The AH Tokyo 2020 Olympics/Paralympics Thread in 2021

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117724372#Comment_117724372

Its funny I remember after the 2012 Olympics posting on here about a lack of a velodrome in Ireland given our previous success in cycling with Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche. Indoor cycling is a sport we could have targeted in the same way Great Britian did.

But 9 years on and we still have no velodrome in Ireland that is up to competition level. Theres a tarmac cycling track around Sundrive but its nowhere near the standard. We give 80 million to horseracing and almost 20 million to greyhound racing every single year. They will get almost 400 million in taxpayer funding over a four year Olympic cycle. Yet there is still no sign of a velodrome anywhere because the government are busy pumping millions into dogs and horses.

Say Your Number

RTE always deliver a good sport montage.

Nice to have a tribute to Kiernan at the end.

cena

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725078#Comment_117725078

The NFL should be back soon

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117724738#Comment_117724738

Why haven't they gone and built one themselves? There are plenty of vacant industrial units that a track could be installed in.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725462#Comment_117725462

Money. Irish cycling has F all of it

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725466#Comment_117725466

Cycling Ireland has close to 30k members paying subs. A €10 development levy for 10 years on subs would go a long way to funding a velodrome.

Road bikes and cycling equipment cost an absolute fortune too, so there's plenty of money in Irish cycling.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725078#Comment_117725078

Richard, head of HR here, call into my office first thing tomorrow morning.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725480#Comment_117725480

To be honest I don't know enough about the finances of Cycling Ireland or its membership structure to know whether they could fund a velodrome but I imagine if they could they would have.

They are currently paying to send athletes to Spain for training as well as all the road races some of which cost a fortune to run. Also you can make money from the public who pay to use the velodrome so if they could afford one I imagine they would build it

fryup

just watched the fight again and taking off my green-tinted glasses, i have to say Kellie was very fortunate not to get a points-deducted warning off the ref for holding, she went down the 'michael carruth' route once too often imo..the brazilian girl can feel rightly aggrieved

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725480#Comment_117725480

That's €3M you've raised. If it goes 'a long way' towards funding a velodrome, then presumably you see the cost as circa €5M?

That seems an optimistic figure to me to do it privately- even the land acquisition would surely eat a lot of that money as it looks the sort of structure that has a big footprint and needs a good bit of acreage. It's a 250M oval-track after all. I'm not sure whether you intend it to be outdoor or indoor. Presumably outdoor/uncovered would be cheaper, though that might be a false economy in Ireland's climate. Indoor or majority covered would hopefully allow us to bid for/host European events, though now we are talking 1000 seats, car parks, access roads etc, adding to the expense. Indoor would also allow it to be used for other non-cycling events though. Even if we go with the velodrome being outdoors, you'd still need a lot of associated indoor buildings - changing rooms, toilets, admin, medical centre.

It seems a lot for a small body like Cycling Ireland to be taking on - there's a reason why in most countries these things are funded/built/ran by government/local authorities.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725684#Comment_117725684

It cant be outdoor as the whole problem is down to not having a track with the same surface and conditions that the lads would be racing in the Olympics.

As for the other posters €10 sub plan why don't we just say F it to government funding and make everyone pay subs. If boxing want to send Kellie to an Olympics pay a sub, need to send horses to Tokyo pay a sub. The sailors need new parts for the boat to replace the illegal ones pay a sub. It's nonsense

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725594#Comment_117725594

Was the ref being over zealous though? The amount of holding didn't seem that unusual for a third round. You see holding going on in loads and loads of fights, especially when boxers are getting tired. And the ref even admonished the Brazilian at one point in the last round for holding.

Richard Hillman

I actually just watched a Velodrome documentary tonight. It would be a long way off with the amount of timber needed, and the specific type of timber needed too.

I just think it is something that can be targeted. I've seen the likes of Surinam and Trinidad & Tobago do ok in this Olympics on the track with the sprints.

One thing about cycling in general is that it's not necessarily a highly skilled sport needing decades of skill honing. Rebecca Romero was a silver medalist in 2008 in rowing, then won gold in 2012 on the track.

