Swimming

[T-Boon]

I agree to some extent but the problem is getting them to race more often in overseas events is going to cost even more money. This also doesn't explain our relative success at World Championships compared to Olympics.

Our success at world champs is, as someone said earlier, the yanks don't care about it. We should go that way as well. It is a false indicator and worse thats where the expectation and fame and pampering starts.

 

[saint.nick]

So 2012 is not how Phelps wanted to end his swimming career. He won golds in London. The f**king difference...

 

[The Mad Hatter]

All this sisterly love is fake and sickening anyway. 7's fault. All my sisters want to bitch about and kill each other like the real world. Soft.

Geez I chuckled at this.

So true. My kids would kill each other to come first.

Anyway...I've b!tched enough. I have toilets to clean.

 

[DiegoNT]

Well that 16 year old Canadian could dominate for years to come

But will she win at world champs?

 

[T-Boon]

With my kids in sport, there's a real wank mentality of touchy feely mamby pamby at the moment.

I'm not saying you can't play hard and fair and compete, but medals/ribbons to EVERYONE to compete, blah blah blah. It's nauseating. Funny thing is, a lot of parents think it's a walk. But the sports bodies devour it.

I'm also not saying run kids in to the ground, abuse refs, have coaches etc. But losing makes you try harder. And when you try harder, you tend to get better. Don;t sugar coat deficiencies. For the past 10-12 years since Sydney 2000, it's been like this in many big sports. Oh, we were happy to compete. It's lovely...really it is. But you have a losers mentality. Shane Watson gets a 90 and can't make a ton.

I'm a merkin, I know. But it's a mental thing. And it's pi$$weak.

In the US sports is reserved for the cream of the crop, its not some place where you learn the lessons of life, how to be a team player or go make buddies etc. If you haven't cut the mustard by high school then you don't get to clog up the system, you simply don't play sport anymore except in the local ten pin bowling competition.
Our whole mentality to sports is for mothers.

 

[saint.nick]

We also need to stop saying that you 'win' silver and bronze.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

In the US sports is reserved for the cream of the crop, its not some place where you learn the lessons of life, how to be a team player or go make buddies etc. If you haven't cut the mustard by high school then you don't get to clog up the system, you simply don't play sport anymore except in the local ten pin bowling competition.
Our whole mentality to sports is for mothers.

We pretend its ok. But even in U5s you want to win. In our soccer and cricket comps, they don't score. funny thing is, first things the kids ask are:

Did we win?

What's the score?

 

[DiegoNT]

Remember when Thorpe false started, and the young bloke gave up his spot for him, and everyone had a wank about the good team camaraderie the australians have. Can you imagine a yank doing that? Do the yank swimmers ever talk about team spirit? They seem focused on their individual events or their individual roles in relays

 

[Shorty]

lol there's no way an american would do that.
But americans aren't trophey parents like we are (you will never see their fans disappoint with silver), we have gone from two extremes in the past 2 olympics.
London had swimmers crying because they failed and won silver, you don't want that either but we seem to have been too soft on them this time.

You need to meet somewhere in the middle so they perform well but don't end up drug addicts cause they lost one race.
As I said before, I think we need to have a strong look at our coaching.

 

[saint.nick]

"it's not about winning, it's about trying to win". Eughhhhhhh.

 

[Haffa]

Where's Stephanie Rice now though?

Fked up the putt and disappeared.

Campbell's will disappear now.

Funnily enough she's coaching in the US.

 

[Shorty]

Funnily enough she's coaching in the US.

Well, there you have it.
Someone had told me coaching was a very reach problem, our elite coaches are poached by overseas nations because they're so good and they get paid more.

 

[T-Boon]

We should have a race circuit out here where we invite everyone except the US and if you don't win you don't get paid anything so go to Uni or something. Heck make it Uni based.

 

[Shorty]

So Cate actually said on camera 'This doesn't change how you should feel about me mum' hmmmm.
It's weird that she would feel the need to say that on camera.
Perhaps some of these kids have trophy parents and they're the issue.

 

[Frankus]

lol there's no way an american would do that.
But americans aren't trophey parents like we are (you will never see their fans disappoint with silver), we have gone from two extremes in the past 2 olympics.
London had swimmers crying because they failed and won silver, you don't want that either but we seem to have been too soft on them this time.

You need to meet somewhere in the middle so they perform well but don't end up drug addicts cause they lost one race.
As I said before, I think we need to have a strong look at our coaching.

Quite often the 5th or 6th best American in particular events is faster than our best swimmer. The US Olympic trials meet is probably the most competitive meet on the planet behind the Olympics. It is kind of like our Sydney Olympic trials were (probably our most competitive trials ever), but for every Olympics.

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Aussie swimmers are chokers

 

[JJ]

Some real quality in this thread...

 

[The Mad Hatter]

View attachment 9028

Bhunted.

 

[Shorty]

Aussie swimmers are chokers

Looks that way.

They seem even worse when you compare them to the immense pressure Thorpe, Freeman and even Pearson were under to win golds.
Cathy Freeman had an entire nation expecting her to win her one gold.

 

[El Diablo]

Aussie swimmers are chokers

they'd be lucky to win a barrier trial