Quote Originally Posted by Bremsstrahlung View Post
The team that we have sent to compete are the best at their respective sports in our country.
Not sure if Captain Obvious has mentioned it, but other countries also send their best athletes.
As it stands, we are ranked 9th in the world on Gold Medals. Is this poor?
The 8 nations above us:
USA - 324 Million people
Great Britain - 65 Million people
China - 1.38 Billion people
Russia - 143 Million people
Germany - 80 Million people
France - 66 Million people
Japan - 126 Million people
Italy - 59 Million people
Australia - 24 Million people

Based on our population of people to select our best athletes, I think we are doing reasonably well.

Now, I agree, it is absolutely disappointing and questions have to be asked why our athletes aren't quite performing to their personal best levels. Personal bests should be their target, if that gets them a medal, great! If not, well at least they've given their best.

Some body has to win, somebody has to lose. There is no competition if only the best competes. Why do we even send an Olympic team? Why do Australia even send a team to the world cup? Why do we even play as part of the A- League? After all, we aren't the best at any of these things.

The media has raised the expectations and the Sydney Olympics have somewhat given us false hope. Particularly around our swim team. Sure some of them failed to do their best, yes that is disappointing and questions will be asked. But does that take anything away from them for being the best Australia has, or being in the top 5 in the world for something?
When Messi plays, when he fails to score, does that mean he's not a great player anymore? has he failed? Are people celebrating his failure? He can't even win Copa America.
Population means **** all

If it did China and India would be best in the word at football

They are not

Iceland would never beat England in the Euros

They did


This is about our athletes performing at their best and not accepting second place as acceptable

Seems to be the defining characteristic of those born in the mid 80s onwards


It all about participating rather than winning

Too many of them are mentally soft between the ears thanks to the Wankers that surrounds them

Your right this is the best of the best . That means that when you get a government hand out to pursue your dream 24-7 the expectation is there that on your big day your 4 years of training are culminated into a performance that is your best

Not something inferior

Yeah someone has to finish second. Your right.

Any athlete worth their salt doesn't accept that it is them. They make sure it's the other guys

As for the swimming we had 7 individuals go in as favourites on times posted and performance

1 of them delivered a medal

The rest couldn't even be a lucky loser