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  • Originally posted by Omaha 680 View Post
    This is what I was getting at. The options available to top athletes combined with the expense of pursuing winter olympic sports in the U.S. pushes our top athletic talent to non-olympic sports most of the time.
    This might explain why the us does so well at the less expensive summer events such as table tennis and badminton, which are not only inexpensive but seem to be dominated by gangly people that weigh around 110 pounds.
    Fitter. Happier. More Productive.

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    • Originally posted by Topper View Post
      And with the billion or so dollars doled out to the USOC we should make it easier for kids who want that. It's not as if kids in Germany don't have other options. Most grow up wanting to be soccer stars.
      Doled out?

      The only government funds directed toward the USOC since it came into its current existence under the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 came in the form of a $10 million appropriation from Congress in 1981 to stave off bankruptcy after the United States boycotted the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow, and as much as $40 million in 2008 for Paralympic support for disabled veterans of the U.S. armed forces through 2012.
      http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...011304258.html

      Old article, but my understanding is this hasn't changed.

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      • Originally posted by TripletDaddy View Post
        This might explain why the us does so well at the less expensive summer events such as table tennis and badminton, which are not only inexpensive but seem to be dominated by gangly people that weigh around 110 pounds.
        Some countries just good at certain sports. It's probably a combination of genetics and cultural importance of the specific sports. Kenyans and Ethiopians dominate distance running. Jamaicans disproportionately rule the sprints. China seems to have conquered the backyard bbq raquet sports.

        Edit: I will add that to a country like China, it's all about the overall medal count. They don't care if it is in synchronized aquatic horse ballet or the marquee events. They want to pad their overall count to demonstrate dominance. Therefore they have no problem sinking government money into raquet sports and every other odd niche event to identify talent and train them to win. The US will never do that. The interest isn't there for high level competition in most of those sports and the government wouldn't fund the training programs.
        Last edited by Omaha 680; 02-12-2014, 07:32 AM.

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        • Originally posted by Omaha 680 View Post
          Some countries just good at certain sports. It's probably a combination of genetics and cultural importance of the specific sports. Kenyans and Ethiopians dominate distance running. Jamaicans disproportionately rule the sprints. China seems to have conquered the backyard bbq raquet sports.
          and any sport you can dominate using East German scientists.
          "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein."

          Upon rejecting the Beatles, Dick Rowe told Brian Epstein of the January 1, 1962 audition for Decca, which signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes instead.

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          • Shani Davis just bombed out in his specialty, the 1000 m. , eighth place. So Bode finished eighth, Mancuso did, Shani finished eighth, and S. White finished fourth. Yikes. It appears the US will be completely skunked in the long track speedskating. I don't believe that has happened in my lifetime. Heather Richardson in the 1000 will be the last refuge of the US in speedskating.
            "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein."

            Upon rejecting the Beatles, Dick Rowe told Brian Epstein of the January 1, 1962 audition for Decca, which signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes instead.

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            • Originally posted by Topper View Post
              and the losses continue to mount. In the US Canada hockey match, Canada won 3 to 2.
              Are you on a mission to spoil every event for us?
              "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
              "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
              "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

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              • Originally posted by Topper View Post
                and the losses continue to mount. In the US Canada hockey match, Canada won 3 to 2.
                They both advance. No big deal.

                Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
                *Banned*

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                • Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                  Are you on a mission to spoil every event for us?
                  Seriously. Looks like this thread is off limits to me until I watch what I want to see every evening.

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                  • Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                    Are you on a mission to spoil every event for us?
                    This is a no spoilers thread?
                    "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein."

                    Upon rejecting the Beatles, Dick Rowe told Brian Epstein of the January 1, 1962 audition for Decca, which signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes instead.

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                    • Originally posted by TripletDaddy View Post
                      I was thinking something similar last night while watching women's biathlon. Apparently the biathlon is the only winter Olympic event in which the us has never won a medal, or so they said on TV. The biathlon consists of two things... Skiing and shooting a gun. America can't find people who can ski and shoot guns???

                      i can somewhat understand our lack of success in luge. Despite our population base, we lack the facilities across the country for kids to train and be exposed early on. In Germany, someone would have to travel far less and for much cheaper to access a track for training.

                      but biathlon??? And skiing in general? I don't understand why we aren't better at these sports.
                      There is a world class biathlon course up at West Yellowstone, the course is skiable six months out of the year, the problem is the number of kids to draw from within a fifty mile radius is very small and out of that pool if you put gave them the option of a snowboard or x-country skis they will choose the board 99% of the time. The number of skiiers is growing, our course in town is seeing more and more action and a small hardcore group is starting to develop. One day one of these parents will have a child who is gifted physically and will follow there parents into the sport but it may take another generation for this to happen. Alaska is starting to produce more and more skiiers and there has always been a small hardcore group up in the northeast. Someday we may get there but we have a long way to go to catch the Norwegians.

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                      • Originally posted by Topper View Post
                        and any sport you can dominate using East German scientists.
                        too bad adequate crop cultivation and basic supply chain economics aren't sports
                        Te Occidere Possunt Sed Te Edere Non Possunt Nefas Est.

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                        • Originally posted by Topper View Post
                          It appears the US will be completely skunked in the long track speedskating. I don't believe that has happened in my lifetime. Heather Richardson in the 1000 will be the last refuge of the US in speedskating.
                          Consulted wikipedia and we were last skunked in 1984. Speaking of speed skating, does anyone else think it is weird that the 500 m competition is the total time from two 500 m races? That seems really odd to me. It's the 500 m champion, not the 500 m + 500 m champion. If they did that in track for the 400 m everyone would say it was ridiculous.

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                          • Originally posted by Omaha 680 View Post
                            Consulted wikipedia and we were last skunked in 1984. Speaking of speed skating, does anyone else think it is weird that the 500 m competition is the total time from two 500 m races? That seems really odd to me. It's the 500 m champion, not the 500 m + 500 m champion. If they did that in track for the 400 m everyone would say it was ridiculous.
                            That changed some time in the nineties or early 21st century. It has been that way for a while in World Cup races but only recently for the Olympics. Dan Jansen didn't race two 500m races to win his eventual gold in Albertville I believe it was.

                            Richardson is a favorite in the 1000 so we may avoid that ignominy but so was Davis. We held our trials close to the Olympics at the fast track in Kearns. The Sochi track is very slow.
                            Last edited by Topper; 02-12-2014, 08:21 AM.
                            "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein."

                            Upon rejecting the Beatles, Dick Rowe told Brian Epstein of the January 1, 1962 audition for Decca, which signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes instead.

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by Topper View Post
                              That changed some time in the nineties or early 21st century. It has been that way for a while in World Cup races but only recently for the Olympics. Dan Jansen didn't race two 500m races to win his eventual gold in Albertville I believe it was.

                              Richardson is a favorite in the 1000 so we may avoid that ignominy but so was Davis. We held our trials close to the Olympics at the fast track in Kearns. The Sochi track is very slow.
                              Everything seems to be slow in Sochi. It was frustrating to see no American win a half pipe medal but that was a complete crap shoot yesterday. The pipe was in horrible shape and it was almost pure luck to avoid the soft spots.

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                              • Originally posted by Omaha 680 View Post
                                Everything seems to be slow in Sochi. It was frustrating to see no American win a half pipe medal but that was a complete crap shoot yesterday. The pipe was in horrible shape and it was almost pure luck to avoid the soft spots.
                                The IOC forgot to include "is this site capable of holding quality winter athletic competition?" in the selection criteria. There are so many great places to hold the winter olympics. Why take chances on a place like this?

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