Leading article: Britain is lagging behind the field
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
After the astonishing success of Britain's athletes in the Beijing Olympics, an awkward question hangs in the air: how on earth do we follow that? What can we do to ensure that our national haul of 47 medals (19 of them gold) is not a merely a glorious one-off, but is consolidated in four years when the games come to London.
Gordon Brown has rustled up an answer of sorts. The Prime Minister wants a push for more "competitive" sport in schools and to end what he calls the "medals-for-all" culture. Such a glib proposal highlights the danger that our politicians are drawing all the wrong lessons from Beijing.
Great Britain's success in the recent games was built, first of all, on the natural talent, hard work, and brilliance of our athletes. Financial investment played a big part too. The injection of £265m in lottery funding to support our athletes and to employ some of the world's top coaches was crucial in allowing our sportsmen and women to give their best in Beijing. But what our success was not built on was a healthy national sporting culture in which everyone has the opportunity to take part.
In fairness, Mr Brown is not entirely wrong. An intensive focus on elite sporting prospects is sensible. There should be more screening to identify exceptional young talent and get them the best coaching early. But what Britain needs still more is a greater investment in basic community sporting facilities, accessible to all. As Arsene Wenger, the astute manager of Arsenal football club, remarked in an interview with this newspaper at the weekend, the basic sporting infrastructure in Britain is simply abysmal. We have fewer full-size swimming pools, recreation pitches, tennis courts and community sports centres than many other developed countries. Travel around the United States or western Europe and you will see how sporting grounds can be a focal point for community life. Britain has little to compare.
It is all very well for Mr Brown and his ministers to demand that all children be required to participate in at least five hours of sport a week. But where, exactly, are they supposed to do all this sport? Mr Brown can talk all he likes about Britain going "full-throttle for gold", but while his Government continues to preside over the selling off of school playing fields, this is merely hot air.
Britain did exceptionally well at the Beijing Games. And the success of our athletes should provide a fantastic springboard for the 2012 London Olympics. But let us not pretend that the medal tally in Beijing is evidence of the superiority of our grass-roots sporting infrastructure. The hard truth is that, in that particular race, our peers remain ahead by an embarrassing distance.
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Copyright 2008 Independent News and Media Limited
It's curious that nobody commented on the fact that the EU nations, together, clocked up 88 Gold medals (or was it 87). That is so impressive. We have put the rest of the world into our pockets. China, with 1.3 billion people, only managed 51 (or was it 55) and the US something like 32 Gold medals.
So we have even more to hold our heads up high. Added to our impressive 19 Gold, 13, Silver and 15 Bronze, we've got the results of all other 26 members of the EU. That, of course, does not count European countries outside the EU such as Norway, Switzerland, Georgia and others.
We ought to smile that while our personal best has been outstanding, we also form part of - or, rather, are in the vanguard of - a group of 27 proud nations almost all of which have made a contribution, however modest. In fact, at the last count all but two members made a valuable contribution to the Union's position in the Beijing Olimpiad 2008. Well done GB and well done the wider club!
Posted by Astrid | 27.08.08, 19:01 GMT
if winning medals was all about money and posh sporting infrastruture ...then the Jamaicans and the ethiopians and for that matter even the chinese would not have been world class...surely it is more than all that....
Posted by sree | 27.08.08, 17:59 GMT
Whats going to happen over the next four years?
Well one of the swimming pools where Rebecca Adlington trained, the Victoria Baths in Nottingham is trying to fight closure by Nottingham City Council.
The Holme Pierrepont Water Sports Centre, also near Nottingham, where canoist Tim Brabant trained, is about to lose it's national funding.
Posted by Richard Edwards | 27.08.08, 15:56 GMT
Little town - Penarth in S Wales.relatively up market
2 local secondary schools not really interested in sport. "Academic results are important". Part of 1 good field likely to be sold off.
Rugby club attracts 300 youngsters every Sunday - Cricket section similar. Facilities rubbish. Changing rooms 2nd World War shelters converted.
When it becomes the habit to go to DECENT facilities - the crowd will follow.
Oh - and I used to row & sail too - we were penniless !
Posted by Dave Penarth | 27.08.08, 13:46 GMT
The first Golden Rule for success is "Believe in yourself".
This follows that you must also respect yourself, your peers, your countymen, your country, etc. Enough whingeing from all! Indeed, Britain did a lot better than expected in the Olympics. Let the torch keep on flickering until 2012 and beyond. WE CAN DO IT! WE WILL DO IT! Enough self-mockery - JUST BELIEVE IN US AND IN OUR STRONG GENES!
Posted by Astrid | 27.08.08, 11:54 GMT
John Mulholland is 'outraged' that money will be going to rowers as 'these people have money already'.
This will be news to most rowers and rowing clubs. My club only managed to move out of its tumbledown premises thanks to help from the lottery. The coaches are all unpaid volunteers and we charge only £90 per year for juniors (from all backgrounds - a specific requirement of lottery funding). Until they were funded, many international rowers used to sleep on friends' floors (really) so that they could afford to eat and train.
Unfortunately, the boat race gives an entirely misleading impression of rowing in this country. The 600 rowing clubs in this country are largely run on a shoestring and the people involved come from all backgrounds - not rich ones.
Much of the money for international rowing comes from private sponsors (Camelot, Siemens and the private donation of a GB facility in Caversham). The rest is largely from the lottery (you don't have to buy a ticket).
Posted by PJ | 27.08.08, 11:11 GMT
The government have already said that sports funding will be targetted at medal winning oppurtunities.
It outrages me that my money will be going to the equestrian team, to the rowers, and to and saillors.
Lets be honest with ourselves here; these people have money already. How else do you learn to sail a boat or ride a horse from a young age.
With few exceptions we didnt excel at 'sport' at this Olympics. We mostly excelled at a events that no one else but the blood-bloods can afford to amuse their children with. Be it in this country or the rest of the world.
Meanwhle the athletic facilities available to my local school and wider community would shame a developing world county.
Posted by John Mulholland | 27.08.08, 10:18 GMT
Since many school playing fields were sold off for housing a few years ago...are we now going to demolish the houses and replant the grass?
Sadly, leaving it with only 4 years to go will not yield many medals in London - it is too late and too little. We need to take what we have in terms of talent and build on that. Hopefully, other sports will learn from track cycling that there is a formula to success, if you put the right funding and structure in place.
I am not sure if we can top 2008 in terms of medals as we seem to be non competitive in so many of the less high profile sports, which is where China targetted and excelled.
Posted by Kev Rymell | 27.08.08, 08:28 GMT