BRONZE! BRONZE! BRONZE!
August 12th 2008 09:16
We should all be proud of our Aussie boys in the pool. They have strived to win, but, have fallen short mostly, managing a fourth or a fifth, with the rare one scoring a Bronze Olympic Medal!! The girls however, have been doing well comparatively, getting a few gold and breaking records, but they are the exception amongst our collective Olympic teams and individual sports stars.
This lacklustre performance is happening across the board for Aussies in all categories of Olympic sports. So, after all the chest puffing in the past in the press, with the usual rabid, nationalistic chest beating, the effusive and ludicrous hyperbole in the headlines, where are the newspaper headings shouting in large bold type;
'BRONZE! BRONZE! BRONZE! ...hmm?
We love bellowing GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! Anyone remember the comedians Roy and HG Nelson, who went as far as bagging our buddies across the trench, the Kiwis, when all they could muster (at that time of broadcast) were Bronze Medals in the 200 Games, and the NZ newspapers trumpeted their achievements on the front page, while we were getting Gold Medals, our over inflated egos went on a grotesque and unseemly feeding frenzy, but that was back when we had Thorpie and whatnot, we had the 'dream team' in the global pool back then...
So what has happened? How come the USA has streaked past us in th epool? How come China, Korea, Germany and a whole bunch of other nations we never saw near a finishing line in the swimming events, in the past, are now standing on the dais collecting medals, while our boys slink quietly away to the change rooms, and our TV presenters speak of their brilliant and valiant efforts... but stop short of explaining they came fourth or fifth, or second last!
What has happened? If one looks at the comparative size of nations in population, and Gross Domestic Profits, company size and influence, we should not even get near the finishing line, but for many years we were the world leaders in many swimming events.
Have we rested on our laurels? Is it the competence of the new Head Coach of swimming that is to blame? Is it the loss of funding for the sport? Or is it more insidious than that, that the level and sophistication of drug cheats in all sports requiring lots of energy and stamina, has dramatically increased?
Methinks it a combination of all these things. The IOC has announced that blood samples will be kept for seven years after the particular Olympic event, to test again when more advanced technology can discover more cheats. On this, why not eight or nine years, or is this a way of allowing favoured nations to get away with it before the next Olympic games?
Call me a suspicious old tart, but, I can now imagine the secret drug labs in China, Russia, USA, Bulgaria and a host of other European nations, will be now working overtime to create a drug that will be undetectable for at least seven years.
What is the point? Each Games must we get more World Records to feel better? When does a World Record reach its zenith? Maybe we should have two sets of games, a drugs games an a non-drugs one?
But even then, one could be assured, some will cheat to win.
And finally, what does it feel like to stand up there, receiving your gold medal, knowing you cheated? Marion Jones, she who stated many times that she did not use drugs, did not cheat, finally gets caught out, what was it like inside her mind when they hung the medal around her neck and when she accepted the congratulations of the runners up?
Actually, I do not believe it is fair to just punish the athlete. If anyone should be sent to gaol, it should be the people in the drug labs and the Olympic Officials of the particular country the drug cheats came from. Should this be done, then I think we may start to see a slowing of drug cheats in the noble Olympic sports arena!
The Olympic Games is not a competition between individuals, but a race between nations, with national identity and State ego at stake. One does not have to stretch the imagination to realize that powerful forces would be at work, behind the scenes and mostly unbeknown to the athletes, to make sure that particular nation gets its best chance at winning Olympic Medals.
Lastly, I think, once an athlete has been caught out cheating, they should be made to attend the following Olympics, and at a proper medal ceremony, hand over their medal to the rightful winner, maybe it could be done at the very start at the Opening Ceremony? Now that ultimate humiliation may make many think twice, before they steal another person's deserved place in Olympic History.
ahh the memories! The Sydney Olympic Gold Medal
This lacklustre performance is happening across the board for Aussies in all categories of Olympic sports. So, after all the chest puffing in the past in the press, with the usual rabid, nationalistic chest beating, the effusive and ludicrous hyperbole in the headlines, where are the newspaper headings shouting in large bold type;
Sydney Olympic Gold
'BRONZE! BRONZE! BRONZE! ...hmm?
We love bellowing GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! Anyone remember the comedians Roy and HG Nelson, who went as far as bagging our buddies across the trench, the Kiwis, when all they could muster (at that time of broadcast) were Bronze Medals in the 200 Games, and the NZ newspapers trumpeted their achievements on the front page, while we were getting Gold Medals, our over inflated egos went on a grotesque and unseemly feeding frenzy, but that was back when we had Thorpie and whatnot, we had the 'dream team' in the global pool back then...
So what has happened? How come the USA has streaked past us in th epool? How come China, Korea, Germany and a whole bunch of other nations we never saw near a finishing line in the swimming events, in the past, are now standing on the dais collecting medals, while our boys slink quietly away to the change rooms, and our TV presenters speak of their brilliant and valiant efforts... but stop short of explaining they came fourth or fifth, or second last!
