GB swimming - still not setting the pool alight, so to speak.

[Billy in Bristol]

Adlington's old coach is Head of Performance...so no chance of any criticism from that quarter.

Lots of spot on comments about David Sparks and British Swimming, and also the bloody sheer volume of medals we could and don't win! It is however a young squad and if we have won a shed load of medals in 2013 and none in Rio 2016, this thread would have been even more vitriolic.

 

[Stat Brother]

The required standard is a minimum of just 3 medals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/swimming/23472542

 

[teaboy]

The required standard is a minimum of just 3 medals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/swimming/23472542

To be fair that's pretty realistic at the moment. You can't start a thread deriding the quality of British Swimming then expect them to come home with 10 Golds. They're clearly building for Rio by focussing on the events that will gain them additional funding in the future. It's sensible. If they're still aiming for 3 medals in 2016 there'll be trouble...

 

[ali jenkins]

No immediate plans maybe, but here's the Argus article I saw: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1054...on_agenda_for_new_King_Alfred_leisure_centre/

(And the Councillor's name was Bowden)

It has been brought up by MP's for years. The problem is the money. The council will not fund it, as I already said there is no money to be made from it so that more than likely rules out a corporate investor unless there is a lot else attached onto the building which would reduce the size for a pool and it looks like there will be no grants from Sport England.

There have been so many 'plans' for the King Alferd since the towers idea was scrapped and none of them have gone any further than an article in The Argus.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Are you seriously suggesting our athletics performance was worst than the swimming last year?

No, I'm not....sorry, my wording was poor. I meant to imply that the performance in athletics was only slightly better than swimming. Yes, I know there were 4 golds but there was no depth to the athletics and I think we only totalled 6 medals altogether.

 

[Stat Brother]

To be fair that's pretty realistic at the moment. You can't start a thread deriding the quality of British Swimming then expect them to come home with 10 Golds. They're clearly building for Rio by focussing on the events that will gain them additional funding in the future. It's sensible. If they're still aiming for 3 medals in 2016 there'll be trouble...

If I was expecting 10 golds I wouldn't have started the thread.
Even half that would be third in the table and a marked improvement.

The thread is all about just how lowly the swimmers are in comparison with the level of investment.

If the target is 3 medals and we get 3 medals by Sunday then great, all is well.
But if not and we are out swum by nations who can't afford to put water in the pool, the continuation of the Olympic belly flop is there to be discussed.

 

[Nottseagull]

They just come across as a bunch of apologists. Adlington is trotting out excuses for their poor performance even though she has retired.

If she had been critical of them instead, then it seems you could have just as (more?) easily cited her retirement as hypocrisy. Why is it relevant?

 

[Stat Brother]

A silver in the diving, I knew my motivational thread would work

1 down 2 to go.

 

[Stat Brother]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/swimming/23551200

However, her time of 16 minutes 6.46 seconds in the 1500m was 18 seconds slower than the time she recorded at the GB trials in Sheffield, while 8:27.48 in the 800m was nine seconds slower...
...The system, which follows the same format that the US swimming team uses, meant this year's British Championships took place less than four weeks before the Barcelona Worlds - something Carlin and several other swimmers have struggled to adapt to...

and the 1500m was won by, an American in a World record time.

You have to wonder what the coaches are doing?

 

[Stat Brother]

So 1 silver in diving and 1 bronze in the pool.

3 years to spend the rest of the £21+m wisely enough to get some podium action.

I hope I'm really wrong, but I have my doubts.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

It strikes me as a sport that is ripe for getting Olympic medals.

Much like cycling - there are actually a fairly small number of 'big' nations and there's a decent youth participation in this country.

At the moment, the swimmers train with their own coach in disparate places.

Cycling invested in centralised training and management of schedules. Riders programmes became incredibly structured around 4 year cycles along with investment in support/training/science.

I remember Adlington whining at the Olympics, saying "people don't understand, it's not like other sports. It's not easy to medal in swimming". Ridiculous! Like other sports are easy.

Cycling used to be full of excuses and look what happened there.

 

[Stat Brother]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/swimming/23592744


...I'm watching you, sunshine.