Why GB Athletes dont win medals!
August 13th 2007 01:30
As Osaka (god, how many times have I written that word already!) approaches we in the U.K are once again having to come to terms with the majority of our decent athletes (and we don’t have many of them!) being injured or coming back from a long lay off.
Now I know that athletes from other countries get injured as well – The women’s Javelin champion Osleidys Menéndez has withdrawn from the championships with an Achilles injury and Asafa Powell missed the 2005 World Champs in Helsinki with a groin tear but surely GB gets more than its fair share.
At the AAA championships world class athletes Greg Rutherford (Long Jump), Nathan Douglas (Triple Jump), Tim Benjamin (400m), Rhys Williams (400m Hurdles), Sam Ellis (800m) were all missing.
Those that did make it to Manchester but off the back of very little training included Nicola Sanders (400m), Becky Lynn (800m), Christian Malcolm (200m), Phillips Idowu (triple Jump), Nick Nieland (Javelin), Martyn Rooney (400m), Robert Tobin (400m) and Chris Lambert (200m).
That’s almost half a team – the better half at that!
And lets not forget those greats from the recent past that have had their careers cut short by injury; Abi Oyepitan (100m and 200m Olympic finalist), Daniel Caines (World Indoor 400m champion), Dean Macey (Commonwealth Decathlon Champion) to name only a few.
UK athletics have clearly recognised the fragility of our athletes as they have named several ‘travelling reserves’ but get this – they’ve been injured too!
Athletics is unlike every other sport on earth in that it is 100% physical and fitness based. Footballers, Rugby players, Cricketers etc can all get away with a certain lack of fitness due to the skill factor in their sports – a good pass or a sweetly hit six can limit your need to run and therefore you can cover up and lack of fitness.
Not so with Athletics as invariably the faster athlete wins and an injured athlete wont regain complete fitness even months down the line – thus performing well below their best.
Half fit athletes do not win titles or make finals.
If Dave Collins (head of UK Athletics) wants to increase the number of athletes doing well at major championships he would do well to take a closer look at recuperation and recovery methods used by other countries.
Countries like Sweden that manage to make the most of their limited talent resources.
But of course the buck stops with the athletes themselves.
It is amazing how many world class athletes complain they are injured and then drive away in their brand new sports car.
If we are to succeed in future injury cannot be an excuse.
Now I know that athletes from other countries get injured as well – The women’s Javelin champion Osleidys Menéndez has withdrawn from the championships with an Achilles injury and Asafa Powell missed the 2005 World Champs in Helsinki with a groin tear but surely GB gets more than its fair share.
At the AAA championships world class athletes Greg Rutherford (Long Jump), Nathan Douglas (Triple Jump), Tim Benjamin (400m), Rhys Williams (400m Hurdles), Sam Ellis (800m) were all missing.
Those that did make it to Manchester but off the back of very little training included Nicola Sanders (400m), Becky Lynn (800m), Christian Malcolm (200m), Phillips Idowu (triple Jump), Nick Nieland (Javelin), Martyn Rooney (400m), Robert Tobin (400m) and Chris Lambert (200m).
That’s almost half a team – the better half at that!
And lets not forget those greats from the recent past that have had their careers cut short by injury; Abi Oyepitan (100m and 200m Olympic finalist), Daniel Caines (World Indoor 400m champion), Dean Macey (Commonwealth Decathlon Champion) to name only a few.
UK athletics have clearly recognised the fragility of our athletes as they have named several ‘travelling reserves’ but get this – they’ve been injured too!
Athletics is unlike every other sport on earth in that it is 100% physical and fitness based. Footballers, Rugby players, Cricketers etc can all get away with a certain lack of fitness due to the skill factor in their sports – a good pass or a sweetly hit six can limit your need to run and therefore you can cover up and lack of fitness.
Not so with Athletics as invariably the faster athlete wins and an injured athlete wont regain complete fitness even months down the line – thus performing well below their best.
Half fit athletes do not win titles or make finals.
If Dave Collins (head of UK Athletics) wants to increase the number of athletes doing well at major championships he would do well to take a closer look at recuperation and recovery methods used by other countries.
Countries like Sweden that manage to make the most of their limited talent resources.
But of course the buck stops with the athletes themselves.
It is amazing how many world class athletes complain they are injured and then drive away in their brand new sports car.
If we are to succeed in future injury cannot be an excuse.
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