Olympics
What's your sporting memory of the decade?
As the end of the decade approaches, the media inevitably seeks to define the sporting achievement / person of the decade. Just because it isn't the most original thing to do doesn't make it less interesting, particularly as the community on iStadia consists of people that have a special interest in sport - perhaps even direct involvement in some of the more memorable moments that have occurred.I thought that rather than being as specific about defining the person or achievement, I'd ask what your favourite memory in sport from the 'noughties'.
As a Brit, and an avid follower of the Olympics since I can remember (whihc would be the Moscow Olympics), I'm going to put my favourite memory down as the entire Beijing Olympics. I know that's a bit of a cop out, but it had so many special moments. From a British perspective the Beijing Olympics represented the transformation of British sport from plucky also-rans to a competitive, highly professional group of athletes across many sports. Being more specific, one could point to the domination of the cycling team, or (I'm also a swimmer) Rebecca Adlington's two gold medals (our first in 20 years in the pool and the first women's gold since Anita Lonsbrough almost 50 years ago), or perhaps Ben Ainslie's 3rd gold medal in a row. But the Beijing Olympics were special not only from a UK perspective, and no more so than in the performances of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.
So there's my answer. What I love about sport is that everyone will have their own opinion, so I'd love to hear it!
What's your sporting memory of the decade?
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Swimming Supersuits: Enough is Enough
When swimmers first started wearing body suits I wasn't swimming, and I found them curious. The technology was pretty marginal, but before long they became de rigeur at all of the top swim meets. Now, it is hard to find anyone, even at masters swim meets, wearing anything else.
When Speedo brought out the LZR Racer, I didn't get too excited, and even though the record books were being rewritten, prefered to focus on the improvements that were being made in coaching, scientific support and even facilities. The sport seemed to be gaining in profile, and maybe that accounted for something too.There were plenty of people out there, such as Craig Lord, who writes for swimnews.com, who were publicly calling for the suits to be banned.
At the Olympics, almost every finalist wore the LZR Racer, so I thought, "well, it's a level playing field, so what".
Since then a number of other suits have been brought out that make the LZR Racer look like, well, a swimsuit.
The LZR Racer has panels made of polyurethane, the same material as a wetsuit. The new alternatives are single, polyurethane suits and have sparked even greater controversy - most recently at the French championships.
In the French Championships Alain Bernard became the first man to break 47 seconds for 100m freestyle (in a long course pool), posting 46.94 in the new Arena X-Glide suit (which has still to be ratified by FINA, the sport's governing body, although an application was lodged before the French champs). He then ditched the new suit for the final, finishing 3rd in 47.51, behind Frederick Bousquet who wore another similar suit, made by Italian manufacturers Jaked. Bousquet's time of 47.15s was the third fastest of all-time.
There are statistics to be found everywhere for the impact of the new suits, and just as many opinions.
One man who didn't go for a full bodysuit was triple Olympic bronze medallist Hugues Duboscq. Duboscq was fourth in the 50 breaststroke final after pocketing 18 of the past 20 French titles.
His coach, Christos Paparadopoulos, summed up the feeling of many in swimming when he said; "We work every day hoping for a good performance and it is all ruined because we do not have the right suit."
Another interesting perspective is that these suits may change the physical profile of an elite swimmer entirely. Traditionally swimmers, even sprinters, have not been overly muscular, but some of the current crop are much bigger and more defined. It may be that the buoyancy gained from the suit allows for a more muscular - and less buoyant - physique
At another level altogether, I witnessed another suit in action this weekend - made by Blue Seventy. I haven't seen the others up close, but having done so this weekend: It is a wetsuit. I don't care how "thin" it is.
Now, to be honest, if at Olympic level everyone is wearing them, should we really care? I mean, like I thought when I watched the Olympics in Beijing, it's a level playing field, right?
Wrong. What about at the levels of the sport where swimsuits aren't given by sponsors, but bought?
People could make National teams, get funding, win titles not because they are the best swimmer but because they have the right suit. And at up to £300 a go, there will always be haves and have nots. It may also be that their impact is greater on moderate swimmers than it is on the best - which may promote inferior swimmers to elite levels.
What frightens me most is the impact that these suits could have in youth swimming, on so many levels. What message does it send out to the swimmers if so much is down to the suit? What about talent identification? I mean, competition performance alone shouldn't be used to indicate talent, but it also can
't be ruled out completely and every competitor tested for physical or other markers of talent?
