Funny how things change. Wasn’t BC held up to be the paradigm for the way sports should be run not so long ago. Now people seem to be lining up to give it a good kicking.

dragon – Member

The medal table at the end of the Olympics doesn’t list the number of 5ths.

Sure, but your future winners come from your current 5ths, or 10ths. Very few athletes can expect medals, many more have a shot at them and anyone who can place 5th is a medal contender, in most sports.

Most athletes competing at the top level fall below this standard; if they didn’t, every event would be a single final with 5 people in it.

“The describing of women in sport as “girls” is widespread: watch an athletics event and even the women presenters like Denise Lewis will use “girls” rather than “women”, e.g. “The girls are lined up for the Women’s 100m final”. Sharon Davies does it for the swimming events as well. I wouldn’t say I’m completely PC but it jars even with me. You’ll also hear “the girls/boys did well out there” which suggests that it’s partly an age thing with older presenters/commentators talking about athletes who are somewhat younger than them.”

You’re missing the point somewhat, which is all about context (see the ‘nigga’ thing in rap music for more clarity). There isn’t necessarily a problem with using particular words/terminology, if within a framework of consensual acceptability. There is a problem if their use falls outside of that framework, which it may well do in Sutton’s case.

“The describing of women in sport as “girls” is widespread:”
yes generally it is used the same as boys as a term of affection.
“Our boys over seas”
For a female presenter to use the term as described above is not off the mark, its ok Denis Lewis to describe her peers as girls, isn’t it? (genuinely asking)
But for a manager to describe a employee (which is pretty much the BC relationship) us whhhhhhhhhhy off.

I’m sure Sutton can and will get good results but he needs a handler.
And I bet his phone is ringing today.

I was trying to avoid this but what good international results did Copnall have?

We don’t know what BCs funding KPI’s are, if it is £x per y% of medals, then the’d naturally avoid people racing who were going to drag down their funding criteria.

BC from the outset have always been very clear it is our way or nothing, it is highly successful, but will cast people by the way side. It isn’t about being nice, it is highly success driven. As I mentioned Dan Martin is an example of someone who didn’t want to fit in, and has become successful his own way and by moving his allegiance to Ireland.

mikewsmith I do agree, but this isn’t a privately funded chap we are talking about. We are discussing BC and the Olympics and they get their funding from results alone and as such do everything to maximise it. Is that wrong, possibly, but that is the requirement BC and the other federations are given for getting their Olympic funding. If they had been less successful in the past, then I doubt Jess would have got the chances she has had to date.

Sure, but your future winners come from your current 5ths, or 10ths.

Of course, but the coaching staff need to believe you can progress to medal status. If you are aged 33 and just got 8th, realistically you are unlikely to improve, a 21 year old with the right attitude, however, that is a different story.

There is of course politics involved, for the UK not to put someone in say the road race or 100m athletics is embarrassing, so I suspect they will take someone regardless of results. But in say table tennis then unless you are medal hope forget it.

be nice if BC managed to publish something like this…
Oz Cycling Criteria

A friend of mine is currently chasing XCO for the olympics via being from the Cook Islands, if somebody is willing to fund themselves and makes the criteria then they should be on the team.

The Americans run a very simple Olymlic selection system, they have a trial.

They’ve only won something like 5 medals on the track since the LA games in 1984 whereas GB winning “only” 5 medals in Rio will be considered a failure now (realistically they’ll be doing extremely well to win 5)

I think it’s a bit poor that the only success criteria is medals at the Olympics.

What’s wrong with being the best in GB and a spirited 5th in the World? I’d be quite pleased with myself for that.

Being forced to watch it at home because someone thinks you won’t get at least a bronze is missing the whole point of competitive sport.

The funding model is largely to blame for that. UKSport don’t take into account being the best in GB or even being 5th in the world, the thing that matters to them is Olympic medals (and to a lesser extent Olympic finals) and if they do not qualify for the start line in the Olympics then the funding will be at serious risk of being withdrawn – it is harsh and a long way off the ‘Olympic ideal’ but it’s also the reality of elite sport and the performance programme is not run as a charity. It is also what the athletes sign up to in their contracts.

And of course, if you are running 5th, if 2 riders ahead of you fall/get disqualified/get lost you are suddenly in the ‘paying’ positions.

