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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