Two comments:
1- Other countries have improved. If you see countries traditionally getting one medal on top of Canada is because they've got more this time.
2- Other countries sent athletes only to those events where they can really have a chnace to get medals. Small Asian nations have 3 and 4 golds (and therefore ended up above Canada in the medal count) because they send athletes to win.
The only way to know if we are good in a sport is to compete at the highest level. Money is key, but competition is good too, even if we dn't get more medals.
John - 12 years ago
I don't think it's that they set the bar too low. The fact is, they set the bar too high! We aimed for 12th and yet we can only be ranked 37th. It's not about setting the bar. If we said we wanted to be 1st, we'd still haev been 37th. It's not about mental toughness of our athletes. We send the best we've got.
The real problem is not the psychology, it's simpler than that. Money. Athletes around the world are funded privately or publicly for their endeavors. They run, jump, and swim for a living. That's all they do all all day. Our athletes work. They are bartenders, waitresses, coaches, teachers etc... They don't have the same level of funding, so they don't have the same amount of time they can devote to training as an American would. The reason why we did so well in the Vancouver Olympics is because the government suddenly upped funding and our athletes suddenly had time to train. We also had home advantage, so our athletes trained on the exact hill that everyone will compete on months in advanced.
It's not about setting the bar. It's not that we don't expect enough of them. We expect TOO much from them, especially considering the meagre sums we give them. We don't have world class funding or facilities, and yet we expect them to beat athletes from other countries that do. Is it that we expect too little of them? No, we expect too much of them.
Joanne - 12 years ago
I think the athletes need to have a tougher mentality and it has to start from the top, from the leaders , the coaches. and on down from there. They have to want it really badly , and be hungry for it,.Check out the countries who do well. Something is working for them. What is it? Someone once said, " You are what you think and what you believe". This laid back attitude from the past is obviously not working for Canada anymore. The womens soccer team worked so hard for the results they got, it showed, the mens relay team also did a fantastic job, despite the end result for both teams. Simon Whitfield had an unfortunate tumble, It is not good enough anymore to hear athletes say, " well I came here to win a medal but it didn;t happen, so sorry,but I had a good time anyway,or I am happy just for the experience, or it was fun., or I just came here to see if I could better my personal best", or whatever. I know all the athletes work very hard and I appreciate that, but it is time to maybe take a good look at what the winning countries are doing, and try it here in Canada. Change your thinking, think like a winner, not a' possible ' winner and see the changes start to happen, no more mamby pamby excuses, make your family and friends and supporters proud, we know that athletes and their families sacrifice and give up a lot and the journey is not easy, but it is time for more mental toughness now so that we are not embarrased at the next Olympics. Congratulations to all the athletes who did so well, especially to all the surprise medal winners , little unheard of athletes who surprised us as well as themselves. My heart goes out to the mens relay team, we are still so proud of you. Each one of the athletes deserves a hand for just qualifying to get there, but now the tide has to turn, no looking back except to learn from what went wrong, onwards and upwards now to the next Olympics. Good Luck to everyone!
Best of luck to all the future Olympians, I for one will be watching out for you. God Bless you all.
Two comments:
1- Other countries have improved. If you see countries traditionally getting one medal on top of Canada is because they've got more this time.
2- Other countries sent athletes only to those events where they can really have a chnace to get medals. Small Asian nations have 3 and 4 golds (and therefore ended up above Canada in the medal count) because they send athletes to win.
The only way to know if we are good in a sport is to compete at the highest level. Money is key, but competition is good too, even if we dn't get more medals.
I don't think it's that they set the bar too low. The fact is, they set the bar too high! We aimed for 12th and yet we can only be ranked 37th. It's not about setting the bar. If we said we wanted to be 1st, we'd still haev been 37th. It's not about mental toughness of our athletes. We send the best we've got.
The real problem is not the psychology, it's simpler than that. Money. Athletes around the world are funded privately or publicly for their endeavors. They run, jump, and swim for a living. That's all they do all all day. Our athletes work. They are bartenders, waitresses, coaches, teachers etc... They don't have the same level of funding, so they don't have the same amount of time they can devote to training as an American would. The reason why we did so well in the Vancouver Olympics is because the government suddenly upped funding and our athletes suddenly had time to train. We also had home advantage, so our athletes trained on the exact hill that everyone will compete on months in advanced.
It's not about setting the bar. It's not that we don't expect enough of them. We expect TOO much from them, especially considering the meagre sums we give them. We don't have world class funding or facilities, and yet we expect them to beat athletes from other countries that do. Is it that we expect too little of them? No, we expect too much of them.
I think the athletes need to have a tougher mentality and it has to start from the top, from the leaders , the coaches. and on down from there. They have to want it really badly , and be hungry for it,.Check out the countries who do well. Something is working for them. What is it? Someone once said, " You are what you think and what you believe". This laid back attitude from the past is obviously not working for Canada anymore. The womens soccer team worked so hard for the results they got, it showed, the mens relay team also did a fantastic job, despite the end result for both teams. Simon Whitfield had an unfortunate tumble, It is not good enough anymore to hear athletes say, " well I came here to win a medal but it didn;t happen, so sorry,but I had a good time anyway,or I am happy just for the experience, or it was fun., or I just came here to see if I could better my personal best", or whatever. I know all the athletes work very hard and I appreciate that, but it is time to maybe take a good look at what the winning countries are doing, and try it here in Canada. Change your thinking, think like a winner, not a' possible ' winner and see the changes start to happen, no more mamby pamby excuses, make your family and friends and supporters proud, we know that athletes and their families sacrifice and give up a lot and the journey is not easy, but it is time for more mental toughness now so that we are not embarrased at the next Olympics. Congratulations to all the athletes who did so well, especially to all the surprise medal winners , little unheard of athletes who surprised us as well as themselves. My heart goes out to the mens relay team, we are still so proud of you. Each one of the athletes deserves a hand for just qualifying to get there, but now the tide has to turn, no looking back except to learn from what went wrong, onwards and upwards now to the next Olympics. Good Luck to everyone!
Best of luck to all the future Olympians, I for one will be watching out for you. God Bless you all.