Olympics

[redcoat]

ORIGINAL: Zap

So I was curious as to what a country spends in training their athletes. England, spends the most 4 and a half million pounds to produce an athlete to gain a gold.


https://www.theguardian.com/sport/datab ... gb-funding

side note: It cost 492.70 American dollars to make. an Olympic medal

I don’t know why you say ‘England’ (the UK) pays more to gain medals. The Guardian article does not claim that and I haven’t heard anyone else claim that.

Besides the Guardian article is inaccurate. They’ve taken UK Sports elite sports budget and divided it by the number of Olympic medals. The elite sports budget was used to fund a lot more than just Team GB at the Olympics. It paid for British teams at all high level events over four years. So that included the Commonwealth Games, World Athletics and European tournaments. The budget was also used to pay for Olympic quality sporting facilities.

I doubt whether it is possible to accurately compare the funding of the different teams. Who knows what the Russians and Chinese are spending. Moreover, you will probably get more per Pound or dollar in China or Russia than in the West.

This Australian article has attempted to compare spending for the Rio games.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/i ... e42ec6e471

If this article is accurate Team GB has done relatively well for the money we have spent.

[Walloc]

Dont know if its true but the Danish comentators keep commenting on that for example the British sailing budget/support is larger than the entire Danish budget for all the attending sports going to the top end athletes.

Any how the larger the country the trend presumably is that of more spend per athlete.

[Zap]

Hmmm, okay, the Header says GB, that is England isn't it? Or is there a distinction to be made?
In the below link it says estimated spending by GB is 15million pounds. So that one says its more then the previous link. Though your right that its not accurate to say GB pays the most of all countries, that data is unknown.

http://debatewise.org/images/debatewiselogo.png

[redcoat]

Hmmm, GB (Great Britain) and England aren't the same thing. England is part of GB. Scotland and Wales are also part of it. So some of the competitors in Team GB are not from England. Andy Murray being one example.

The link you posted goes to a logo. Where is the 'debate' you mentioned?

[Neilster]

This is Chloe Esposito who won gold for Australia in the "Modern" Pentathlon. I use the inverted commas because the five disciplines (running, swimming, equestrian, fencing and shooting) represent those a late 19th Century cavalry officer would need to escape from behind enemy lines. No joke.

I've been bagging the event for years for this reason but she's cute and has won gold, so now everyone's suddenly taking it very seriously. It is very tough actually, as the entire thing takes place in one day and they're only assigned their horse 20 minutes before riding it in competition.

This isn't even a good photo of her. I saw her on telly the other day and she has stunning eyes. Anyway, I thought the cavalry officer bit would be appropriate for a wargaming site [:)]

Cheers, Neilster

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Zap

Hmmm, okay, the Header says GB, that is England isn't it? Or is there a distinction to be made?
In the below link it says estimated spending by GB is 15million pounds. So that one says its more then the previous link. Though your right that its not accurate to say GB pays the most of all countries, that data is unknown.

http://debatewise.org/images/debatewiselogo.png

warspite1

I cannot read the link you posted but the other two links just go to prove the old saying - there are lies, damned lies and statistics.

No doubt the numbers can be worked in a variety of ways to make whatever point one wants to make. Clearly unless the numbers are calculated fairly and on the same basis then these are fairly meaningless articles.

As to the England/GB/UK thing, this seems to be a common thing with non-Britons i.e. that England gets used incorrectly. When most people do it I am sure it is simply an unintentional mistake to use England when referring to the UK or GB - and as such is no problem (although I can imagine the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish being less impressed [;)]).

However, I read an article in the Washington Post the other day that was supposedly written by someone who knows something about history and yet the author referred to England when talking about a event in 1944, not 1544. That is a problem and really grates for being lazy and half-arsed [:@].

[Neilster]

Finland's medals per capita has taken a hit. One bronze

Cheers, Neilster

[altipueri]

Team GB has won the Olympics.

Well second is bloody good for a faded ex-imperialist power. And Americans really want to be Brits after realising that the awful tantrum in 1776 was just a lover's tiff. Don't they

"
Yes weekly from Southampton,

Great steamers, white and gold,

Go rolling down to Rio

(Roll down – roll down to Rio!)

And I’d like to roll to Rio

Some day before I’m old!

"
That's Kipling for ya.

I spent a year in Rio in 1982/3 - time of the Falklands war. Our last imperial gasp.

I really must roll down to Rio again.

[Zap]

Mongolian coaches really had a problem with the result of the contest results of their wrestler. In protest, they disrobed in front of the crowd. You can't write better stories.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: altipueri

...... time of the Falklands war. Our last imperial gasp.

warspite1

Last imperial gasp? Sorry but what does that mean?

[wings7]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: altipueri

...... time of the Falklands war. Our last imperial gasp.

warspite1

Last imperial gasp? Sorry but what does that mean?