A proper Olympic program can identify people who may actually be able cross over in sports. But because everything is decentralised, the sports will fight to keep their own people in. I look at somebody like Sophie Becker in 400m atheltics in Ireland. She is in superb shape. Light up top and has thighs like treetrunks. She has a cycling body if I have every seen one.

I know I'm mentioning cycling a lot but my point is that there are athletes who are doing ok in their own sports but could actually be amazing in others. I look at Rugby forwards who could be great hammer throwers, or shot putters. There could be decent athletics people who could be great at rowing.

A proper sports program can identify who has the physiological attributes to cross into another sport.

To sum it up. The guy who won the Olympic Cycling time trial and the last 2 Tour of Spains (Roglic), started out as a Ski Jumper until he was 18-19. What are the crossover attributes? He's as light as a balloon and has powerful legs, perfect for climbing mountains.

Second row forwards that drop out of rugby aged 18-21 could be Volleyball players. Tall GAA players too. Tall athletes are good for Rowing too.

Larbre34

See yis next time.

Morris Garren

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725800#Comment_117725800

I agree with you on the Sophie Becker thing. It wasn't cycling that came to mind for me though.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725800#Comment_117725800

We once had a great tradition in hammer throwing and similar events but the draw of team field sports is huge in Ireland and convincing people to give it up for Olympic level training in something else is tough

https://epicchq.com/the-irish-whales-the-first-olympic-superstars/

i think I posted this somewhere else earlier. Sorry if it was here and also what was the Velodrome documentary

Markus Antonius

Wow, I was feeling some serious Olympics fatigue a few days ago but now that it's over, it's very depressing! It's left an unfillable hole now. I can't even remember what I used to do before the Olympics was on 😔

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725684#Comment_117725684

The powers that be have been banging on about a velodrome for almost 20 years now. However it is a bit closer now in so far as Sports Ireland have outlined a site of public land for it to go on, irrc it is on the Sports Ireland campus in Blanch so pretty close to the existing Olympic sized swimming pool. The land is there and has been earmarked but whats missing is funding from central government because there is no way Cycling Ireland can fund it on their own with the funding they get from Sports Ireland.Back in 2016 they were talking of funding but now in 2021 there is still no shovels in the ground.

Cost wise this article says 8 million, that would be an indoor one but obviously not with the mad architecture you see at the Olympic one in Toyko. Personally I think 8 million is optimistid and it would be more like 15m or so. However it is a one off investment that allows our best cyclists to compete indoors all year around instead of this crap of sending 5 of them down to Majorca to use a velodrome there at great expense. What you want is our 5 best cyclists racing against the next 50 best on home soil week in week out. Once they get lots of indoor racing leagues going that would raise the performance bar for everyone and you'd hope in time we could send a lot more track cyclists to the Olympics

Speaking to The Irish Times recently, Cycling Ireland chief executive Geoff Liffey said that five companies had applied and that this is currently being whittled down to a preferred bidder. When this has been done, Cycling Ireland will seek capital approval from government. It is estimated that the project will cost €8 million, with the facility to be shared by Badminton Ireland, which will have a number of courts in the infield.

“This is the most advanced project we have had,” he said. “There is a lot of support for the sports campus site. The indoor arena is done, and the velodrome would be the next piece to be ready. I would be confident it will be done. It is just a question of when.” Once the indoor track is in place, he feels it will be a significant boost for Irish cycling. Being able to train indoors, away from the elements and traffic, would be of benefit to riders of all ages. There would be a significant boost to the grassroots, and riders would have a better chance of progressing to international level.

“It would be massively important. I can’t overstate the significance in terms of something that will energise the pipeline,” Liffey said. “We are reliant on overseas facilities, but we would be confident when it is here that it will benefit not just the performance people but also everyone else who can use it all year round. You only have to look at the success of other countries.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/shane-stokes-velodrome-project-crucial-to-future-success-of-ireland-s-cyclists-1.2606357

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117725684#Comment_117725684

You see what you've described is a velodrome stadium and to be honest I think that's why we don't have one in this country. It appears to me that Irish cycling is holding out for a venue with all the bells and whistles. Perfection being the enemy of the good. We don't need one to host European championships, just one for local use.

