GB Track Team

[JimmyFingers]

I do wonder how long the UK are going to keep throwing money at Brailsford. With British winners of the TdF, Giro and Tour stages, the WC and the Olympic ITT, he has achieved a lot of his goals on the road. On the track, his team have absolutely dominated too. Now that so much of what he is doing is going to be maintaining success rather than breaking new ground, the temptation to throw money at him will decrease - I think Brailsford is going to have to start delivering value for money . It will be interesting to see if he is quite so good without a monster budget.

I don't think he'll lose his monster budget anytime soon. Track cycling was identified as long as ago as 1996 as a major potential source of medals for GB, and the last 2 Olympics are the fruit of those efforts and that monster budget. There is also strength in depth, the Olympics only showcasing the top tier of the programme. The BOA are not going to want to give up one of their primary sources if medals lightly, if anything he may get more.

I I thought that the other teams might catch up after Beijing, which was the true revelation not this games, but it seems we are still one or two steps ahead of everyone, like for example the 'hot-pants' we used this year (but not magic wheels that the French accused us of having).

 

[JimmyFingers]

A bit different from leading Uran up the Galibier

But no less important as they wanted the red jersey for Cav. Bottom line he was still doing a job and not being simply being paid to train.

That team was built around Cav and winning stages, and Uran and Haneo were a couple of climbing/GC wildcards. I imagine it was a trade off for a having a team that virtually ignored Cav in the Tour

 

[JimmyFingers]

Some comparisons. (2011/2012 data from the UK sport annual report)
thousands of pounds
Cycling Athletes 869
Cycling federation 4096

Rowing Athletes 1432
Rowing federation 3373

Athletics Athletes 1501
Athletics federation 2226 (down heavily from 2010-11)

Boxing Athletes 513
Boxing Federation 1035

Swimming Athletes 1717
Swimming Federation 5341

Definitely looks like we're over-paying for swimming then....

[edit] actually that is telling: more money is spent on swimming yet we get 3 medals and no gold, yet cycling gives us more for less. That tells me that other countries are spending the same or more or their swimming programmes (I imagine that budget is dwarfed by the Amercian one for example) but spending significantly less on their track cycling. The US riders were bemoaning a lack of resources after their silver, which surprised me coming from them. less surprised by the NZ coach, they would never be likely to have a big budget

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Swimming has 3 medals (done)

I thought their swimming program under performed greatly. A silver and two bronzes in an anglo dominated sport is not a great success by any measure.

You have to also wonder what the Chinese are throwing into some of their sporting programs.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Looks like it by simple medal count

There were a whole lot of swimmers into finals, but not into the top 3.

I think swimming will probably only get cut back a little, but its certainly going to have to get more medals in 2016 in order to avoid a harsh chop.

(edit)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19133445
the BBC perspective.

I forgot the open water swims are yet to happen. We should get to 4 medals then (Keri-Ann Payne is favorite)

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I thought their swimming program under performed greatly.

That's to be expected. All the good swimming coaches are coaching the cyclists.

 

[Sørensen]

Maybe the british swimmers need a cycling coach?

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Looks like it by simple medal count

There were a whole lot of swimmers into finals, but not into the top 3.

I think swimming will probably only get cut back a little, but its certainly going to have to get more medals in 2016 in order to avoid a harsh chop.

(edit)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19133445
the BBC perspective.

I forgot the open water swims are yet to happen. We should get to 4 medals then (Keri-Ann Payne is favorite)

That is so out there that the government dumps as much money into Olympic programs as they do.

 

[Benotti69]

I thought their swimming program under performed greatly. A silver and two bronzes in an anglo dominated sport is not a great success by any measure.

You have to also wonder what the Chinese are throwing into some of their sporting programs.

I imagine the Chinese programs are still militaristic in their execution with modern sports 'science' on top.

If your country (China or Korea) calls you to serve for the greater glory you have no choice but to give and take your all for its honour.