Apparently the rules will be changed so that no more than 50% of a suit can be made of polyurethane.
To be honest, I've been talking to friends who were swimmers*, and they now have no faith in the record books. What would Popov, Biondi or Jaeger have done in one of these suits? We'll never know. And we may never know what Bernard or Bousquet could do in a good, old-fashioned pair of trunks.
It's time to get back to basics. Stop tinkering around the margins. I'm buying the argument that men should race in trunks, women in 'normal' swimsuits. The problem is, until FINA get a grip of the rules, you can't blame swimmers for wanting the best technology they can have...
*Credit to Mike Wynn and Pete Henry for inspiring this blog. Like them, I think we should get back to trunks. But I won't share their ideas for revolutionising women's swimming.
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
The sporting transatlantic divide (as played out on Google)
Working in a transatlantic company by day, I'm always struck by just how different the American and British cultures are - and nowhere is that much more evident than in sport.
Reflecting on that, I thought I'd check how the difference in our sporting cultures played out on the internet by looking at Google Trends. Just how real is the transatlantic divide in sport? Are we really two sporting countries divided by a common language?
Top Sports Searches in the last 12 months
The differences really are remarkable. Looking first at the UK, over that last 12 months, the only entries in the top searches that really match up are golf and the generic "sports". Of course both share the top entry of "football" but of course the term has a completely different meaning in the two countries.
Both top search lists reflect the popularity of specific sports in each country. "Football" in the UK (soccer) is followed by golf, rugby and cricket. Sadly, WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment, which markets itself as "sports entertainment) makes the British top ten. In the US, the big sports by searches are football (American football), golf, basketball and baseball, with soccer (perhaps surprisingly) making it too.While the big news agencies are also represented, another noticeable difference is that while in the UK two football clubs make the top ten (Liverpool and Arsenal - I suspect that Manchester United do not make it because there are more ways of searching for them e.g. "Man United", "Man Utd") while it is the leagues themselves that are the bigger brands in the US - NFL & NBA.
Rising Searches in the last 12 months
The top spots in the rising search reflect the sports that are most searched for, but while in the US it is an event (Superbowl 09), in the UK it is a computer game (Fifa 09). Unsurprisingly, the Olympics made a big splash in both countries. More surprisingly so did Euro 2008. Otherwise, both lists to some extent represent the teams and athletes that were in the spotlight. In the US, we see Michael Phelps, then the (Boston) Celtics (NBA "World" Champions), (Philadelphia) Phillies (World Series Champs) and the (LA) Lakers (NBA Finalists). In the UK, the obsession with football comes out again, with Hull City (newly promoted to the Premier League) and Ronaldo (World Player of the Year).Rising Searches in the last 30 days
If anything, the UK shows slightly more diversity, with horse racing (and the Cheltenham festival) and the start of the Formula 1 racing season coming into focus.
I hope you found that interesting. It is just a surface skim of our sporting cultures, but the differences are stark. It would appear that the transatlantic sporting divide is alive and well!
Top searches in Sports, United Kingdom, Last 12 months
1. football
2. club
3. golf
4. bbc
5. sports
6. rugby
7. cricket
8. wwe
9. liverpool
10. arsenal
Rising searches in Sports, United Kingdom, Last 12 months
1. fifa 09 Breakout
2. beijing 2008 +4500%
3. surf the channel +1750%
4. olympic games +650%
5. euro 2008 +250%
6. olympics +200%
7. hull city +140%
8. soccer manager +130%
9. wiki +90%
10. ronaldo +40%
Top searches in Sports, United States, Last 12 months
1. football
2. golf
3. basketball
4. sports
5. nfl
6. baseball
7. soccer
8. olympics
9. nba
10. espn
Rising searches in Sports, United States, Last 12 months
1. superbowl 2009 Breakout
2. nbc olympics Breakout
3. beijing 2008 Breakout
4. michael phelps +1900%
5. 2008 olympics +1000%
6. olympics +500%
7. euro 2008 +500%
8. celtics +100%
9. lakers +90%
10. phillies +70%
Rising searches in Sports, United Kingdom, Last 30 days
1. champions league draw Breakout
2. champions league +450%
3. cheltenham +350%
4. uefa +250%
5. carling cup +130%
6. jumpers for goalposts +100%
7. inter +100%
8. real madrid +90%
9. f1 +90%
10. racing results +70%
Rising searches in Sports, United States, Last 30 Days
1. ncaa bracket Breakout
2. 2009 ncaa bracket Breakout
3. march madness +1250%
4. ncaa tournament +1200%
5. world baseball classic +1100%
6. ncaa tournament 2009 +1050%
7. ncaa +600%
8. ncaa basketball +550%
9. cbs +450%
10. college basketball +80%
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Water Polo in Jeopardy for 2012 Olympics
Water polo is one of eight sports yet to have its funding for 2012 decided.UK Sport have said that no sport will be cast adrift -but with current funding levels water polo has already been drowned.
