London 2012 Daily Diary

Dan man · 29-07-2012 10:55AM

Camilla Speirs in the arena now in eventing dressage....score in 40s, preferably mid 40s would be good.

Cosmo Kramer · 29-07-2012 10:59AM

Fast pool, big event, loads of personal bests, but our swimmers are a long way off the pace. It's not about winning or medals or anything like that, it's about peaking at the right time and performing to your best - our swimmers don't seem to be able to do that the way other countries' swimmers can.

It's not helped by the Swim Ireland twitter account congratulating the swimmers on their efforts after each event - when the efforts are nowhere near as good as they should be.

Dan man · 29-07-2012 11:02AM

Camilla scored a decent 47.80 penalties...not her best ever, but at the Olympic Games, it ain't bad and boosts the team scores nicely. Well done Camilla and Jiff. Best of the Irish so far.

QueenOfLeon · 29-07-2012 11:03AM

47.80 for Camilla Speirs. Good solid score, best Irish one so far and puts her just within the top 15 of the individual competition.

celtictiger32 · 29-07-2012 11:07AM

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

Fast pool, big event, loads of personal bests, but our swimmers are a long way off the pace. It's not about winning or medals or anything like that, it's about peaking at the right time and performing to your best - our swimmers don't seem to be able to do that the way other countries' swimmers can.

It's not helped by the Swim Ireland twitter account congratulating the swimmers on their efforts after each event - when the efforts are nowhere near as good as they should be.

ive noticed that myself and found it a bit annoying even from the panellists, they're saying ah he/she swam well not his/her best but a good swim, THEY WERE LAST!!! dont want to go all roy keane or anything but why are they celebrating mediocre performances.

Dan man · 29-07-2012 11:16AM

celtictiger32 wrote: »

ive noticed that myself and found it a bit annoying even from the panellists, they're saying ah he/she swam well not his/her best but a good swim, THEY WERE LAST!!! dont want to go all roy keane or anything but why are they celebrating mediocre performances.

I think there is a big problem too with the panelists and commentators talking up the Irish chances....Grainne is a super swimmer at her best, but in the 400m free she was never going to get near the final places, even at her best....and the panelists should have laid it down as it was and not given a false perception. I didn't expect she would be so far back though, illness obviously took its toll on her. The 800m free is a different story and at her best she is capable of getting to an Olympic final.... but I think there's no chance she can make the final on current form...she is good enough but unfortunately she isn't in the best condition probably due to the virus she was struggling with in the spring.

Sycerika was a little below par but it's important not to criticise her too much...she is still really young and she's had a long season which included a silver medal at the European Seniors and a 5th place finish over the 100m breaststroke.

Barry Murphy's swim was a little disappointing but the panellists also talked up his chances too much....he only swam one really good time in the last 24 months and he hasn't been consistent enough to challenge for a semi-final place.

It was never going to be a successful Olympics in the pool for Ireland but in Rio 2016 it will surely be a different story with Sycerika 4 years stronger and hopefully Grainne getting back to her best.

Cosmo Kramer · 29-07-2012 11:21AM

Apparently Sycerica was too upset to talk to the Irish media after her event this morning. It's not nice to have her getting upset like that but it does show that she knows she can do better and isn't willing to settle for mediocrity. I hope we see a lot more of her in the future.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-07-2012 11:31AM

Agree about the swimmers. Not up to Olympic standards at all so far. Obviously they qualified so have to have been up to some standard but I do wonder if we should be sending people just for the sake of sending them. Should we look for higher standards than the Olympic qualifying times? Sure McMahon is only 16/17, she should treat this as experience and aim for Rio but at the same time are we just encouraging mediocrity as we have done for so long in so many sports? I'm not trying to sound harsh here, but I'm not sure we should be sending people unless they have a real chance of at least making a final.

I know most of the swimmers haven't swum/swam their "main" distance yet but they've been so far off the pace in the races they have done that it doesn't seem like much of an excuse.

Dan man · 29-07-2012 11:39AM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Agree about the swimmers. Not up to Olympic standards at all so far. Obviously they qualified so have to have been up to some standard but I do wonder if we should be sending people just for the sake of sending them. Should we look for higher standards than the Olympic qualifying times? Sure McMahon is only 16/17, she should treat this as experience and aim for Rio but at the same time are we just encouraging mediocrity as we have done for so long in so many sports? I'm not trying to sound harsh here, but I'm not sure we should be sending people unless they have a real chance of at least making a final.

I know most of the swimmers haven't swum/swam their "main" distance yet but they've been so far off the pace in the races they have done that it doesn't seem like much of an excuse.

