posted Dec 14, 2006

I think the performance directors of cycling, sailing and rowing - GB's most consistent and prolific medallists in the last two Olympics (and at world level since)would be delighted at their exclusion in the penultimate para! Nice work Mike B!

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posted Dec 14, 2006

Sorry, but isn't this a little anglocentric? It has been a bad year for certain aspects of British sport. But from a Scottish perspective, we've seen a great improvement. Our football team is re-surgent - we beat the wold-cup finalists, France, and are equal top of a qualifying group that includes the World Champions Italy and world cup quarter finalists, Ukraine. Our rugby team had its best ever six nations finish of 3rd, the best performance since 1999 when we won the last ever 5 nations. It was, i think, Scotland's best ever Commonwealth games performance - and in swimming, as you mention, we have seen some remarkable upcoming talents. Not to mention Andy Murray, at 19 in the tennis top twenty, and the only man other than Nadal to beat Federer this year. Doesn't seem so bad to me...

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posted Dec 14, 2006

Crikey that's a set of teeth!

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posted Dec 14, 2006

Mike, can you print a full list of winners (as sportscoachUK haven't)? I'm interested in which sports got the Mussabini medals this year. These are the real unsung heroes but their day in the sun has been blocked out but the shadows of Woodward's comments on cricket and Caborn's on drugs and funding...

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posted Dec 14, 2006

Great to see John Griffiths getting some recognition, the GB Womens team were world champions last year (silver this year I think) and his influence is immense.

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posted Dec 14, 2006

I disagree entirely with this analysis! Whilst there are quite clearly a number of very skilled and motivated athletes and coaches in England and UK as a whole, it doesn't detract from the fact that these successes are exceptions rather than the rule.

Look at the example set by the FA, it allows ex-footballers to just take over the managers job without having done the necessary training.

This is un-thinkable in Germany (where I live these days), all coaches (and most certainly of professionals) have to have qualifications (whatever sport)

This is the problem in the UK, sport isn't well structured and the result is talent isn't spotted and should someone despite the system come through the ranks (my school sport was awful, no formal training at all!!) they've got one hell of a job to get proper training or financial help.

When growing up in Germany you get training in a Verein (local non-profit sports clubs) and even as a child get taught to play football properly, not like I was at school in England just told to get on with it!

From a country with 60 Mill people the Brits don't make that much of a dent on world sport, it's only because of the sheer determination and bloody mindedness of a small group of parents athletes and coaches that any Brit makes it to the top or around about of his/her sport.

Just look at the desaster that's Wembley Stadium, just as well the UK didn't get to stage 2006 World Cup, it'd have to have been posponed untill next summer!

The government would rather waste £20 Bill on a so-called neuclear deterrant than invest in UK sport, you've got to wonder why????

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posted Dec 14, 2006

What about triathlon? Tim Don won the elite World Championship, Will Clarke the under-23 and Alistair Brownlee the junior.

http://www.triathlon.org/?call=TVRrdw==&pgNm=1&keep=sh&all=1

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