The Olympic Games

Bulldust!!! I'm thinking of starting a compaign to lobby Foxtel to show more 10m Free Standing Air Pistol, Trapshooting, Archery, Synchronised Swimming, Dressage, and Modern Pentathon. We need more of this.

Amend the outdated AAGPS rules! Time to start scholarshipping some of our finest up and coming Modern Pentathletes into the AAGPS system.

Selective Sports High Schools need to look at their Talented Athlete Free Standing Air Pistol, and Archery Programmes.

Coates and Gosper to start talking up participation numbers in these sports. Lookout when Corporate Australia starts pouring their big bucks into endorsements and sponsorship of Greco-Roman Wrestling. Apparently the Packer empire are looking to do a "World Series Fencing" shake up to the noble and fine art of Sabre Fighting. Epee fighters are reportedly most upset.


Roll on Rio and our Men in Gold's tilt at Gold in Rugby 7's. This can NOT come around too soon.

Not me. Rugby isn't the only sport I follow. Whenever there is a telecast, I watch the world championships in a good number of Olympic sports.

You obviously have too much time on your hands!

I don't really watch any other TV than sport, so maybe yes or maybe not

Can't get enough sport!

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/the-hero-too-many-of-us-still-dont-know-20120813-244vg.html
Good article,is worth the effort to read

Thanks for that ILTW, that article gave me goose bumps. Amazing story that I had no idea about.

Back onto measures of success. One I believe that is sub-conscioulsy used is the rise of nations new sporting hero's. It feels like we didn't really have any new stars explode onto the scene out of this games.

Anna Meares and Sally Pearson were both expected to win gold. And no offence to the sailors, but no one will be able to remember their names this time next year. It is just too much of a fringe sport and fairly inaccessible to most. Compare that to 2008 when we were toasting to the success of the goldern swimming girls with Stephanie Rice at the front of the pack, plus the wins of Steve Hooker and Mathew Mitcham. Despite being individuals, their stories of success are woven into the fabric that is the perception of how we truly performed at an olympic games.

How (we) truly performed at the Olympics?

Can I qoute Valarie Adams, the Darkness shot-putter. After the competition, due to a drug cheat being found out, she was awarded the Gold. This is a true reflection of who was the best shot putter on the day. The record will now reflect that, but who's national anthem was played in front of 80000 live spectators, and several hundred bazillions watching on TV.

I reckon Valerie will be granted a civic ceremony of about 18 people to witness the formal presentation of her legitimate Gold Medal. This will reflect her true performance. Is it the same as the (on the day) recognized performance (pre-drug test results)?

Neither do I, but I can still only find time for one or two rugby games a week, plus maybe a little golf on the side. Don't even seem to be able to catch up with the Rugby Club each week (no great loss there though).

But I guess that is pretty normal for running a business and having a 3 year old and 4 month old.

Well said. Are you serious OP? A team full of Manous? Honestly. 17 National Champs in this country with average athletes isn't as brilliant as you seem to think. Your stats are ridiculous too. "3rd in the world once". In a junior championships relay in the early 90s! Yes, let's select her for an individual event on the basis of that. Seriously.

And yes, Ian Thorpe's relay medals are well below his individual ones. That's why Jenny Thompson (8 gold medals in swimming, all in relays) is never going to be considered the greatest female swimmer of all time.

She is one of only 5 Australian female track world champions.

But no doubt you've got dozens of these champioship medals stashed away in some backroom. Seriously.