Only sports which are ‘competitive’ will have a place in the Games but how can a team sport achieve the required standard with a budget that does not allow the current improvements in performance to continue?
Water Polo is in a Catch 22 position.
* In response to this virtually all of 2009 planned men’s events have been cancelled.
* Water Polo was invented in Great Britain in 1870 and was the first team event in the Modern Olympics. Britain is after Hungary the second most successful team in Olympic Water Polo history.
* Since the inception of the Modern Games only one host nation (Finland in 1952) has failed to enter a team. It would be very sad if the nation which invented the game failed to provide teams in 2012.
* The Olympic Games has never been a competition but a festival of sport. The final medal table is only one aspect of a successful games.
* As a team sport there are only two sets of medals available - men's and women's. Thus it is not seen to offer "value for money".
This is of course totally contrary to the Olympic Creed which reads:-
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.
The High Performance Centre in Manchester was achieved with the benefit of UK Sport funding and yet after only 2 years in place its continuance is in jeopardy. The loss of funding affects not only the national squads but water polo as a whole particularly the continuation of ASA sponsored events some of which we understand sit within the high performance budget.
The difficulties that our sport faces at every level are well known. For example, water polo players can only train during unsociable hours when the facilities are not needed by the public often in pools unsuitable for our game. In addition, the cost of hiring pools is often prohibitive. Still our community is growing after a period of decline partly due to recent initiatives helped by UK Sport funding. The increasing success of the men’s and women’s water polo leagues is there for all to see. The progress of Mini Polo, Regional Training Centres and the recently established University Polo League are further evidence of a growing
(Taken from the Friends of Water Polo site)
Sign the petition at
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/WaterPolo2012/
Join the facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54651633956#/group.php?gid=43892163929
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
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Hold the Press: Elite Sport is Tough!
Andy Murray's loss this week in the Australian Open served as a timely reminder of just how tough elite sport is.
I mean, that's obvious, right? Surely by definition, to be the best in the World is a fantastically difficult thing to achieve.
But that's on one level.
Getting into the detail, to win a Grand Slam, you have to put together 7 wins, against increasingly tough competition, over a two week period. You then have to deal with the media, recover, practise and get yourself up for your next match in 1-2 days time.
You simply can't afford to drop your level of performance or you will be beaten. Of course, it doesn't mean always being at 100%, but your lowest level of performance has got to be better than your opponent's level in each match. That might, to put an arbitrary number on it, be 95% of your potential.
That's the one thing that Andy Murray seems to be missing. He just can't quite seem to sustain a level of performance in the biggest tournaments - yet - to get through those 7 matches. For we know that he can, on his day, beat anyone on the tour. Compare that to Nadal or Federer, and you have the biggest difference between them.
A couple of seasons back, the difference was physical. The 2009 model Murray is altogether fitter and stronger, and he can compete physically. He also has a great deal of mental toughness, but this, I think, is an area for development that is mental. it is about sustaining the energy levels when you might feel a little flat. About putting a big win or some mistakes behind you, so that you are completely focused on the next performance.
I'm sure Andy will learn to do that.
Imagine, then, what it was like for Michael Phelps, as he went for his 8 golds at last summer's Olympics. A lot of sceptics pointed to the fact that his 8 golds were just different ways of doing the same thing - swimming. I heard people say that if there were more medals for running backwards, for example, then Usain Bolt would also have won more medals. But those arguments fail to understand the intensity of demands that are placed upon an athlete between events. Phelps, who has announced that he will not go for 8 golds in London, said:
"I'll never swim eight events at a major competition again. When you're swimming so many events, all you do is eat, sleep, swim; eat, sleep, swim."
Actually, he's forgotten about the media conferences, and probably other demands. But you get the point. Phelps' challenge was not being fastest in any 8 events, but sustaining the level of performance required to win 8 golds over a period of time, when none of his rivals were doing the same number of events.
