How does it feel – seven days of competition in, one gold medal? At the time of writing we are placed 16th on the medal count, behind Kazakhstan in 10th.
Swimmer Emily Seebohm blamed social media for blowing nonsense into her trumpet. Paralympian Michael Milton said the athletes had been molly-coddled by experts and minders.
But methinks the rot started after the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Funding cuts and a dramatic reduction in expenditure on elite athletes. Why have all our top-notch coaches gone overseas to China, Europe and the United States?
Big dollars were offered them. Can we blame them?
Where our swim team was usually feared by others, half of them should have never gone to the Games because their times were not A-standard. Nevermind that Ian Thorpe's attempt at a comeback cost Swimming Australia a handy sum for his training expenses.
That was money well spent, like the pink bats (perhaps they could have been used as floaties?).
And have a look at our rowers paddling around with nowhere to go. Then one member of our "Light 8" decides to trash shopfronts in a village west of London and gets arrested. Come on, is this the image we used to project to the world?
My prediction is that maybe we will win two more gold medals. One from sailing in either the laser or 470 class, and maybe – and my heart goes out to this gutsy young lady – Gold Coaster Sally Pearson in the hurdles. If I was her, I'd pack my bags and come home now, but she won't.
This girl will not give up, as some of the other members of our team have... even before they got to London. She is staying on-task and grounded in the pursuit of a win – she isn't so bold as to give a guarantee she will be a shoe-in for gold, but she's hungry for it.
One further positive thing might be said: we are making the host country look good. Not that they needed help with that nice looking young couple William and Kate courtside and trackside at most events.
Man with a Bag
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