David Lock

Like most I have seen the interviews with GB's successful athletes. Obviously they were being questioned at an exciting time of their lives but what has struck me is what a nice bunch they are. Just ordinary folk with a talent and determination to succeed.

Such a pleasant change from the diva soccer star interviews for example.

Anyone else noticed this?

dl

Dave Hedgehog

iTrader: (1)

Yup. Makes you proud.

Peter Wilson shouting "Dad" and then getting a big hug off of his tweed wearing Pa was a real highlight! "Well done Son! you did it!" just a great moment for talent triumphing over big odds.

You've got to remember that most of these sports people do NOT earn big and have sacrificed years of their lives to represent the UK.

David Lock

Yeah the Peter Wilson clip brought a lump to my throat especially as a dad with a grown up son.

One can just imagine him going home when granny walks in the room with a cup of tea and says "Oh hello Peter, been out shooting again?"

dl

tony de wonderful

The ones on national lottery funding are basically public sector employees getting paid not to have to work and do their hobby instead.

Doing you hobby fully time is no sacrifice, it's enjoyable.

JTaylor

That Peter Wilson moment was touching.

Bristol98

Have you seen what countries pay their athletes for getting Gold? Eastern Euro - ~£100,000 Team GB - nada!

SiPie

Cos we are skint

speedking

Better to put the money in up front so you can select and nurture the best talent to increase your chance of medalling, rather than retrospectively rewarding them, IMO.

Dingdongler

A predictable attitude from somebody who does not understand what it takes to stick with something through thick and thin and succeed.

Or perhaps you do very well understand but because you know you don't have these qualities (and get depressed when the going gets tough) seeing them in other people makes you realise what a failure you are? And then hence you belittle them to make you feel better.

Why don't you test that hypotheses when you do your mickey mouse good for **** all Sociology degree?

Leslie

There always seems to be someone who has to carp about a situation and as in this case run down the competitors' efforts and hard work which they have all put into their efforts to succeed. I find that behaviour a bit pitiful really.

As the OP says, it is impressive how sporting all the competitors are, and it is good to see how quick the losers are to congratulate those who won in their particular sport.

It is of course all part of the Olympic ideal and it demonstrates the true value of the whole competition.

Les

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

You do yourself no favours sometimes (coming from someone who used to know!).

jods

Trap two

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Do they get paid for taking part and even winning?

Chip

From their sponsors I would imagine yes.

legb4rsk

I wouldn't bother entering if I were you.
You would probably end up shooting yourself in the foot......................again!

tony de wonderful

Like the cyclist falling over on purpose you mean les?

I've nothing against athletes but I object to the public funding of them.

tony de wonderful

Take your narcissism elsewhere, I'm not impressed with your pathetic chest puffing chauvinism.

PeteBrant

They don't get public funding, they get lottery funding. Paying for athletes is entirely optional, it's not coming out of your tax.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

I have also been pleasantly surprised by the attitude of our young athletes and have shed a tear more than once so far during the Olympics.

I also think that Bolt is such a character.
The success could have gone to his head, but he just plays along with it.

Tony, get your head out of your **** and do some research before posting such crap.

David Lock

Well I think I will have to swallow my pride and add Murray to the nice brigade - hard to do

Footnote. Shame some SN posters can't be nice to each other

david

stedee

iTrader: (4)

agreed its nice to see genuine ppl who leave their egos at home. and even if the government did pay them which they dont it would be value for money anyway

marcevs72

iTrader: (5)

a lot of my mates are up there doing the security after g4s ****ed up and the athletes are making a point of coming up to them and thanking them for what they are doing which shows what type of people the athletes are.they all seem just normal people that are having the time of their lives.it takes so much commitment to train for years for their chance.hats off to all of them.

Dingdongler

I'm not sure how appreciating the hard work and dedication of others makes me any of the things you have said I am.

You have also been factually incorrect as the athletes are funded via the lottery and so are not 'public sector' employees as you claimed.

So your posts show clearly that your own failures in life have made you resent anybody who is successful. You need to take a long hard look in the mirror at yourself before you waste the next few years studying the sociology of the rest of the population.

tony de wonderful

if that is what you need to believe then so be it.

Dingdongler

I don't need to, but I most certainly do believe that.

tony de wonderful

The national lottery operates under a licenses granted by the government, it is a state lottery administered by Camelot.

Regarding the distribution of money: "It is the responsibility of the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF), administered by the government Department for Culture, Media and Sport".

So the money for good causes is handed out by a government agency.

Why should students have to take out loans for degrees when athletes gets given money to do their hobby which benefits nobody but themselves?

PeteBrant

Because we pay our taxes for Education, and health and defense and roads and the NHS etc etc etc. And the "benefits" of being an athlete, outside of the top 1% are non existant. It is years of hard work and sacrifice for little return.

The Lottery is an entirely optional purchase. You are not forced in any way to buy a ticket.

The funding of essential public service should never, ever be supplied via lottery funding - It is far too random, too unpredictable. If you object to the lottery funding of Atheletes, then don't buy a lottery ticket. You have the choice.

The national lottery was invented to fund local and National projects that were never going to get state funding. The NLDF decide on project that get funding; some you will agree with , and some you won't. But givne the massive strides in sports performance over the last 15 years it is impossible to argue agains **** effectiveness.

IN Atlanta 1996 we got 1 gold. This year we have already equalled the massive 19 golds haul in Beijing with a week to go.

Per capita, we are the most successful national at the Olympics by an absolute mile.

And not one penny has come out of tax payers pockets. (Of course the actual staging of the Olympics has, but thats a seperate argument to the actual atheletes)

I would call that a pretty good scheme.

tony de wonderful

It doesn't make a material difference whether money ultimately comes from tax or lottery, either way it is still a form of government revenue.

The case you have to answer is why lottery money given to athletes is the best use which this money could be put to.

It's an inconvenient truth that whilst our funding to elite athletes goes up our obesity rates increase. Why not use that 300 million to improve say cycle lanes or educate people on better diets?

PeteBrant

Of course it matters. One is tax which we are forced to pay, the other is entirely optional. Matters of public service are dealt with by taxation. There is no case to answer - Cycle lanes are a matter for local authorities; it's why you pay council tax. Dietry concerns are a health issue and therefore are driven out of the NHS/Welfare budget.

If these services require more investment, then taxes need to be put up to cater for them (or cuts made elsewhere) you can't have a situation where some people are paying for public services but not others, and at varying rates. It's completely unfair.

You are confusing state spending on public services, which we all pay tax for; and funding for non-essential projects for local communites and nationally which we optionally pay for.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

How do you know that some of that funding for athletes hasn't worked in a similar vein, ie giving them a sport to focus on rather than causing trouble or eating/playing on Xbox?

I'd rather that £300m go someway to improving sport than paying for several fat sceffers to have gastric bands fitted or go to 'fat club' and learn how not to eat ******* cake!