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

[Stat Brother]

Just like our swimmers then...

They don't seem to be even reaching an 8 person final, unless they are the fastest loser and someone drops out.

As said hopefully they are at the bottom heading up.
£46.3m is a lot of money for 2 Olympic cycles and minimal medals.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I think more important than his every day profession, is the fact that he has been allowed to run the show for 15 years while producing a piss poor low number of medals at the Worlds, Commonwealths and Olympics. No-one would give a toss if he was a plumber and yet running British Swimming if we were, in fact, GOOD.

He's not STILL a plumber Sim. He's the (very highly paid) Chief Executive of British Swimming.

 

[teaboy]

As I said - get the RIGHT people in. It's about coaching and expectations. Cyclists are now expected to win at the Olympics. Not get a medal, or reach the final. Win. If they aren't capable of making that happen then they won't ride. We aren't there to make up the numbers. With the Worlds it's slightly different. Things tend to work on the 4-year Olympic cycle, so now is the time to get the people in for Rio. It's possibly the same with the Swimming team too, but the expectation and demands don't seem to be there yet.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I think more important than his every day profession, is the fact that he has been allowed to run the show for 15 years while producing a piss poor low number of medals at the Worlds, Commonwealths and Olympics. No-one would give a toss if he was a plumber and yet running British Swimming if we were, in fact, GOOD.

Another Brit who keeps talking the talk but failing to produce results. Atletics, Swimming and Tennis are riddled with these ' salespeople ' who keep talking themselves into positions of authority and then fail miserably. We seem to be suckers in this country for the good interviewee.
You've only got to look at Jurgen Groebbler in rowing and Dave Brailsford in cycling for the blueprint for success. For over 50 years British swimmers have only had sporadic success. You can name the successes at the highest level....Lonsborough, Wilkie, Goodhew, Moorhouse, Adlington and only a very few more. Appalling, truly appalling for a sporting nation like ours. There is never any improvement over the years.
The swimming commentators big up the chances of the Brit...." I really think so and so has a good medal chance in this race " ( they finish 7th )..." Oh, so and so will be disappointed with that.They didn't show what they are capable of "
In the 2012 Olympics most of our swimmers didn't even do PB's...FFS....when you're supposed to be peaking, thats the minimum expected! As previous posters have said, its just lame excuse after lame excuse trotted out.
The swimming in London was embarrassing and only just surpassed by the athletics. Will we ever learn?

 

[Brovion]

Plus it's important to get swimming right as at the Olympics they dish out medals like sweeties. At least in athletics there is only one race at 100 metres and you get yourself from start to finish in the way you see fit. They don't then hold another one where you run backwards, then another where you run sideways or a fourth one where you hop.

 

[teaboy]

---

 

[Simster]

Plus it's important to get swimming right as at the Olympics they dish out medals like sweeties. At least in athletics there is only one race at 100 metres and you get yourself from start to finish in the way you see fit. They don't then hold another one where you run backwards, then another where you run sideways or a fourth one where you hop.

Wise words Brovian. It always annoys me that they have tons of medals at the swimming, a sport we are utterly shìt at, but in which Australia excel.

 

[Medwayseagull]

Another Brit who keeps talking the talk but failing to produce results. Atletics, Swimming and Tennis are riddled with these ' salespeople ' who keep talking themselves into positions of authority and then fail miserably. We seem to be suckers in this country for the good interviewee.
You've only got to look at Jurgen Groebbler in rowing and Dave Brailsford in cycling for the blueprint for success. For over 50 years British swimmers have only had sporadic success. You can name the successes at the highest level....Lonsborough, Wilkie, Goodhew, Moorhouse, Adlington and only a very few more. Appalling, truly appalling for a sporting nation like ours. There is never any improvement over the years.
The swimming commentators big up the chances of the Brit...." I really think so and so has a good medal chance in this race " ( they finish 7th )..." Oh, so and so will be disappointed with that.They didn't show what they are capable of "
In the 2012 Olympics most of our swimmers didn't even do PB's...FFS....when you're supposed to be peaking, thats the minimum expected! As previous posters have said, its just lame excuse after lame excuse trotted out.
The swimming in London was embarrassing and only just surpassed by the athletics. Will we ever learn?