As long as you didn't really care where the velodrome was sited you'd have been able to find a large enough old factory in a number of locations in the country in the last 10 years and been able to retrofit a full size 250m track inside. The tracks themselves are not particularly expensive, it's the large clear span rigid structure that is.

Even if you couldn't find an existing structure to house this, Connaught GAA built their indoor air dome GAA pitch for €3.1m (and done in Slovenia and France for velodromes in the last two years). It could be done, it just looks like the will isn't there from Irish cycling and the business case is too weak for government.

Christy42

Is there much of a point to a velodrome outside of medals? Medals are all well and good for a feel good factor but they don't do much themselves. It feels like it would be hard for ordinary people to get involved in using the velodrome. Something like skateparks, climbing walls, swimming pools would be easier for people to use. Encourage general fitness among the population and provide amenities. If they lead to gold medals then so much the better.

I think the olympics are great for showing the breadth of sports out there but I feel like all the benefits of the gold medals for a country is to simply encourage more people to partake in that sport and potentially find the sport they love. Funding something not massively usable to the general public has limited benefit.

What.Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726289#Comment_117726289

What would the mainrenance upkeep be on it? Would you need to keep it at a particular temp & humidity to prevent warping. Would daily maintenance be required to check the surface, insurance etc.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726683#Comment_117726683

I've never run a velodrome facility but I would assume the track needs to be kept at the same temperature and humidity as a sports hall floor. Maintenance and insurance would be required.

As stated above though, what is the purpose of a velodrome? The track bikes are so expensive it will be limited to being used by high level athletes rather than community use. So really it's an Olympic training facility, grand. But medals, great and all for the athletes themselves, what good are they to anyone else?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726813#Comment_117726813

The general public would be able to rent bikes on open days. Other velodromes both open air and closed do it

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726289#Comment_117726289

The government have promised funding for it and continually say it is going to be part of Stadium Campus Ireland which is also do to get a badminton centre to go alongside the National Diving Centre, National Horse Sport Arena, National Cross Country Track, Cricket Ireland High Performance Centre so it being a niche sport should not go against it.

Housing it in a warehouse was one of the original plans for a site in Dundalk.

Also how much does a velodrome floor cost ?

ednwireland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726813#Comment_117726813

8 indoor velodromes in the uk, you can go in and rent bikes and ride round , in fact i know someone who has busted both shoulders coming off on manchester !

Christy42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726960#Comment_117726960

Cheers to you (and the other person who pointed it out). Didn't realise this was a case, largely because I would have thought more people would bust their shoulders on velodromes if they rented out bikes! That seems super dangerous. However then I would be presuming that there is not that many hurting themselves if they are still going. That works a bit better than I had thought. I wouldn't go but I am sure there are many who would so maybe not the worst idea.

harr

Hope this thread keeps going for the Paralympics , i nearly enjoy the para more at times and I think the athletes are amazing and have over come a lot of hurdles ( pardon the pun) in life to get to compete on a world stage .. some very inspirational athletes .

Kunta Kinte

Crazy thati Ireland has never hosted a world championship in sports like boxing, rowing or road cycling in the Republic anyway. Surely this should have happened a long time ago.

Joe_ Public

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727792#Comment_117727792

Don't know about the others, but with boxing it comes down to the money. Or lack thereof. The majority of world championships and Olympic qualifiers take place in eastern Europe now, been like that for a decade and more as that's where the big money is. Uzbekistan has the next world championships. If it wasn't there, it'd likely be Baku!

I remember a major controversy when the European female boxing championships were due to be held in Dublin around 2014 or 2015 and had to be switched for reasons I forget. I recall Katie Taylor only learning about it during a press conference as nobody from iaba had informed her!

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727894#Comment_117727894

I think I'm right in saying the Olympic qualifiers in Paris were not held under the auspices of AIBA, but by the IOC itself. Which is great news and means AIBA (or individuals within) cannot fix who qualifies. I assume it will be the same for 2024.