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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Fail?



So the summer (able-bodied) Olympics are over.  I hear the opening and closing ceremonies were a good show?  I might have a YouTube peek. 

Now – I am ALL for sport.  Full admiration and respect for athletes at the top of their game, chosen to represent their country because they are the (hopefully drug free) BEST; the best at hopping, skipping, running, jumping, throwing, treading, prancing and precision.  I just cannot imagine being that physically elite and alert!  While I am running for the train in the morning, these peeps are in cold pools, running hot laps and balancing their drive with the day-to-days of life.  WOW.

I didn’t watch the London Olympics but have viewed the games in the past.  What struck me this time around was the amount of social commentary around money invested in sport in Australia.  Primarily focused on the medal tally and the supposed ‘lack’ of Australian gold medals, the general consensus was that if we (being tax paying Australians and the Australian Government) paid more to and for head coaches and propped up sport sponsorship, we would be laden with GOLD. 

I get that the rivalry surrounding the Olympics is like a beefed up interschool carnival, but it is once every four years!  I am no expert on the coaching recruitment process or how much Australian coaches are paid in comparison to their overseas counterparts.  Further, I am not trying to discredit the amazing commitments elite coaches make, but the argument for increased funding and pay simply to boast about a gold medal haul seems ludicrous. 

Justifying Australia’s position on the Olympics medal tally was equally laughable:
‘If the UK had to compete as separate countries, we would have more gold medals than Ireland’
‘New Zealand does have more gold, but Australia is beating them in gold for stand-up events, all their wins have been for sailing.’

Just. What?!

Does this inspire anyone?  Does it build up future elite athletes to train, commit and strive for personal bests?  Why is gold all that really matters?

I won’t go through the athletes who appeared weeping, disgruntled, crushed at winning silver and bronze, no doubt you were subjected to the replays and the callers’ disappointment at another opportunity missed to yell ‘PRIDE!’.  My first reaction to these scenes was quite simply ‘spoilt brat!’ because in my mind coming second, third, even fourth (god forbid!) in the WORLD would cause an instant reason to forever party, but…I didn’t build the moment up in my mind for four years straight.  I didn’t lose by a fingernail, a millisecond, a centimetre after four (plus) years of hard fought training.  And I wasn’t feeling the pressure and disappointment of a nation obsessed with analysing a medal tally.

Of course elite Australian athletes should be supported financially for representing their country, for being the best that they are and can be.  But is it necessary to increase funding for Olympians to achieve gold every four years?  Or could the money be better spent on providing free sport, coaching and clinics for children of school age?  Better spent on providing sporting and educational resources and facilities in underprivileged and remote areas?  To be ‘hanging our heads’ looking at a medal tally that reflects the world’s most elite is itself shameful. 
We should be applauding the accomplishments our athletes have made in even making it to that level, and then opening our eyes to notice where else this kind of obsessive dedication and funding is needed. 





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