It isn't just Phelps and his 8 golds, though his example is at the extreme end of the scale. It is true, to a varying degree, of the boxer who retains their title over a number of years, the golfer that wins a major, the football team that wins the NFL, the baseball team that wins the World Series, or the soccer team that wins the Premier League. All have to sustain a level of performance over a period of time, against opponents that can be better on their day.
Not relying on "on their day" is what being a truly elite athlete is all about.
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Could Jordan compete in the Olympics?
I've just watched a video in which glamour model Jordan (Katie Price) states her ambition to ride (horses) in the Olympics. I know that she's pretty serious about her horse riding, and that she rode at the Horse of the year show, but is she really anywhere near being able to qualify for the Olympics in her chosen event, the dressage?
I've really no idea whether she has any talent for the sport at all. I've only heard the odd report, and she appears to have had some decent results. But that doesn't make her an Olympic hopeful.
It must be quite hard to take for some of the equestrian establishment. Imagine, a Playboy centerfold riding on the same team as the Queen's grandaughter (Zara Phillips).
Whatever you think of Jordan, she doesn't do things in half measures, so this could be an interesting story to follow.
Good luck to her.
Here's the interview with Clare Balding of the BBC
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Prospective 2016 Olympic Hosts Present to the IOC
The four cities, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, bidding to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, presented their bids to the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees in Istanbul Turkey on Friday (source: Gamesbids.com).The language used by the prospective hosts is certainly a sign of the times, with a strong focus on safety, financial responsibility and sustainability key themes:
"Carlos Nuzman, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) spoke on behalf of Rio. He said, "Rio is a passionate city. Its natural beauty, diversity and energy will provide an incredible stage for the Games. The venues will be full and the celebration will flow into the streets. The excitement will be contagious - whether you are at an event or watching on television. And the world will unite to celebrate a shared humanity"."
"Madrid's Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon highlighted the security behind Madrid's bid. He said, "in these times of financial instability throughout the world Madrid offers reliability. He said this economic and institutional reliability has already seen the Madrid bid working with "the support of government, political parties, unions, firms and especially our Royal Family. And above all, the Spanish public of whom 93 per cent have expressed their backing for the Games to be in their capital". "
"Tokyo 2016 outlined its vision to stage the "most compact and sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games ever", with the benefit of "completely robust finances, regardless of the global economic situation"."
"Chicago 2016 Chairman and CEO Patrick G. Ryan said during Chicago's presentation, "the EOC presentation is critical to our bid in terms of communicating our vision for the Games and gaining feedback on our bid plan. As we move into the final months before the Candidature File is due, the insight we capture from leaders of sport is of utmost importance". "
Chicago, understandably, also wheeled out President-elect Barack Obama (on video) who said "the United States would be honoured to have the opportunity to host the Games and serve the Olympic movement. As president elect I see the Olympics and Paralympic Games as an opportunity for our nation to reach out, welcome the world to our shores, and strengthen our friendships across the globe".
The host will be decided in October 2009.
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Does a race get any closer than this?
You know who..Here's the finish from the 100m butterfly in Beijing (Michael Phelps vs Milorad Cavic). That's a horrible finish from the Serb. Threw it away.
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Michael Phelps: The Debate
Today, the world's media reported Michael Phelps as the "Greatest Ever Olympian'. The debate that exploded on message boards all over the web meant that by the evening the words were toned down somewhat, at least in some courts, so that he was simply "statistically, the most successful Olympian" or "the most medalled Olympian".
It's been really odd guaging people's responses to this great achievement. Part awe, part incredulity. To some, he's the greatest athlete to have lived. To others, simply evidence that there are too many medals to be won in swimming.
Some of the arguments, on both sides, have been ridiculous. I've read that if in athletics, they created more ways of running inefficiently over the same distances (referring to the different strokes) the likes of Carl Lewis (a controversial choice anyway) would have won more medals. I've read that the fact that track athletes specialise in one or two events means that swimming is just swimming - there's no real specialism involved.
I've heard that (and a lot of the debate has focused on swiming versus athletics or rowing) because rowers race over 2000m, that it must be harder (surely that's dependent on the intensity over time, not distance).
On the other hand, I've heard that athletes and rowers are soft for not doing more events. That their specialisation is down to their limitations, or perhaps the belief system within their sport.
What is apparent is that Michael Phelps' achievements seem to have devalued the sport of swimming in some people's eyes. He makes it look too easy, therefore everyone else must be rubbish. Someone can't stand out like that unless there's a weakness in the competition, can they?
