Yes and also the Chinese have a hard work ethic as well.

As people have said on here, the sheer weight of numbers and population, combined with the huge state support, guarantees that in a lot of sports China are going to put world class players out.

It's just like the Aussies in rugby league compared to us. To get to the level where they are 'noticed' by national selectors in those countries you have to have been the best of the best of so many layers of district competition.

But also the same goes for the USA as China. It's exactly the same situation, large participant population and government support.

Then why are we behind france? Smallish pop, don't give a about sports, always drunk or ing?

I’ve got a massive issue with the horse event thing. When looking through the history books at previous Grand National winners, it’s full of the names of horses. If you ask anyone who won the National they’ll name you a horse not the rider. Why is this different?

Everyone doe-eyed over Zara; I won’t let it, but it nearly ruined the whole Olympic thing for me.

Every sport I’ve watched so far, and really enjoyed today, canoeing, rowing, cycling, shooting, basically any sport that requires the use of some piece equipment is still a level playing field.

Every other sport strives to keep this level playing field. There are strict rules on said equipment, which means that the winner does so on merit. If you take drugs that enable you to go through the pain barrier, and continue training through the sweat and tears for ten hours a day in the pouring rain when people like me are pontificating, you are rightfully banned.

But! If you get the best two horses in the world to fornicate, then purchase the resulting offspring for mega money that is way beyond the reach of the majority of your fellow competitors, that’s ok! Is it?

Inspire a generation, my !

Daughter: Daddy can I ride a horse in the Olympics?

Dad: No, even if you were the best rider in the world, the only horse I could afford would probably die trotting across our garden and be turned into glue, sorry darling.

Son: What about me dad?

Dad: Yeh you can be in the Olympics, get on your bike and go shoot some canoeists.

While there can be little argument that equestrianism is generally practised by wealthy people, the same could be said of loads of these Olympic disciplines - shooting, sailing, rowing, fencing and archery in particular.
The thing that makes the equestrian events of interest is that it appears to be the only part of the Games where men and women compete together. It seems to me that this could easily be extended to other events where physiological differences are not relevant - archery, shooting, even diving could have men and women competing against each other.

No. It proves that few British wendyballers are anywhere near as dedicated to perfecting their 'skills' as are our Olympians.

We're only just behind France, and they have a bigger population than us too. My points more apply to China and the USA, who are (every games) miles out in front in the medals.

I notice one of the GB men's sprint team has been in England about as long as Rangi Chase has. I can't see the national outrage with his selection. Mind you this guy obviously brought the "win at any costs" attitude with him with his fall due to "mechcanical fault" to get a re-start after his first poor start, borderline cheating at the very least.

At least Hindes is actually a Dual National via his British father - Chase has no British nationality at all, other than living here for a few years.

For once mr Youane and I singing from the same hymn-sheet.
Not the very least, btw, he admitted to cheating. Should be stripped of the medals.

It seems a bit of a grey area - my impression from interviews about it is it is fairly common and almost expected in the cycling profession. Doesn't make it right, obviously, but from the way he was veering about he might have crashed a bit further round anyway. His mistake was admitting it was on purpose, and even then it may have been a misunderstanding as his English wasn't perfect - when the BBC reporter said "so you were trying to pull a fast one?" he said "yes" but then went on to talk about how he wanted a fast time.

The whole thing about 'nationality' is a mess for many sports.

Generally for me your nationailty and the country you represent should be defined as the country in which you were born - end of, not your mothers or fathers nationaility, or which country you were brought up in (although I concede at a push this could ok).

For sports with not so many national teams eg ours, then this latter point gives a little bit more flexibility, but Rangi a Brit? No.

Being born somewhere means absolutely nothing. The time spent in the hospital you're born in is just a day or two in your whole life. You may leave that place a week later and never go back.

Mo Farah was born in Mogadishu in Somalia but that was the whole time he ever spent there. He spent eight years in Djibouti and then the rest of his life in London. He probably feels about as Somalian as me or you.

Bradley Wiggins was born in Belgium and lived there for two years. He's not Belgian, at all.

what makes me chuckle is when certain players and there is a few to use as an e.g..like pat richards -irish,really henry paul played league for new zealand and union for england same with shontane happy(or however you spell is name)cudicini in footy being touted as goaly for england and that great englishman rangi chase..no doubt theres more but we`d be here all night

Told you all before

When you first sign your papers as an athlete/rugby player/footballer etc, there should be a box you tick as a chosen nationality.....AND IT NEVER CHANGES

I've enjoyed it been very good even the wife is taking abit of notice of it,little lad can't wait for Mr Bolt to his business.

How is blowing Pea-shooter an Olyimpic sport for gods sake ????
What next Marbles,jacks,Conkers??

I've just read this whole thread and am laughing again at the good old rugby league chip on their shoulder attitude of a few. Moans about "England's wendyballers" in a thread about the Olympics?



Anyway, I'm off to the football quarter final today at Old Trafford and absolutely cannot wait for the athletics next Friday. If you like sport and can't enjoy the Olympics without whinging about something you really are one bad misery.

The rest of British sport needs to follow the example of the cycling team; they promise and then deliver.

I have a bit of a crush on Victoria Pendleton as well, what a woman!

Natt Cook, Aus beach volley ball player " the sport is easy to understand - keep sand out of pants"

Well you didn't read it very well then. [iI[/i love the Olympics ( got tickets for three events plus one Para event ) but the remark about 'England's wendyballers' was in response to a poster asserting that there was no skill in most Olympic sports.

yeah but as has been displayed elsewhere, he's primarily a football fan, a snobbish one at that.

Haven't you picked up that we're all beneath him.

Considering the problems that most people had when trying to get tickets for key events (via the "fair" ballot system), isnt it somewhat strange that most of the royal family and a number of politicians appear to have been successful?

Then again, I dont suppose any of the above would have managed to a get a ticket for the main event on the 25th August.

my daughters birthday?

You're right, of course, and we should know our place. Still, been intriguing to hear long-term wendyball commentator Alan Green on Radio 5 effectively throw off his media shackles and admit how refreshing it is to interview [ireal [/isportsmen and women, full in the joy of their hard-won triumphs, at the Olympics, compared to the deluded saddos who constitute the soccer playing profession.