Robert, it is good to have you back! You ask the most pertinent and thought provoking questions...I am anxious to hear what altipueri means by that statement also!

[radic202]

Canada's success in Rio comes at a price:

http://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/can ... price.html

[altipueri]

Island Fortress: The Last Gasp of Greater Britain

PhD fellow Ezekiel Mercau

The global reach of imperial Britishness was symbolised by Britain’s long involvement in imperial wars, nurturing popular assumptions that were abruptly challenged by the realities of imperial decline. In this context, the Falklands War of 1982 assumes special significance. Not only was the Falklands conflict the last war ever fought by the British single-handedly, it was also the last to be inspired by the notion of a world populated by ‘Britons abroad’ whom it was Britain’s duty to defend. It is significant that the war gave rise to a final burst of imperial patriotism on the part of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the tabloid press. It signalled a momentary revival of an older rhetoric, in which (in Thatcher’s words) ‘the spirit of the South Atlantic’ was ‘the real spirit of Britain’. Thus in many ways, the Falklands War represents the last rallying cry for an expansive Britishness – the last iteration of ‘Greater Britain’.


It was a bit strange living in Rio at the time (I was 28).

The first I heard something was going on was when the American I was sharing a flat with opened my bedroom door at about 6 in the morning and threw in his size 15 ex-Marine Corps boots, saying "Put these on, and walk south. You are at war."

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: altipueri

Island Fortress: The Last Gasp of Greater Britain

PhD fellow Ezekiel Mercau

The global reach of imperial Britishness was symbolised by Britain’s long involvement in imperial wars, nurturing popular assumptions that were abruptly challenged by the realities of imperial decline. In this context, the Falklands War of 1982 assumes special significance. Not only was the Falklands conflict the last war ever fought by the British single-handedly, it was also the last to be inspired by the notion of a world populated by ‘Britons abroad’ whom it was Britain’s duty to defend. It is significant that the war gave rise to a final burst of imperial patriotism on the part of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the tabloid press. It signalled a momentary revival of an older rhetoric, in which (in Thatcher’s words) ‘the spirit of the South Atlantic’ was ‘the real spirit of Britain’. Thus in many ways, the Falklands War represents the last rallying cry for an expansive Britishness – the last iteration of ‘Greater Britain’.

warspite1

Out of curiosity I wouldn't mind reading fully what this guy has to say - but at first glance he appears one of those writers that is incapable of writing in an easy to read manner - thus the reader finds he spends an inordinate amount of time trying to understand what is lost amongst the verbiage before even being in any position to actually conclude whether he agrees or not with the point being made..... I can't help thinking - even from the small section above - that he has over-thought this somewhat.

[wings7]

ORIGINAL: altipueri

Island Fortress: The Last Gasp of Greater Britain

PhD fellow Ezekiel Mercau

Verbatim from Ezekiel Mercau...
http://embersofempire.ku.dk/research/islandfortress/

[altipueri]

Saudades do Rio.

[Zap]

@redcoat,

I can't get the link to work. But it may not be important because it was not an article from a reputable news service. Actually , it was only about three sentences in total. There was no debate.

As far as UK and GB distinction, no harm intended. It is i, on this side of the ocean just being uninformed. Now! I Vaguely remember, at some time that distinction was made on the boards (here) in some discussion. At the time I formulated the above post, that info was nowhere to found in my memory banks. My poor memory, if a thing is not branded in my memory there is a good chance I'll loose it.

This link works:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/others ... king-medal

[Zap]

Here is what some countries pay their athletes if they bring home a gold medal.

Kazakhstan pay their gold medalists $250,000.
Malaysia, guarantee their athletes a solid gold bar worth $600,000. But some countries like

Great Briain— doesn't pay their athletes at all .

Estonia, Pays . A gold medal is worth $138,500, a silver medal will earn an Olympian $96,400 and a bronze totals to $60,000.

Italy pays their Olympians a gold medal is worth $189,800.

[redcoat]

An Australian article about the bonuses paid to Olympic athletes

http://www.foxsports.com.au/olympics/what-australian-and-other-countries-pay-to-olympic-medal-winners/news-story/fdc88c3a27729dbbc85fb0b357787cd6

[warspite1]

Another interesting article - this time on the French reaction to British success. Some comment is pitiful sour grapes - remember the "British wheels are rounder than everyone else" comment? While other, more measured responses highlight correctly that the British have simply taken a more pragmatic (cut throat?) view.

Anyway it all counts for little. I strongly expect China (relatively) to sweep all before them in 4-years. They are hurting about their Rio performance and there is the small matter of where the next Olympics take place too.......

Whilst other nations will up their game - the French, the Germans, the Australians and maybe some of the Asian sleeping giants, at the sharp end a three way fight between the US, China and Japan will be the result - and it could be UGLY.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37168870