That's what gets me. Yes, Phelps has more opportunities to win gold than most other athletes at the games. That's partly down to the structure of the sport, with different strokes and distances. But it is also down to the man. He's been blessed with physical attributes that suggest that he was born to swim, but he's also a 365-day-a-year trainer. He's focused his attention on events where the competition is greatest (choosing the 200m freestyle when Thorpe was stil dominant). He's ironed out the weaknesses in his repertoire - such as his breakstroke.
We've seen some remarkable swimming this week. From Kosuke Katijima in the 100m breastroke, to Stephanie Rice in the 400 IM, there have been a number of barrier-breaking swims. I'm not talking about the suits, either, which haven't helped by taking the focus off the quality of the swimming. I think that in part Phelps has helped to raise the bar, not just in his own events, but for all. I think people's beliefs about what is possible have been shifted, in part because of his performances. The fact is that, new suits or not, just when he looks like he must have reached his peak (or his competitors think they are closing the gap), he keeps pushing on.
It's ironic. Before the games I was talking about how swimming has so much depth. It is a sport that is really competitive on a global level. There are no weak finalists. I'm not going to compare apples with pears, and as tempting as it is to suggest that that the eighth placed performer in many events will be way off the pace, that would be unfair and maybe inaccurate.
However, we are in the ironic position that people are suggesting that it is too easy to win medals in swimming. Try telling that to the many swimmers who have come away with national, even continental and world records (or at least have beaten the old mark) and no medal....
So who is the greatest ever Olympian?
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
When home advantage goes bad (or "The curse of expectation")
Du Li, the defending champion in the women's 10m air rifle shooting fled the arena in tears, after only manging 5th place (in an event won by Katerina Emmons of the Czech republic.Li blamed the pressure of competing at home for her failure in the competition saying, "she wasn't fully prepared for the pressure of competing at home". Expectations can be very tough to deal with.
I wonder how many Chinese athletes will be affected like this and, importantly, how many non-Chinese athletes will be free by the lack of expectation in many events?
(On a different note, I read the story this week of how Katerina met her husband Matt Emmons of the US, by consoling him after he missed out on his second gold in Athens - by hitting someone else's target when all he needed to do was make any kind of a hit on his own. D'oh!)
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Discuss this in the Olympic forum, or why not start your own blog by signing up?
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Should the Olympic Team have medal targets?
The UK's Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, has helpfully pointed out in the week before the Olympics, that "it is vital" that Team GB hits its target of 41 medals.But wait a minute, who's target is this? Team GB is selected by the British Olympic Association. I don't believe that the government has any mandate to set targets for them. Certainly the BOA's chef de mission, Simon Clegg, wasn't going to put a number on their target for the games.
UK Sport is the government body responsible for creating high performance in British Sport. They are funded almost exactly 50/50 by the exchequer and the lottery. So, fair enough, they should have targets. They've stated a target of 35 medals. Then again UK Sport don't manage the Olympic Team.
But the problem with putting a target on medals is that, ultimately, no-one can be responsible for hitting it. Neither Simon Clegg nor Liz Nicholl (Uk Sport Director of Performance) can get out on the track and win the medals. Neither can their staff. This isn't like a 'normal' organisation, where the organisation's targets can be cascaded and broken down into smart goals for all employees. Nope, no matter what the rest of the organisation does, on the day it is down to who goes fastest, jumps furthest, scores the most points...
None of the athletes will need any additional motivation to succeed. Those that have the slimmest chance of a medal will be absolutely determined to take whatever chance they get. After all, this is what the last four years has been about. And every one of them will want Team GB to do its absolute best too. No doubt about that. But none of them can control the outcome of their event. They can only control the level of their own performance
So really, Sutcliffe's target is utterly irrelevant, except to himself and his fellow ministers. All it really says is "we know nothing about sport" and "we know even less about motivation". Just like they are killing schools, councils and NHS trusts with targets, given the opportunity they would do the same with elite sport. Pump a load of money in and tie everyone up in targets. What a waste.
Luckily most of the athletes and coaches will be strong enough to treat Sutcliffe's comments with the indifference that they deserve, and if they aren't they'll probably be too busy preparing to notice.
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Dwain Chambers: The Saga Continues
So Dwain Chambers has qualified for the Olympics after winning the British trials in 10.00 (the fastest clean run by a British sprinter in 9 years).Of course, he's not yet selected, and a judge will decide on Wednesday whether he will be selected to run.
