Teaming Up to Beat the U.S.

[Adam's Apple]

June 24, 2005
The Lengths Some Nations Will Go for A Medal
By David Woods, The Indianapolis Star

Does this mean Yao Ming and Andrei Kirilenko get to play on the same basketball team?

Sorry, guys. Olympic rules don't allow that.

But there's nothing to stop China and Russia from joining forces in a bid to make sure the United States does not top the medal count at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The national Olympic committees of China and Russia have signed a pact to share coaches, training secrets and medical advances. The goal: Beat the Yanks.

The United States led the standings at last year's Athens Olympics with 35 golds and 103 total medals. China was second in golds with 32 and had 63 medals. Russia had 27 and 92.

Leonid Tyagachev, the Russian Olympic chief, said uniting with China will produce better results in track and field and swimming.

Question for you, Leonid: What is it that China offers besides a talent pool of 1.3 billion?

At Athens, the Chinese won two medals in swimming and two in track. Michael Phelps isn't shaking in his Speedos, that's for sure.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050624/SPORTS/506240415

 

[Gabriella84]

Should we even care?
The Olympics are supposed to be about sportsmanship and athletic achievements, not who wins the most medals.

 

[Adam's Apple]

Should we even care?
The Olympics are supposed to be about sportsmanship and athletic achievements, not who wins the most medals.

Maybe in the beginning the Olympics were about sportsmanship and athletic abilities, but it hasn't been that way for many years. Among the power countries, it is all about winning and who gets the most medals. Why do you think they put so much money and time in the training of their athletes for the Olympics? So they can just go there and compete and have a good time? Not on your life. The athletes from these countries don't spend 8 rigorous hours a day for 4 years training to just go to the Olympics and compete. They are sent there specifically to WIN and bring home the GOLD. It's all about bragging rights and being recognized as the BEST in eyes of the rest of the world.

And, yes, I do care when Russia and China pool their resources to make the U.S. athletes look inferior to theirs. That makes me a bit hot under the collar and should not be allowed under Olympic rules.

 

[Gabriella84]

It doesn't matter if the entire world teams up and pool their resources. Their athletes still have to be better than your athletes.
I personally don't care which country has the best athletes or sports teams. It remains immensely trivial compared to other world events.

 

[Adam's Apple]

I personally don't care which country has the best athletes or sports teams. It remains immensely trivial compared to other world events.

Then stay out of the Sports section of this board. It's for people who do have an interest in athletes and sports teams.

 

[Gabriella84]

You obviously are not interested in the athletic part of The Olympics. You merely want the world bragging rights.

 

[Adam's Apple]

Don't draw erroneous conclusions about what I think about the Olympics. I am just telling you the way it is with regards to the Olympics. Reality, it's called.