Medal Disparity at Olympics

[Tim]

I was looking at the medal totals this morning an something really jumped out at me.



Australia - 20 million people, 29 medals.

India - 1.1 billion people, 1 medal.



Amazing how different cultures will produce different results in different arenas (pun intended).

About the only thing more amazing is the Russian boxing melt-down!

Always glad to see our Aussie brothers do well

Tim

 

[Papa Bear]

I think we got a medal ..... we didn't get skunked.

 

[TooManyWheels]

I have been told by Indian people that their culture focuses on intellectual achievement. I don't know specifically that they shun athletic achievement, but it seems reasonable.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

It'a hardto carve out time to train when your next meal is touch and go.

 

[Fester]

Originally Posted By: GROUCHO MARX
It'a hardto carve out time to train when your next meal is touch and go.
I must agree.

Population plays a large part in medal counts, but its also about politics and economics. A communist/totalitarian country will do anything and everything to win medals providing they have the money to spend, all for the glory of the regime.

Democracy's on the other hand, need a large population and be in good economic standing for a long time, its just natural that theres more free time to develop interest in sports, and have the private money to fund it at least a portion of it.

Down the road, if India keeps growing economically, they will be well represented.

I always root (oops) for the Aussies, they're a lot like us.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
I think we got a medal ..... we didn't get skunked.

I REALLY enjoyed watching your first gold medal winner this year.

 

[oilyriser]

India should outsource some good athletes.

 

[Cutehumor]

India may have alot of intelligent people. However, we have about 300 million, where almost half is overweight/obese. what does it say about our medal count?

 

[Silk]

The medal count has more to do with the size of the Olympic Team than the population of the country.The US and Australia always do well because they have huge teams.The Chinese are doing well because they have entered at least one competitor in every event,someone just has to win something with that number entered.

We had a very good day on saturday,getting 5 medals,and we might have a few more coming.Small country,small team - but we are real proud of all our athletes.

 

[Shannow]

Silk,
good points...If Oz concentrated as much on higher education as sport, we'd be unbeatable.

Was some "news" thing that showed that there were as many Aussies competing/training for other teams as there were in our team...mindboggling.

 

[Silk]

The worst thing that has happened in sport the last 20 years or so is elevating sports people to the same status as news readers....and paying them as much.Their lives are lived out in women's magazines.

Sounds like half our athletes live overseas,and come Olympic time they decide which country they will compete for.

 

[Shannow]

Yep, one of our dearest friends studied journalism, and rose to editor of a regional paper.

Left the industry, (partly) as she realised that her years of training (and higher education bill) meant nothing compared to a celebrity sportstar.