Most of the arguments that I've heard against him running have been moral arguments, and I'm all for banning athletes for life that are caught doping. However, the important arguments will be the legal ones. Is his Olympic ban a restraint of trade? Is it unfair (only GB and Norway have this rule)? Should the BOA have the autonomous right to decide the standards that they expect from their athletes?
Dick Pound, the former head of the Word Anti Coping Agency (WADA) certainly thinks Chambers has a case.
I hope that once this is over, that the WADA will look again at lifetime bans, or that the International Olympic Committee make the rules consistent for all nations.
Until either of these happen, I've a lot of sympathy for Chambers. He's served his ban, and until the rules change, should still be allowed to run. But then, the BOA rule was in place when he took drugs. Oh, I don't know. I'm so 'conflicted'.
Which way should the decision go?
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Dwain Chambers vs. the British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association has confirmed that it will appear at the High Court tomorrow, for a Directions Hearing in respect of the case issued against the BOA by the sprinter Dwain Chambers.
Of course, most readers will know that Dwain Chambers served a ban for taking performance enhancing drugs, before returning to competition, and representing Great Britain at the European Championships in 2006 and the World Indoor Championships in 2008, before failing to secure a trial with rugby league side Castleford Tigers.
Chambers is now disputing the BOA's right to ban him for life from Olympic competition, as he has served his ban andhte BOA are the only National body that takes this position.
So what does this mean?
My understanding is that a 'directions hearing' is an informal court appearance to look at the direction that the matter is heading in the courts and to discuss with the parties their options to resolve the matter. The purpose is to discover the position of each party and whether there is any possibility of settling any of the issues. If the matter cannot be settled, it may be set down for mediation or for a trial.
It has been interesting to hear what athletes and other high-profile people in sport have said on the matter. They appear to focus on one point of principle, which is very much a moral one: Should a ban be for life? However, the principles upon which a decision will be made by the court are legal ones; such as whether the BOA can set its own rules and contradict the rule and conventions of international sport.
The case will be interesting. There is a lot less disagreement out there on whether a doping ban should be for life, than there is on the actual merits of Chambers case against the BOA. That is much less easy to call.
This article in the Times provides a good summary of the legal arguments but in my simple view of the world, it boils down to the authority of the WADA code and the need for fair and consistent sanctions versus the automous right of an individual Olympic committee to set out the standards it expects of its athletes in order to make the Olympic team. It is not, however, a question of what is an appropriate length of ban for drug cheats.
Of course, Lord Colin Moynihan, chairman of the BOA, has promised that “money will be no object” when it comes to defending his organisation's position, but I can't help wonder if the time, money and effort would be better spent lobbying WADA for the introduction of a lifetime ban...
At 41, Dara Torres wins US Trials and heads for 5th Olympics
What an incredible story. Dara Torres, a mother of 41, has made her 5th Olympics after winning the 100m freestyle at the US Olympic Trials in Omaha Nebraska. She'll be the oldest female to compete in Olympic swimming, 8 years after being the oldest member of the US team in Sydney!After swimming 53.78, and touching out Natalie Coughlin for gold, Dara will be aiming to add to the haul of 9 Oympic medals, won between 1984 and 2000.
Michael Phelps calls her "Mom", and Dara admits that she finds it harder to recover these days. The solution? She trains less. She's in the pool 5 times per week, and does additional work on core strength and flexibility.
She's been subject to a lot of rumours, that her youthful performances have been pharmacologically enhanced. So much so that she begged the US Doping Agency to test her, as stringently as they could, on an ongoing basis.
Speaking of her victory, the former model said "I don't really think of it as winning or losting. I think of it as making the Olympic Team. A lot of hard work got me here, but I have a lot of great people working with me too. I also have a lot of support from my family"
The following artice from the NY Times is very interesting. Not short, mind:
A Swimmer of a Certain Age
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Chinese Swimmer Banned: Evidence of Anti-Doping Effort or the Tip of the Iceberg?
Just 42 days before the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing, one of China's swimmers, Ouyang Kunpeng, has been banned for life after testing positive for anabolic steroids.
