UK Athletics - how do we get more medals in 2012?
Discussion
OK, now that Dave Collins has been shown the door, where does UK track & field athletics go from here?
There were some encouraging signs from Beijing - the number of women athletes who got into finals, and the unexpected success of people like Natasha Danvers & Germaine Mason. But how do we increase the medal count?
I guess you could count Phillips Idowu as unlucky - he didn't miss gold by that much, but there were some that didn't cover themselves in glory - Kelly Sotherton and the men's 4x100 team for example.
I've thought for a while that some "top" athletes are under-performing, and there's a theory going round that we should cut Lottery funding for athletes that don't have medal potential. For instance - any sprinter over 21-22 who can't break 10 seconds for 100M should be cut straight away.
So - do we spread the funding around and hope the stars emerge or do we concentrate on the brightest prospects we've already found?
There were some encouraging signs from Beijing - the number of women athletes who got into finals, and the unexpected success of people like Natasha Danvers & Germaine Mason. But how do we increase the medal count?
I guess you could count Phillips Idowu as unlucky - he didn't miss gold by that much, but there were some that didn't cover themselves in glory - Kelly Sotherton and the men's 4x100 team for example.
I've thought for a while that some "top" athletes are under-performing, and there's a theory going round that we should cut Lottery funding for athletes that don't have medal potential. For instance - any sprinter over 21-22 who can't break 10 seconds for 100M should be cut straight away.
So - do we spread the funding around and hope the stars emerge or do we concentrate on the brightest prospects we've already found?
Its not a case of throwing money, or how the money is thrown, the important thing is what is done with the money.
Getting the basics right, nutrician, training schedules to maximise performance, psychologist, physio etc.
Sorting out the techniques of a healthy person with an excellent diet and the right mindset is much easier than someone that isn't eating as well as possible and doesn't believe in themselves. Its clear that the cyclists got this very right and probably that the track and field lot didn't.
Getting the basics right, nutrician, training schedules to maximise performance, psychologist, physio etc.
Sorting out the techniques of a healthy person with an excellent diet and the right mindset is much easier than someone that isn't eating as well as possible and doesn't believe in themselves. Its clear that the cyclists got this very right and probably that the track and field lot didn't.
Some very knowledgeable posts on this subject in the forum here: www.eightlane.com
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