It’s stupid and short-sighted.

the above is slightly wrong IMO…
the thing that matters to them the British Media & therefore the British Public is Olympic medals (and to a lesser extent Olympic finals)

Not really, it was held up as an example of how to organise yourselfs to win at sports and to maximize your return (medals) on investment (cash).

the thing that matters to them the British Media & therefore the British Public is Olympic medals

Yeah, because Eddie Edwards is only regarded to this day because of his medals haul in Calgary 88.

ScottChegg ok self-funded heroic amateurs aside (for a posh winter sport) how much coverage does Rachel Atherton get?

DaRC_L – Member
ScottChegg ok self-funded heroic amateurs aside (for a posh winter sport) how much coverage does Rachel Atherton get?

Is a good point and maybe just maybe this may open up a wider dialogue for all lottery funded sports about whether this focus on medals every 4 years is healthy.

I doubt it will though, the media don’t have a lot of stamina when it comes to such things. there will be another story along in a few days.

It’s just been on Radio4, with BC refusing a comment.

how much coverage does Rachel Atherton get?

For the Olympics? None, I’d say.

Yet Shanaze Read got lots for the BMX, but I don’t recall her getting a medal.

Having checked; it was, serendipitiously, 5th.

Who knew?

Rachel Atherton doesn’t compete in an Olympic sport. Still she has featured on a BBC programme and the BBC Sport website.

Sutton has resigned

In light of his Para’s comments, there was never a chance he was coming back.

Well that’s the end of that then. . . . . . . .

Shame, something good might have come of it.

Well that got rid of him then, mission accomplished, roll on Rio.

It’s tough at the top, few get to experience this but for those that do I take my hat off to them, all things considered and not wanting to drag up the Sexist or Disabled discrimination, how long has she been under his wing and were these problems not highlighted before?

TBH, i reckon he’ll have been told to. 3 months to the Olympics, they need someone else in place sharpish.

Wonder what his pension will look like now.

Can we run a sweepstake on who’s up for the job or would that be against someone’s moral ethics?

Just Asking……..

HOY

Wonder how long it will be before he gets a job at team sky ?

how long has she been under his wing and were these problems not highlighted before?

The usual reason discrimination goes on, everyone kept quiet or they would be out.

[edit]

with a full pension!…

with a full pension!…

I’d bet his pension will be defined contribution, ie he/BC pay into it. As such he keeps that. Totally normal.

Discrimination, who knows ? Varnish keeps quiet as she’s in the team and getting the money. She gets dropped she goes public. Not passing any judgemnet about that but its not uncommon. Have seen it done.

I thought exactly the same but ScottCheg cleared that one up. I couldn’t possibly comment though as I wasn’t there at the time of the alleged Offence, but if it was ” the usual way” it shouldn’t be too hard to get to the bottom of, just copy the usual enquiry and get the same old result.

Simple.

xyeti – Member
Can we run a sweepstake on who’s up for the job or would that be against someone’s moral ethics?

Just Asking……..

HOY

Would it surprise to know that Chris made the jump to car racing and is competing in Le Mans 2016 alongside Andrea Pizzitola and Michael Munemann in a Ligier JS P2-Nissan?

I sometimes saw the surname Hoy mentioned in recent years, but had no idea it was him until just recently!

No surprise at all, he’s on a Nissan advert doing it.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAae68_OMmc[/video]

Yep no surprise to me neither as its been advertised enough and they even did a mini documentary on it, some time around ,,Xmas or even earlier, looks like it surprised you though.

Keep up.

He had no choice really

Certainly wouldn’t want to hang about for an inquiry.

Yep, with accusations like that…….. Sticks like shit to a cat, Meeeeaaawwwwww !

Interesting comment from Steve Peat on FB

Spot on, couldn’t happen to a nicer bloke!!

Great input from Steve Peat!

jambalaya – Member
Discrimination, who knows ? Varnish keeps quiet as she’s in the team and getting the money. She gets dropped she goes public. Not passing any judgemnet about that but its not uncommon. Have seen it done.

Yeah… But really you are “passing judgement” there aren’t you… Otherwise what are you implying then?

Of course another way to look at it is that Sutton has left before an investigation was able to get into the detail of the claims made against him, I’m not saying he is a bigot and a bully, just making an observation 😉

They’re still gonna have an inquiry, and he’ll have to take part from the way I read the news story.

He said he wanted to get out quick to avoid distractions in the build up to the Olympics. Another view would be that he knew he was a goner so why drag it out?