Given that the test was conducted out of competition, in China, this would appear to be a postiive sign that the Chinese authorities are making an anti-doping effort. I myself have wondered whether they would really follow up on their pledge to weed out drugs cheats in the run up to the Games. This test implies that the Chinese Swimming Association, at least, is making an effort. You may recall that Chinese swimming has a poor record, having produced a number of top females in the 1990's only to have four swimmers banned for positive tests, and another (and her coach) banned as they tried to bring human growth hormone into Australia for the 1998 World Championships. Funnily enough, their performance levels fell away again after that.
The athlete himself was not considered a medal contender, despite winning medals at World Student and Asian Games. Perhaps it is me, perhaps the secretive nature of the Chinese authorities, but I still can't help feeling slightly ill at ease. Is this really a "weeding out", an athlete that the Chinese were prepared to sacrifice to look more credible, or just someone that caught caught because they or someone they were working with slipped up?
I know that sounds awfully cynical. I really hope that if the Chinese have a great Olympics, that it's because of hard work and talent. Of course, I hope that's true of everyone that wins Olympic medals this year.......
Will this year's games be the dirtiest Olympics yet?
Rob Robson
iStadia - Networking for Sport & Exercise Community
British Olympic Team Mascot Unveiled - Win a Trip for 2 to Beijing 2008
The British Olympic Team (Team GB) mascot has been unveiled. If you fancy winning an all-expenses paid trip to the Beijing Olympics this summer, give him a name here, or by clicking on the image.
What do you think? I like him. I think I'll call him Arfur (hardly a winner, but I like it). Discuss this mascot and share other mascots in the Olympic Discussion Forum.
Rob Robson
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Is Olympic Sponsorship Worth the Money?
Global corporations such as Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson and Adidas, along with Chinese businesses like China Mobile and Bank of China have paid a total of $850 million to be official sponsors of the Beijing and Turin Olympic Games.With Western economies slowing down, one of the main aims of this spending spree is to gain a foothold among China's middle class (numbering approximately 250 million).
But research by the China Marketing Research Group, reported in Forbes Magazine, has investigated the effectiveness of Olympic sponsorship as a tool for developing brand awareness, brand loyalty and sales. This research suggests that on these measures, Olympic sponsorship may not be justified.
The vast majority of Chinese consumers interviews “did not care” who the official sponsors were, and “did not consider official Olympic sponsorship” when buying. According to the publishers of the research, it is more important for multinationals to reach out to Chinese consumers by fitting “their image of the ideal life” and focusing on longer-term brand image than looking for a quick Olympic fix. Indeed, the research appears to contradict a prevailing belief that Chinese consumers and not brand loyal and would be easily swayed by association with the Olympic Games.
An example of this insight is that consumers, when asked to identify the official sponsor from a number of choices, often plumped for the brand that they considered “best” in the market – using already developed perceptions. Specifically, unless they could recall a specific Olympic ad for Adidas, they tended to believe that Nike (perceived to be the superior brand) was the official sportswear sponsor. Rather than splashing out on offical sponsorship, Nike appear to have gained from their association with Liu Xian, the World and Champion (and World Record Holder) in the 110m hurdles.
Perhaps this will lead to a change in tack over branding in China, and may even influence future decisions to pay huge sums to sponsor the Olympics. But then again, maybe the multinationals are not as naïve and narrowly focused as the publishers of the research imply. Perhaps for many of the Olympic sponsors, there are other strong benefits – for example the potential cost of allowing competitors to have the global platform provided by the games – or even the feelings of pride and prestige that may be experienced not by consumers, but by employees, of the official sponsors.
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Zara Phillips out of the Beijing Olympics
Who? If you are asking this question you may not be British! Zara Phillips (, MBE is the second child and only daughter of HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips), or more accurately her horse Toytown, has been withdrawn from the Beijing Olympics due to injury.
Zara is a World and European Champion (as well as 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year), so it is not only royal watchers who will be disappointed by her withdrawl.
Zara Phillips commented:
“I am very disappointed not to have the opportunity to ride at the Olympic Games and feel that Toytown deserved his chance to go. However, with horses these things happen and we still have a very strong team, I wish them every success.”
Simon Clegg, Team GB 2008 Chef de Mission said:
“This must be a huge disappointment to Zara particularly following the pair’s success over the last few years. Naturally we now need to focus our full support on the rest of the team including Zara’s replacement and give them every opportunity of competing to their full in Hong Kong.”
