medal-table/

52 total, 14 golds - I think thats current- 5th place predicted

That reads like a pre games prediction. GB's 5th is showing based on total medals ( which is how I believe the US for one tends to list it ) though 6th for golds, 14 against the Dutch 16 ( currently the Dutch are on 3 golds so that is now looking a real stretch though maybe they have big strengths still to come ), as well as behind the might of the US, China, the hosts and some committee.

50 something looks a good bet for the final GB medal total. Still very reasonable. 60 plus again would be a big success in all the circumstances. At the very least make sure to beat the Aussies!

paulisi · Tennis legend

We already have 3 guaranteed medals in the boxing and one in the windsurfing which are not on the table yet.

GB Swimming team is having a terrific meet, with more medals expected in the mixed and medley relays.

Good chance of gold in the mixed triathlon relay tonight.

Not sure we will pick any golds in athletes this year.

Looks like rowing's funding will drop with swimming and BMX to benefit.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Gruebler goes, rowing drops. But beware of the methods employed here. I hope rowing doesnt get caught in a doping story in due course. But the East German coach has previous Im afraid.

Just saying.

And it wouldnt be the only sport we should have some concerns over, British cycling is one. Road and track. Lets hope marginal gains arent smoke and mirrors.

And lets not get started on debating the methods of some like Mo.

Im partially joking but do worry some of our impressive lottery funded highs may not have all been down to training methods improving but to some other influences as well.

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Gruebler goes, rowing drops. But beware of the methods employed here. I hope rowing doesnt get caught in a doping story in due course. But the East German coach has previous Im afraid.

Just saying.

And it wouldnt be the only sport we should have some concerns over, British cycling is one. Road and track. Lets hope marginal gains arent smoke and mirrors.

And lets not get started on debating the methods of some like Mo.

Im partially joking but do worry some of our impressive lottery funded highs may not have all been down to training methods improving but to some other influences as well.

I think and certainly hope our competitors have almost universally stayed within legality ( though revelations about the Sky ( as was ) pro cycling team, with its close assoiation to GB cycling, did make me sadly question cycling ). At the very least though, as I indicated, there has been some unease at the very tough cut throat nature across sports of the targetted medals UK Sports funding approach over recent times. It's bred a winning culture but spat many out along the way. Some, for instance, were glad to see Groebler go

In rowing, as well as Groebler moving on and talk of a softer approach ( whatever that means ) by new rowing head coaches, it is a relatively very inexperienced GB rowing squad with many retirements after Rio, so all in all some drop off was to be expected. And with all these 4th place finishes we still weren't that far off a rather better medal haul here. It's very difficult to draw too many particular conclusions.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 30th of July 2021 07:14:26 PM

Christine · Intermediate Club Player

We'll probably get some medals in sailing too

Elegant Point · Satellite level

Interesting to hear that the U.K. Sport, the government agency responsible for funding in Olympic and Paralympic sport in the United Kingdom, decided after the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro that it would only financially support male riders.so gold medal winning Beth Shriever had to work as a teaching assistant and crowd fund to compete hmm

Olympic funding by sport
https://www.uksport.gov.uk/our-work/investing-in-sport/current-funding-figures