Doesn't really matter that their main events haven't come round yet for some....bottom line is that the only Irish swimmer that was capable of making the final in London was Grainne in the 800m freestyle....she won't do that now as she isn't in any sort of shape to compete.

Sending Sycerika McMahon is not just sending someone for the sake of it....it's a good opportunity for her to gain experience and that is all that was hoped of her in London, maybe sneaking a place in the semis if she swam to her very best.

cristoir · 29-07-2012 12:00PM

I'm really looking forward to the canoe slalom preliminary today. Eoin was fantastic in Beijing and is a world cup Gold medallist. According to sports news Ireland he is in the form of his life but did suffer a recent enough shoulder injury.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-07-2012 12:10PM

Dan man wrote: »

Sending Sycerika McMahon is not just sending someone for the sake of it....it's a good opportunity for her to gain experience and that is all that was hoped of her in London, maybe sneaking a place in the semis if she swam to her very best.

I agree sending the younger athletes for the experience is fine, but at what age do they stop being prospects and become also rans. Sport in Ireland is very badly done. Boxing is probably the only Olympic sport that gets it right with their high performance programmes.

Dan man · 29-07-2012 12:24PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I agree sending the younger athletes for the experience is fine, but at what age do they stop being prospects and become also rans. Sport in Ireland is very badly done. Boxing is probably the only Olympic sport that gets it right with their high performance programmes.

Agree...but considering she just turned 17 you can safely say that Sycerika is still very much a prospect!!

celtictiger32 · 29-07-2012 12:25PM

i think a lot of the sporting bodies in this country need to have a look at themselves, why not send delegates to the top performing countries in their chosen field to do a report on hoe they do things and take the best points and try to incorporate them into our own system here.

Dan man · 29-07-2012 12:29PM

cristoir wrote: »

I'm really looking forward to the canoe slalom preliminary today. Eoin was fantastic in Beijing and is a world cup Gold medallist. According to sports news Ireland he is in the form of his life but did suffer a recent enough shoulder injury.

I really don't mean this to be critical of Eoin, not in the slightest, but he isn't in the form of his life, not even close and that is the problem with the Irish media.....they build up a completely false sense of hope and then leave people bitterly disappointed when they don't see our guys come home with medals.

Eoin was 21st and 35th in the most recent World Cup events so bear that in mind. Prior to Beijing though he wasn't in amazing form and he came away with 4th so anything is possible. Just try to keep a sense of realism though and don't pay too much attention to what the media say.

Best of luck to Eoin, hope he has a good qualifcation run and makes it into the next stage.

wnolan1992 · 29-07-2012 12:34PM

Sailing Race 1 has been delayed due to rain I believe.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-07-2012 12:36PM

celtictiger32 wrote: »

i think a lot of the sporting bodies in this country need to have a look at themselves, why not send delegates to the top performing countries in their chosen field to do a report on hoe they do things and take the best points and try to incorporate them into our own system here.

I agree. Look at all these former Eastern bloc countries sending huge squads to the Olympics and actually competing for medals in a lot of them. Now I don't know, maybe the Communists left a great legacy for sport development but it seems ridiculous that countries like these, some of whom are only in the Olympics for the 4th or 5th time as independent nations, seem to be better equipped to produce athletes than we are.

Even our best medal hope, Katie Taylor, who we've been hanging the gold around for years now, had to have some business guy pay to put in showers at her home gym. Now I know there's the high performance programme and they probably have decent facilities but where's the funding at ground level?

Dan man · 29-07-2012 12:36PM

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Sailing Race 1 has been delayed due to rain I believe.

Yes, I think they're moving the starting point. Come on the Irish.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-07-2012 12:37PM

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Sailing Race 1 has been delayed due to rain I believe.

Dressage also delayed, horsies don't like rain. No play at Wimbledon other than under the roof on CC.

Dan man · 29-07-2012 12:41PM

Hope these conditions keep up for when Annalise Murphy starts her Olympics in the women's Laser Radial sailing tomorrow and throughout her campaign. She's a master of those conditions and probably the best at coping with them.

Cosmo Kramer · 29-07-2012 12:42PM

cristoir wrote: »

I'm really looking forward to the canoe slalom preliminary today. Eoin was fantastic in Beijing and is a world cup Gold medallist. According to sports news Ireland he is in the form of his life but did suffer a recent enough shoulder injury.

It's tough enough getting accurate sports information from the Irish media, but even by these low standards you really haven't helped yourself with your choice of media source there.