 

[Darryl Webster]

Mind games?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/doubts-raised-over-great-britains-magic-wheels

 

[Catwhoorg]

That is so out there that the government dumps as much money into Olympic programs as they do.

The majority (all?) of that money comes from the national lottery.
Its part of the reason the lottery was set-up.

 

[King Boonen]

Some comparisons. (2011/2012 data from the UK sport annual report)
thousands of pounds
Cycling Athletes 869
Cycling federation 4096

Rowing Athletes 1432
Rowing federation 3373

Athletics Athletes 1501
Athletics federation 2226 (down heavily from 2010-11)

Boxing Athletes 513
Boxing Federation 1035

Swimming Athletes 1717
Swimming Federation 5341

Cycling currently has 8 medals (3 road 5 track) and should get another 3 or more

Rowing has 9 medals (done)

Athletics has 4 currently - should double that at least

Boxing has none (and I'm not sure of what prospects there are)

Swimming has 3 medals (done)


It may not be the absolute best for medals/investment (I think gymnastics will nab that) but certainly cycling is going to right up there.

That is if 'value for money' is taken as Olympic medals

(Cycling does a whole lot of development of talent, keeping the pipeline full for future medals as well. Arguably better than any other federation in the UK right now)

BBC has slightly different numbers, although I'm not sure what period they are for (Guessing 4 years).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19144994

 

[Catwhoorg]

BBC has slightly different numbers, although I'm not sure what period they are for (Guessing 4 years).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19144994

Pretty sure those are 4 year numbers, but it reinforces just what a good bang for the buck they get from the track cycling.

 

[simo1733]

Maybe the british swimmers need a cycling coach?

I think Tim Kerrison worked for British swimming before he wentnto Sky

 

[Catwhoorg]

Indeed he did.

 

[King Boonen]

Pretty sure those are 4 year numbers, but it reinforces just what a good bang for the buck they get from the track cycling.

Yeah, I'm assuming they are. 25m a year would be ridiculous.

They do seem to get very good value for money for cycling, lets just hope you UCI don't butcher the competition anymore.

 

[Benotti69]

they are not doping;

The Olympic Velodrome public address announcer is berating the crowd
"Remember," he warns. "The more you clap, the faster these riders tend to go."

Phew! So that is what it is

 

[Benotti69]

hmmmm interesting quote from Meares

Anna Meares says: 'I love the fact that the women I compete against are big, strong, powerful.'

Wonder what she might mean by this

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

they are not doping;



Phew! So that is what it is

Yeah, because it would be insane for the announcer to try and create an atmosphere.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Wonder what she might mean by this

Good role models?

 

[Benotti69]

Good role models?

I think she means 'good dope models, but hey it is ok becausee they are morally good dope models right

 

[Benotti69]

Yeah, because it would be insane for the announcer to try and create an atmosphere.

It would seem the harder they clap the more the British fans lose their sense of humour too. I suppose there had to be a side effect somewhere

 

[the big ring]

Good role models?

Good roll models.

 

[buckle]

The majority (all?) of that money comes from the national lottery.
Its part of the reason the lottery was set-up.

The lottery is funding dope programs. Even the Soviet Empire never thought of that one. Were the East Germans in 1972 as moronic as the British are in all of this 40 years later? I suspect not and they couldn't wait to start losing again from '89 onwards.

In any event, I am still trying to recover from Brazil v Honduras. The sight of the Honduran's 10 man team collapsing to their knees when the ref awarded a penalty will live in the memory. It's at moments like that you reach for the bible and leave the British to count the gate money for the semis.

 

[Caruut]

Pretty sure those are 4 year numbers, but it reinforces just what a good bang for the buck they get from the track cycling.

Bang for buck in medals terms, yet, but surely the GB track budget is dwarfing the other countries' track budgets. I don't necessarily think that Brailsford has done a job which is bad value for money, but I think there will be a temptation from UK sport to start counting cycling success as an expectation not an aspiration. If they do, I think the "whatever it takes" style budgets of Sky and GB Track might take a step back.