Will Connell, Team Leader for the Equestrian Team commented:
“The British team are saddened by the news, especially for Zara and her team. We have a strong team of reserves and the team are now focused on trying to win medals.”Source: BOA
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Michael Johnson - Giving Back the Gold Medal
The breaking story this week, that Michael Johnson will give back his 4x400m realy gold medal from the Sydney Olympics because his team-mate (Antonio Pettigrew) admitted to taking drugs, has created a lively debate over on the sportpsy listserve, which is an email-based discussion list - yes, these things still exist ;-)
The initial questions asked were:
If an athlete knows his/her teammate is cheating, do they have the right/responsibility to come forward?
And, as in this case, after the event do athletes in team sports have the right to argue to keep their medals if a teammate is found guilty?
A number of interesting issues were raised including whether:
- - Athletes were actually scorned for coming forward and reporting cheating
- - Officials and others in power had a disincentive to report cheating ("losing their stars"), and consequently whether cheating was brushed under the carpet
- - The risks involved in encouraging greater reporting by athletes, whether it could be abused (naming someone for disingenuous reasons) and whether it could create a witch hunt
- - Or not the guilty parties are punished, and what the effect is if they are not
- - Without the testing procedures to adequately follow up on allegations, will this change anything?
- - It is possible for athletes/teams to police themselves (e.g. kicking a cheat of the team)
- - How effective are youth sports coaches in teaching core values?
Another perspective is that of Seb Coe's which is that Michael Johnson's stance might just help turn the tide in the US, which has been hit particularly hard by recent scandals involving performance-enhancing drugs.
What do you think? Please comment below. Here is a link to the story.
Rob Robson
iStadia - Networking for Sport & Exercise Community
My Olympic Star for 2008: Michael Phelps
Recently on the iStadia.com forum I asked who will be the stars of the 2008 Olympics, and why?I nominated Michael Phelps, the American swimmer, and thought I would expand on my choice in a blog. I'd really like to know who your choice would be.
As many of you will know, Phelps is widely expected to try and equal or better Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals (all of which he also broke a world record in).
My argument is that if Phelps can win 7 golds in Beijng (he's may compete in 8-10 events), it would represent a greater achievement than that of Spitz - even if he doesn't get the world records to match. Training methods and sport science have helped to take the sport to a depth of competitiveness that I've not seen in any other sport. I watch athletics and see the field really strung out over a 400m - approximately 45 seconds worth of running - for example. Don't the controversy over swimsuits distract the argument either - for most of the top swimmers in Beijing will be wearing Speedo's LZR racer costume - and not the other way around.
Yet, Phelps still stands out as a phenomenon. He's like Michael Johnson with versatility. I really didn't think anyone would dominate the pool like Ian Thorpe did for a long time, but Phelps has outshone the 'Thorpedo' and a cynic might argue that his increasing dominance might even have played a part in Thorpe's decision to retire from the sport.
Michael Phelps's record is already incredible. In Athens (2004) he won four golds and two silvers, before winning 7 golds at last year's world championships in Melbourne. That was despite the American's being disqualified in the heats of the medley relay - an event that they probably would have won (Phelps won the individual 100 fly event).
Phelps will be 23 when he competes at this year's Olympic Games. Assuming he competes in London 2012, he may well surpass the achievements of Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina, who has the distinction of winning the most medals in Olympic history. What then.. ...well, perhaps the possibility of competing in a home Olympics in 2016 will keep him going until he's 31...
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Who will host the 2016 Olympic Games?
Although the host city of the 2106 Olympic Games won't be decided until 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark, the competition already appears to be hotting up.Seven cities have confirmed bids, including a very interesting mix. The cities are:
Baku, Azerbaijan
Chicago, USA
Doha, Qatar
Madrid, Spain
Prague, Czech Republic
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tokyo, Japan
Howard Bloom, of Sports Business News, suggested last year that in 2016 it would be the turn of the Americas to host the Olympics, and that it would not be hosted in Brazil as they are hosting the FIFA world cup in 2014. Is that just the view of one man, or that of a US-centric media? Surely if it was such a done deal there would be little point in anyone else bidding? What really are the politics involved?
As refreshing as it is to see Qatar, the Czech Repubic and Azerbaijan bidding, I can't see them being contenders, and maybe it is unrealistic that Europe will be given the games twice in a row. Then, by the same logic, will it be too soon for Japan to have a realistic chance?
So there we go. Back to the Americas. Will the FIFA world cup hosting really have an influence on Brazil's chances? If they do, then we are back to Bloom's prediction: Chicago.
(I wonder, if there is more than a token competition, what the 'hook' will be that the winners use - like London's legacy for youth?)
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