chips and gravy
New member
I read in the paper a couple of weeks ago that our swimmers are the best prepared to leave these shores for many years. How come we've only won one bronze medal so far then?
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Olympic Swimmers
- Thread starter chips and gravy
- Start date
aftershavedave
Well-known member
chips and gravy said:
perhaps that one bronze was the limit of our ambitions? haven't won a medal for 8 years i heard on the tv...
readingstockport
New member
Because they were even more not good before this year? 
Ding Dong !
Boy I'm HOT today !
Our divers got a silver didn't they ?
Rumour is the new Aussie super coach brought in to transform the team with ruthless training and iron discipline has actually screwed up, making them all peak too soon and arrive at the games knackered.
Melanie Marshall the other day was supposed to be in with a medal shout, but didn't even make the final and finished last in her heat with a time (2 mins 01.06 seconds) four seconds off her 2004 best.
"I'm absolutely exhausted," was her reason. "I don't know what went wrong, there was nothing left. To finish 16th is embarrassing for me and for everybody else, it's just awful.
"Maybe I trained too hard, if my training had gone better the last six weeks I would have had more confidence."
Melanie Marshall the other day was supposed to be in with a medal shout, but didn't even make the final and finished last in her heat with a time (2 mins 01.06 seconds) four seconds off her 2004 best.
"I'm absolutely exhausted," was her reason. "I don't know what went wrong, there was nothing left. To finish 16th is embarrassing for me and for everybody else, it's just awful.
"Maybe I trained too hard, if my training had gone better the last six weeks I would have had more confidence."
chips and gravy
New member
- Thread starter
- #6
Ding Dong ! said:Our divers got a silver didn't they ?
I know - but I was talking about the swimming team, not the diving team
Hannibal smith
New member
British swimming has improved dramatically. Don't let the fact we have only had one Bronze fool you.
The head honcho is now a guy called Bill Sweetman who is a no nonsense Australian who advocates hard work, a team ethic and a will to win. Before the games he threatened to quit unless work was started immediately on 8 X 50m swimming pools in Britain. It worked as some have been given the green light. The government have even set some money aside to help and facilities are on the way. In 3 or 4 Olympics time we will be seeing the major benefit of his legacy.
His influence has already been seen in the Commonwealth games where we picked up a stack of medals and in the world championship where we again picked up more than our fair share. You also have to remember that places like Australia, swimming is one of the most popular sports who everyone participates in. Here, it is somewhere between Darts and snooker in terms of popularity. Similarly, look at the facilities in Britain compared with say Spain. We have next to nothing - previous medal winners have had to practice whilst dodging 2 old ladies trying to keep their hair dry.
Anyway our best chances swim towards the end of the week. Look out for James Goddard who p!ssed up in his heat this morning and is ranked 2nd in the world in the 200m backstroke (final tomorrow I think). Also the women in 4 X 200m Freestyle could well pick up a medal. If memory serves I think the final is tonight.
The head honcho is now a guy called Bill Sweetman who is a no nonsense Australian who advocates hard work, a team ethic and a will to win. Before the games he threatened to quit unless work was started immediately on 8 X 50m swimming pools in Britain. It worked as some have been given the green light. The government have even set some money aside to help and facilities are on the way. In 3 or 4 Olympics time we will be seeing the major benefit of his legacy.
His influence has already been seen in the Commonwealth games where we picked up a stack of medals and in the world championship where we again picked up more than our fair share. You also have to remember that places like Australia, swimming is one of the most popular sports who everyone participates in. Here, it is somewhere between Darts and snooker in terms of popularity. Similarly, look at the facilities in Britain compared with say Spain. We have next to nothing - previous medal winners have had to practice whilst dodging 2 old ladies trying to keep their hair dry.
Anyway our best chances swim towards the end of the week. Look out for James Goddard who p!ssed up in his heat this morning and is ranked 2nd in the world in the 200m backstroke (final tomorrow I think). Also the women in 4 X 200m Freestyle could well pick up a medal. If memory serves I think the final is tonight.
Hatterlovesbrighton
something clever
Is it just me or are all this different types of swimming events just a bit excessive.
Freestyle I can see, but why slower strokes like butterfly and breaststroke.
Is there an olympic medal for running backwards? or on all fours?
Freestyle I can see, but why slower strokes like butterfly and breaststroke.
Is there an olympic medal for running backwards? or on all fours?
Marshy
Well-known member
Because every Ozzie has a pool in there garden and they can swim without leaving home, a very big advantage.