I wouldn't actually, I can only imagine the hours and hours of training some do to become the best they can in their chosen sport. The Olympics is their 5 minutes of fame and some of the luckier ones can now get a sponsorship deal to repay in some way their hard work. Those in the less popular sports do the hard work and get no reward other than the trophy. I hate the fact that millionaire sports people who have all the fame and fortune, payment for their own hard work and yet still want the glory of the Olympics. As for the facilities I may be wrong as I left hull a while ago now, but I do remember going on a school bus from Endike school to Bev rd. baths and when at Schulz we had our own swimming pool, do the kids at school in Hull do swimming in the PE classes now? I just hear that local facilities are not what they were and see that school kids are shall we say unhealthy.
Not wanting to go too far off thread, but as a sport bringing benefit to the masses you can show road cycling. Having the Tour de France and the the tour of Yorkshire has got loads of ordinary people into cycling and that has to be a good thing.
Millionaire sports people? There are those that are millionaires already like tennis players, basketball players, golfers and footballers? Or ones who are going to reap the benefits of years of hard work through advertising and sponsorship? Good to see you have maintained the trait amongst a lot of Hull people of antipathy towards anyone who is successful and stands out. Kids in Hull not being healthy is nothing to do with local facilities not being what they were. It is because they sit about and stuff their faces with junk,food as their parents can't tear themselves away from trash TV for long enough to cook a proper meal. A few years back there were more 50 metre pools in Munich and Paris than the who,e of the U.K. We build nice, fun, attractions like Leisure World in Brid or the new place in Scarborough but they aren't conducive to practice for the Olympics. Swimmers still have to travel and practice at awkward hours and need funding to help. Elite athletes aren't born, they are made. I never had the motivation or dedication necessary but admire the ones who have and don't object to Lottery Money assisting them.
They were corporate seats and there's about a thousand of them, it could be a hell of a lot of money.
Indeed it has. This is the key point if you make the bottom of the pyramid larger and wider by making more people want to take part you by default make the peak higher, that in turn makes more want to take part and it rolls on from there. As an example we now have 5 Olympic class velodromes when we used to have none. Once they are built they don't need building again so you can then look at other areas to build and improve. I hate John Major with a passion but his decision to take sport funding out of the UK governments hands and instead use lottery funding was inspired.
I think he's making the point that athletes like Kenny train relentlessly for a pretty crap salary and no sponsorship just for that moment of glory at the Olympics which is the pinnacle of their sport. In contrast some of the basketball players, tennis players, golfers...etc largely turn up to stay in the limelight and promote their brand, they would much rather win other accolades in their sport and the Olympics doesn't really mean a lot to them.
Nice to see you miss the point completely, Those tennis players, basketball players, golfers and footballers already have their fame and fortune that's why they should not be at the Olympics, to some they're hero's and some will try to emulate them and that's good. Those in most other Olympic sports never even get to be seen on the telly despite putting in loads of time, money and effort of course they should get rewarded for making the top. If that was to happen others may try to emulate them too and that would be good. The kids home life is down to the parents, but at the very least at school they should be doing exercise / sport in the PE class. As for the rest, iv'e lived in what was Eastern Europe for over 20 years and seen kids just getting on with it, that has possibly coloured my view on things. Djoković famously trained tennis in an abandoned swimming pool early in his life, and just behind my house two canoeists train in a canal that would shame the green diving pool in Rio. Anyway enough of this, well done to all those who won medals, those who didn't and all those aspiring to get to the next Olympics and I hope you reap the rewards of your hard work.
I think he is objecting to two things. Or expressing himself badly. Yes, like him, I also object to those sorts you mention being in the Olympics. However he objects to the Lottery Money being used for elite athletes instead of being spent in schools and communities. Not that £350million would do much in that regard. The elite athletes helped by Lottery funding are elite because they have worked hard and reached the pinnacle of their sport. Though they may not have done so without Lottery funding helping them with living and training expenses.
Well it certainly looked like it meant allot to Andy Murray he was as emotional as I have ever seen him when he won it.
Missing the point? I said that sports like basketball, tennis etc shouldn't be in the Olympics. You say you hate elite athletes getting Lottery funding and the money should go on schools and communities. The elite athletes who get Lottery funding aren't multimillionaire sports stars but they are classified as elite because of their ability. You are the one who seems to be missing the point about funding elite athletes. I am afraid the subject of why there has been a decline in sports at schools and in PE would mean straying into politics so better not go there.
Indeed Mo Farah has just made the country almost have kittens by nearly falling over with 200M to go in the 5000M semi.
Completely agree, but there's nothing wrong with them asking the question. If we were in their position we would 100% be asking what is going on with every single member of the cycling team medalling. I dont doubt for one minute we're clean and if anything other countries forcing the focus onto this is a positive thing as it lets us silence any doubts rather than it rumble on. And as you rightly highlight, I heard a lengthy interview on R4's Today yesterday with the team captain and he said the success is purely down to lottery funding. Next time people slag off where the money is spent it's worth remembering this.