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

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Plus it's important to get swimming right as at the Olympics they dish out medals like sweeties. At least in athletics there is only one race at 100 metres and you get yourself from start to finish in the way you see fit. They don't then hold another one where you run backwards, then another where you run sideways or a fourth one where you hop.

I did tire somewhat of the fawning over these swimmers who have more medals than ties. Imagine how many medals someone like Carl Lewis or Usain Bolt would have with subtle changes to their events.

 

[ali jenkins]

They're planning on redeveloping the King Alfred and some people have said there should be an Olympic-standard pool there. However a Councillor (can't remember the name) said they had received 'firm advice' from Sport England that there SHOULDN'T be an Olympic-standard pool in Brighton and Hove. I was so amazed by Sport England's response that I emailed them, and they said they'd said no such thing.

Either mis-reporting by the Argus or councillors are lying. Either is of course possible.

There are no immediate plans to redevelop the King Alfred and if there were I can almost guarantee that they would not include a 50m pool in those plans.

The main problem is that there is next to no money to be made from Swimming pools. The running costs are so high that you are doing well if you break even from swimming alone. Thats just for a 25m pool, a 50m pool would be double the running costs but the income would be pretty much the same.

 

[teaboy]

It isn't the athletes' fault there are loads of events - it's just a quirk of the sport. There are LOADS of events for 'running' anyway.

 

[Brovion]

There are no immediate plans to redevelop the King Alfred and if there were I can almost guarantee that they would not include a 50m pool in those plans.

The main problem is that there is next to no money to be made from Swimming pools. The running costs are so high that you are doing well if you break even from swimming alone. Thats just for a 25m pool, a 50m pool would be double the running costs but the income would be pretty much the same.

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)

 

[Brovion]

It isn't the athletes' fault there are loads of events - it's just a quirk of the sport. There are LOADS of events for 'running' anyway.

But not multiple events over the same distance. Swimming is more like the Paralympics in that respect.

 

[teaboy]

100m, 100m hurdles, 4x 100m relay spring to mind. I understand the point that's being made, but breaststroke, backstroke, fly and freestyle use very different muscles. Anyway - it still isn't the athletes' fault.

 

[teaboy]

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

Looking at how they've picked the squad they seem to be very Olympic-focussed. Not selecting a World Champion to defend a non-Olympic event shows intent, and I like it.

 

[Brovion]

100m, 100m hurdles, 4x 100m relay spring to mind. I understand the point that's being made, but breaststroke, backstroke, fly and freestyle use very different muscles. Anyway - it still isn't the athletes' fault.

Actually it's 110m hurdles, and it involves jumping not just running. And for the 4x100m relay the race is over 400 metres - and swimmers have relays too giving them even MORE chances to pick up medals.

However, no it isn't the athletes' fault, but BOF's point still stands: unlike swimming in athletics no one could win seven or eight gold medals in one Olympics.

 

[Badger]

My memory of Team GB swimming at the 2012 Olympics will always be "I'm just glad to be here, the crowd are amazing".

The rest of the Olympics I remember for medals and stuff.

 

[teaboy]

Actually it's 110m hurdles, and it involves jumping not just running. And for the 4x100m relay the race is over 400 metres - and swimmers have relays too giving them even MORE chances to pick up medals.

However, no it isn't the athletes' fault, but BOF's point still stands: unlike swimming in athletics no one could win seven or eight gold medals in one Olympics.

100m hurdles for women. I agree that there's a ridiculous number of medals available to swimmers compared to every other sport. Maybe swimming needs to introduce the Omnium - several events with 1 point awarded for each finishing position - whoever has the fewest points after all the events gets a medal. Sort of like Heptathlon in athletics, or the, erm... omnium in cycling (which, by the way, is stupid!).

 

[Stat Brother]

5 out of 6 swimmers have qualified through the heats, this morning.

Hopefully some of those 5 semi finalists can turn that into finals.

 

[Simster]

My memory of Team GB swimming at the 2012 Olympics will always be "I'm just glad to be here, the crowd are amazing".

The rest of the Olympics I remember for medals and stuff.

Yes. On the flip side, the lack of successful British swimmers to interview meant we got to see an irrelevant fat South African man talk loudly about his son on a daily basis.