What has happened? If one looks at the comparative size of nations in population, and Gross Domestic Profits, company size and influence, we should not even get near the finishing line, but for many years we were the world leaders in many swimming events.
Have we rested on our laurels? Is it the competence of the new Head Coach of swimming that is to blame? Is it the loss of funding for the sport? Or is it more insidious than that, that the level and sophistication of drug cheats in all sports requiring lots of energy and stamina, has dramatically increased?
Methinks it a combination of all these things. The IOC has announced that blood samples will be kept for seven years after the particular Olympic event, to test again when more advanced technology can discover more cheats. On this, why not eight or nine years, or is this a way of allowing favoured nations to get away with it before the next Olympic games?
Call me a suspicious old tart, but, I can now imagine the secret drug labs in China, Russia, USA, Bulgaria and a host of other European nations, will be now working overtime to create a drug that will be undetectable for at least seven years.
What is the point? Each Games must we get more World Records to feel better? When does a World Record reach its zenith? Maybe we should have two sets of games, a drugs games an a non-drugs one?
But even then, one could be assured, some will cheat to win.
And finally, what does it feel like to stand up there, receiving your gold medal, knowing you cheated? Marion Jones, she who stated many times that she did not use drugs, did not cheat, finally gets caught out, what was it like inside her mind when they hung the medal around her neck and when she accepted the congratulations of the runners up?
Marion Jones, drug cheat.
Actually, I do not believe it is fair to just punish the athlete. If anyone should be sent to gaol, it should be the people in the drug labs and the Olympic Officials of the particular country the drug cheats came from. Should this be done, then I think we may start to see a slowing of drug cheats in the noble Olympic sports arena!
The Olympic Games is not a competition between individuals, but a race between nations, with national identity and State ego at stake. One does not have to stretch the imagination to realize that powerful forces would be at work, behind the scenes and mostly unbeknown to the athletes, to make sure that particular nation gets its best chance at winning Olympic Medals.
Lastly, I think, once an athlete has been caught out cheating, they should be made to attend the following Olympics, and at a proper medal ceremony, hand over their medal to the rightful winner, maybe it could be done at the very start at the Opening Ceremony? Now that ultimate humiliation may make many think twice, before they steal another person's deserved place in Olympic History.
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Comment by TimmyH
Tech News
Can you HACK it?
Genyration
When you factor this in I think Australia has been first or second in every Olympics since WW2...
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
Sorry TImmy H - but the population thing simply doesn't cut it with me when it comes to swimming at least (as far as comparisons with the US goes). Swimming is hardly the high profile sport there as it is in Australia - so the bank on which the US has to draw from is no doubt very relative to our own.
Aussies are naturally athletic and love their sport - it's only when it starts to cost real bucks, involves government funding and facilities that we find ourselves in a pickle.
After Montreal I think it was when we failed to win a single gold medal - that we started to take a good hard look at ourselves.
I suspect after the first week of competition - and the bulk of our medals have been scored - the knives will be out as we flounder in track and field.
Ouch - that will hurt.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I am in two minds on this issue, after reading MNG's response, I can see his point too, however, there is no question Oz does well comparatively, ("Australia continues to punch above its weight" to quote USA doco maker Mike Moore), who was suggesting our presence on the world stage of sport and many other areas goes beyond that expected of nations of a similar population and industrial/trade size.
Larger populations mean more revenue and more influence, there can be no doubt.
However, one thing stands up for me, that our boys and girls have obviously not used drugs to cheat, which I am damned sure a hell of a lot of other nations cannot claim, the poorer ones getting caught out because they could not afford the new generation drugs that remain undetectable.
cheers
fog
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
yes it is cringe worthy stuff, I read in the SMH today how our last hope a heavy weight boxer, got done, I saw the bout the night beofre, the article failed to mention that the unlucky loss was also the shortest bout in Olympic history, ending after several exchanges in the first round, when twowell placed punches knocked our bloke silly, the ref not even allowing the mandatory third count to occur, as our boy was too dazed.
If only these journos would realize most people would appreciate a realistic reporting on our place in the world, instead of these embarrasing orchestrated pieces; reminds me of seeing that numbskull liar Howard having a 'presidential like' press conference in New York after 911, set up with podium on the consulate's back lawn (I presume), all made to look like the international press were reporting on his every word, when it was only the usual Oz journos on the government junket tour!
Oh, and you are right about swimming being a low profile sport in the USA, even Phelps said he loved coming to OZ, because out here swimmers are treated like gods and totally ignored in the USA.
However, the prime time showing of Phelps' races will change things, because of his historic attempt at gold medals, and he is winning so far, so I expect swimming to become much more popular in the good ole US of A from now on.
cheers
fog