These British sailing commentators are tough to listen to...someone should leave them under a motorway bridge in east London or somewhere for a few nights to shake them up a bit.

Pisco Sour · 29-07-2012 12:56PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Agree about the swimmers. Not up to Olympic standards at all so far. Obviously they qualified so have to have been up to some standard but I do wonder if we should be sending people just for the sake of sending them. Should we look for higher standards than the Olympic qualifying times? Sure McMahon is only 16/17, she should treat this as experience and aim for Rio but at the same time are we just encouraging mediocrity as we have done for so long in so many sports? I'm not trying to sound harsh here, but I'm not sure we should be sending people unless they have a real chance of at least making a final.

I know most of the swimmers haven't swum/swam their "main" distance yet but they've been so far off the pace in the races they have done that it doesn't seem like much of an excuse.

Typical sh1te you hear every 4 years when the Gah/Ford Super Sunday/Heino Cup bandwaggoners come out of the closet and start talking about sports they have no knowledge about. Our swimmers reached the qualification standard and deserve to be sent.

If you only send people who have a chance at a medal or a final then you'd have a very small team indeed and that would do nothing to encourage future participation in and development of a sport.

celtictiger32 · 29-07-2012 12:57PM

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Sailing Race 1 has been delayed due to rain I believe.

ha you wouldnt think more water would be a factor in sailing:D

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I agree. Look at all these former Eastern bloc countries sending huge squads to the Olympics and actually competing for medals in a lot of them. Now I don't know, maybe the Communists left a great legacy for sport development but it seems ridiculous that countries like these, some of whom are only in the Olympics for the 4th or 5th time as independent nations, seem to be better equipped to produce athletes than we are.

Even our best medal hope, Katie Taylor, who we've been hanging the gold around for years now, had to have some business guy pay to put in showers at her home gym. Now I know there's the high performance programme and they probably have decent facilities but where's the funding at ground level?

asaik the lotto is supposed to part fund sports and arts projects, a couple of years ago the sports capitol grants were stopped yet the lotto was still running, wonder where the money was going?

Dan man · 29-07-2012 12:58PM

Race 1 in men's star about to start.....

Pisco Sour · 29-07-2012 01:01PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

but where's the funding at ground level?

Taken up by sports such as Horse Racing, GAA, Soccer and Rugby. Slim pickings for the rest.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-07-2012 01:03PM

Pisco Sour wrote: »

Typical sh1te you hear every 4 years when the Gah/Ford Super Sunday/Heino Cup bandwaggoners come out of the closet and start talking about sports they have no knowledge about. Our swimmers reached the qualification standard and deserve to be sent.

If you only send people who have a chance at a medal or a final then you'd have a very small team indeed and that would do nothing to encourage future participation in and development of a sport.

I know they reached the Olympic standard but the individual Olympic comities in each country can set their own standards as well.

As I said, sending people of a certain age for the experience and in the hopes that they'll be back at the next one is fine. But where do you draw the line between potential talent and just making up the numbers.

It's just my opinion on it, and I don't just mean for the swimmers, I mean it for all out sports.

Truman Burbank · 29-07-2012 01:10PM

celtictiger32 wrote: »

i think a lot of the sporting bodies in this country need to have a look at themselves, why not send delegates to the top performing countries in their chosen field to do a report on hoe they do things and take the best points and try to incorporate them into our own system here.

half of them on a one-way ticket

Pisco Sour · 29-07-2012 01:15PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I know they reached the Olympic standard but the individual Olympic comities in each country can set their own standards as well.

As I said, sending people of a certain age for the experience and in the hopes that they'll be back at the next one is fine. But where do you draw the line between potential talent and just making up the numbers.

It's just my opinion on it, and I don't just mean for the swimmers, I mean it for all out sports.

Answer me this, have you been following the progress of any of Ireland's Olympians since 2008? You seem to have a strong opinion on who should and shouldn't be sent, so enlighten me on who our athletes to watch will be on the track next week?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-07-2012 01:18PM

Truman Burbank wrote: »

half of them on a one-way ticket

Yes, complete overhaul of sport in Ireland is what's needed. The fact that it's lumped in with arts and tourism in the government departments shows how highly they rank it in importance.

Dan man · 29-07-2012 01:21PM

Mod note:

Please keep this thread out of the gutter.....more focus on the sporting action and Olympic news please. It's a daily diary thread, not for discussing how Irish sport should be run.

Cosmo Kramer · 29-07-2012 01:22PM

O'Leary/Burrows 3rd last at the turn in race one.

London 2012 Daily Diary

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